The Wolverhampton Gunlock Makers

This site was published with the aim of detailing the author's ongoing research into the obscure history of those who carried on the trade of gunlock (or gun lock) making in Wolverhampton. Historically, this trade has to a large extent been overlooked or ambiguously recorded and there is a scarcity of documented evidence specific to the trade. However, from many sources, including church records, civil registration documents, censuses, etcetera, and in collaboration with the descendants of gunlock makers, it has been possible to establish not only the genealogy of many of the Wolverhampton gunlock-making families but also their involvement and associations with the trade.

Although the author had originally made available online the full version under the sub-heading 'A Sketch History from Within the Trade' (February 2004), now only the abridged two-page version is accessible. However, the author can be contacted specifically about the following families' involvement with the Wolverhampton gunlock trade and their genealogy:- [St] Aubin, Bassett, Brazier, Brittain, Chilton, Dodd, Daly, Grainger, Homer, Law, Mansfield, Rigby, Stanton, Stilliard.

While researching the Wolverhampton gunlock trade it has become apparent that there was once a general gun trade in the town. Many of the gunlock makers obviously had the skills necessary to carry out a range of gun work not limited to just locks. Evidence suggests some cross-over, where gunlock makers would sometimes describe themselves as gunmakers or gunsmiths and vice versa. For this reason the author includes all those he has found who were involved or associated with the town's gun trade. Without doubt, complete guns were made in the town by various makers. However, very few examples of these guns are known to still exist, so it would seem that they were only ever produced in small numbers. This assumption might be misleading as guns may have been made and supplied for retailers elsewhere to sell under their own name (a practice that was carried on extensively throughout the British gun trade and which still continues these days, albeit to a very much lesser extent).

The author can accept no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any purpose outside his control for which this work and the information it contains might be used.

"Up early, and off to Wolverhampton to see Mr. Brazier,
the great [gun]lockmaker of Britain, about the lock
for my new stanchion [gun]. I had a terrible job to find
the right man, as the name of 'Brazier' here was like
'Smith,' too universal to be distinguished. After an
hour's tramp in mud and filthy streets, I got on the right
scent, and found him at his little country seat, called
'The Ashes,' and ascertained that 'Joseph Brazier, Esq.'
was the precise direction to catch him."

Extract of November 16^th 1849 from:
'The Diary of Colonel Peter Hawker 1802 - 1853'
(first published 1893 by Longmans, Green and Company)

Wolverhampton, now a city within the English West Midlands, has always been involved with metal-working industries. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the town's proximity to the extensive coal, iron ore and limestone underground deposits, Wolverhampton saw a considerable increase in artisan trades working in iron and steel. All kinds of tools, implements and fittings were produced for an ever-increasing diversity of markets. A contemporaneous expansion of nearby Birmingham and its established gun trade led to a need for gun part manufacturers, upon which the skilled metal-workers quickly seized.

An integral part of any gun is the mechanism by which it is fired, and is referred to as the lock (as in the old saying 'Lock, stock and barrel'). Within a relatively short period and mainly through their growing reputation for quality work, the Wolverhampton gunlock makers ensured that the prestigious London gunmakers became principal patrons of their trade. By the mid-nineteenth century many London-made guns were being furnished with locks from Wolverhampton.

It is not known who the first gunlock maker was to set up in Wolverhampton, and it is unlikely that they would have been engaged solely in gunlock-making; the trade not then being as specialised as it would become. Around 1660 John Perry was known as a gunsmith in nearby Bilston, a chapelry of Wolverhampton. Of some significance are the suggested associations between the Perry family and several Wolverhampton families later involved with gunlock-making.

Gunlocks were being produced in Wolverhampton before the beginning of the eighteenth century, although there is very little documented history of the town's small businesses prior to the last quarter of that century. The neighbouring villages of Coseley and Ettingshall had various types of lock making industry. In that area Edward Brassman and Joseph Bullock were recorded around 1760 as carrying on their trade as gunlock filers. The parish records of both All Saints and the later Roman Catholic St George's churches of adjoining Sedgley contain the surnames of many of the families who would become known as gunlock makers of Wolverhampton: Perry, Newton, Homer, Brazier, Stanton, Law, Grainger. Of those, Thomas Newton was shown in the 1780 Birmingham Directory as carrying on his trade of gunlock maker in St John's Square, Wolverhampton.

The gunlocks produced up until the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century were flintlocks for fowling pieces (shotguns), muskets and pistols. A lucrative source of income would have been government contract work for military weapons such as the famous 'Brown Bess' musket. A new best quality London double-barrelled flintlock shotgun would then have been priced in the region of £45, the pair of locks for which costing about £4. Flintlocks continued in production throughout the 1800s, long after the invention and adoption of the percussion cap during the 1820s.

The gunlock trade was comprised mainly of businesses having just one or two tradesmen. Eventually the larger gunlock businesses had an owner/master gunlock maker, skilled in all aspects of his trade. The employees were generally divided into specific sub-trades: forgers, filers, pin (screw) makers and spring makers. Some were engaged as outworkers in their own small workshops, and a few undertook the manufacture of a variety of gun components such as sights, trigger-guards, butt-plates etcetera. The work was labour-intensive, with the smiths working at forging hearths, benches, vices and foot-treadle lathes. The hammer, chisel and file were his principal hand-tools, with simple dies, jigs and implements made in-house specifically for particular operations. The assembling, spring making, hardening and tempering and regulating/finishing required the considerable skill acquired through an apprenticeship which would last seven or more years. The trade continued on the common practice of employing family members; usually a father apprenticing his son either to himself or a relative, with the accepted presumption that the family business would be passed down through successive generations. Occasionally, the widow of the head of the family would continue to run the business, either using the deceased's name or their own. Whether or not these widows were involved with the actual practicalities of gunlock-making is not known.

With motive power in the form of steam engines driving overhead take-off shafts and the increasing availability of machine tools, the preliminary 'roughing' procedures became more mechanised, particularly the forging of bar steel into rough components. Progress in the steel-making industry led to improved quality control of materials. Better and more closely controlled grades of steel led to greater reliability in gunlocks through the components being more durable and the tools with which they were made being more efficient. The transition from muzzle-loading to breech-loading guns after 1860 saw the gunlock industry of Wolverhampton take on the production of breech-loading actions and expand accordingly. Then the trade had become as large and specialised as it would ever be, with the companies of Joseph Brazier & Sons, John Stanton & Co and Edwin Chilton & Son recognised as the finest gunlock makers in the world.

The last decade of the nineteenth century saw the development of new metal-working and engineering industries catering for mass-markets. Bicycle manufacturing and then the automotive trade became the town's large employers. Because the wages were better with such companies as Sunbeam and Clyno, many skilled men left the gunlock trade in search of a higher standard of living. From around 1900 until WWI it became increasingly difficult to attract young men into gunlock-making apprenticeships, particularly when the trade began to be regarded as not only underpaid but declining. Although both WWI and WWII saw the remaining gunlock companies involved once again in government contract work, there was to be no long-lasting renaissance for the trade.

The quality of the best gunlocks made throughout the second half of the nineteenth century has been equalled but never surpassed. Sub-contracted production drop-forging and electric motor-driven precision machines running high-speed-steel and tungsten-carbide tooling progressively reduced the time taken for roughing out, but the hand fitting and finishing have always been essential operations.

By the late 1950s, although the three most famous Wolverhampton gunlock-making companies were still in existence in the town, the families whose names they bore played no part in them. Within twenty years the trade was reduced to two companies. Another twenty years saw just one company remaining in the Wolverhampton area which could offer a production facility for gunlocks. In 2006 that last company moved elsewhere, bringing to an end the long, distinguished era of gunlock-making in Wolverhampton.

The following alphabetical list is only a general guide. The approximate period date only refers to that time where there is some evidence to support it. It does not imply that the individual was only working during that period. Likewise, the addresses given may not be the only ones where that person worked/lived during their working lifetime. Where a person founded a company, that company may have continued after the founder’s death, either as an ongoing family business or not. For reasons of privacy etc., the list only covers those who are deceased.

There is a source of confusion that the reader should be aware of: Some gunlock-making families had more than one relative with the same forename. In the absence of descriptive genealogies (intentionally omitted), misunderstandings and incorrect conclusions may arise where there are multiple same-named individuals in the same working period or not. A most pertinent example of this occurs several times in the Brazier family; just two illustrations of which are the three individual Benjamins being father, son and great-nephew, and the four individual James', being uncle, nephew and two great-nephews.

The person may have had more than one trade during their lifetime; where that is known the other trade (or trades) is given. Some trades were carried on in conjunction with others, often of completely dissimilar nature.

Much of Wolverhampton has changed over the years. Therefore places that went under a particular name may now have another name or even not exist, eg: what was the location of St Paul’s church is now a car park off the St John’s ring road.

Surname/Forename	Trade*	Approximate Period	Locations
Adey Solomon	GLM	1871	71 Zoar St
Allcock Charles	GLM	1877 - 1939	Employed by Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd (Res 8 Lloyd St)
Allmark Thomas	GLM	1851	Ablow St
Andrews Kenneth Joseph	GLS	1932	Gloucester St, Whitmore Reans
Arnold Lesley T.	Owner of 'Joseph Brazier Limited'	1982 - 1992	'Ashes Works' [within Stella Works], Ash St, Bilston & 'The Beeches', Brewood
Aston Noah	GLS	1802	37-38 Bilston Rd
Aston William	GLF	1852	Moorfields [St John's]
[St] Aubin Charles	GLM & LS	1838 - 1869	Pountney St & Guardian Wks, Gt Hampton St
[St] Aubin William Henry	GLM & GAM	1865	Wolverhampton
Badger Joseph	GLS & GLF	1813 - 1815	Bilston
Badger Thomas	GLF	1853 - 1854	Dale St
Bagley Joseph Jnr.	GLM	1718	Bilston
Barnett James	App GLF & GS	1861 - 1912	Bradmore & Zoar St & Brickkiln St & Graisley Row
Barnett William John	GLS & GS	1861 - 1904	Zoar St & Pool St & Graisley Row & Bilston Rd & Chester St
Barrett James	GLS	1901	Owen Rd
Barrett Thomas	GLS	1866	Ash St
Bassett Henry	GSM, GL Forger & GLM	1861 - 1910	82 Ash St & Gt Brickkiln St
Bassett Henry Thomas	GSM, GL Forger & GLM	1861 - 1925	Cherry St & Owen Rd & 248 Gt Brickkiln St
Bassett Sydney	GLM & GLS	1901 - 1932	39 Oak St & Owen Rd
Bassett Stanley Harold	GLS	1901	39 Merridale St West
Bassett Thomas	LS, GLS & GLM	1861 - 1918	Peel St & Oak Road & 39 Oak St & Richmond Rd
Bassett William	GS	1874 - 1876	Clifton St & Ash St
Bate Joseph	Gun barrel Borer	1834	Bilston
Beddows Alfred	GLF & GLS	1891 - 1927	2 Gough St & Snow Hill & Pipers Row
Beddow[e]s William	GLM	1851 - 1861	Merridale St & Franchise St & Moorfields & Gt Brickkiln St
Bellingham Richard	GLS	1871	29 Zoar St
Bennett James	GLF & GLM	1871 - 1875	3, Zoar St & Gt Brickkiln St
Blanton Charles S.	Lic Vic & GS	1881	‘Wheatsheaf Inn’, Gt Brickklin St
Blanton Henry Edward	GLF, GS, GLS & Lic Vic	1861 - 1880	37 Russell St & Lewis St & ‘Wheatsheaf Inn’, Gt Brickkiln St
Bowen David	GLM	1840	Gough's Buildings
Bolton William	GLF	1861	Russell St
Booth John	GLM	1727	Bilston
Bowden Edward	GS	1700	Wolverhampton
Bradney James	GS	1861 - 1871	Bradmore
Bradney John	GLS & GLF	1852 - 1857	Sidney St & Lewis St & Penn Rd
Bradney Joseph	GLM	1861 - 1864	15 Union Mill St & St Mark's St
Brassman Edward	GLF	c1760	Bilston (Ettingshall)
Bratt Thomas	GLF & GLS	1813 - 1815	Ettingshall Lane & Ettingshall Rd
Brazier Benjamin	GLM & GM	1787 - 1832	Ettingshall & 9 Gt Brickkiln St
Brazier Benjamin	Lic Vic, GLM, GLS & GS	1861 - 1898	31 Noakes Buildings & ‘Nag’s Head,’ Mary Ann St & Raglan St
Brazier Benjamin	GM	1833 - 1840	Cock St & (latterly) London
Brazier Charles	GLM & GLS	1861 - 1898	22 Temple Street & Merridale St & Victoria Rd & Bradmore
Brazier Donald Bernard	GLM & Cycle Maker	1861 - 1931	22 Temple St & Raglan St & (latterly) Birmingham
Brazier Edwin	GLM	1841 - 1861	Tanhouse Lane & (Lodging at) Townwell Fold
Brazier Mrs Eleanor¹ (widow of James)	GLM	1862 - 1880	22 Temple St
Brazier Mrs Elizabeth² (widow of Thomas)	Lic Vic & GLM	1857 -1872	‘Yew Tree’, Pool St
Brazier [Brasier] Frederick	GLM & GLS	1845 - 1871	Russell St & Pountney St & Pool St & Drayton St & Merridale St & Zoar St
Brazier George	GLS & GLM	1861 - 1918	Townwell Fold & Drayton St & Oak St & Shore St & Strode Rd & Mander St & 28 Brevitt Rd & 40 Cobden St
Brazier Mrs Helena³ (widow of Richard)	Owner of 'Joseph Brazier & Sons'	1866 -187?	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Brazier [Brasier] James	GLM	1815 - 1845	St John’s Square (12 Bond St)
Brazier James	GLM & Maltster	1826 - 1864	‘King’s Head’, Bell St & 21 Stafford St & St Peter's Square & 12 Bond St
Brazier James¹	GLM & Brewer	1845 - 1862	Pountney Place & Bloomsbury St & Market St & Lewis St & Graisley Hill & 17 Pool St & 22 Temple St
Brazier John	GLM, GAF & Lic Vic	1861 - 1884	Townwell Fold & Pool St & Paul St & Drayton St & Wellington (Shrop) & Aston, Birmingham
Brazier Joseph Sidney	GLM	1887 - 1908	Strode Rd
Brazier Joseph	GLM, GIM, GAM & GM	1811 – 1864	Gt Brickkiln St (later at ‘Ashes’)
Brazier Joseph	GLM	1858 - 1879	North Rd & Ash St
Brazier Joseph	GLM & GLS	1861 - 1911	Townwell Fold & Oak St & Ablow St [ Mander St] & Shepherd St
Brazier Richard³	GLM, GAM Watchmaker & (latterly) Owner of 'Joseph Brazier & Sons'	1841 - 1864 1864-1866	‘Ivy House’, Tettenhall & 'Ashes', Gt Brickkiln St
Brazier Sarah?	GLS	1841	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Brazier [Brasier] Thomas²	Lic Vic GLM, GLF & GM	1805 - 1857	‘Seven Houses’, Dudley Rd & Pountney St & Bloomsbury St.... Also (earlier) Birmingham
Brazier Thomas	GLM & GS	1838 - 1884	Gt Brickkiln St & Baker St & Cock St & 26 Bennett’s Fold & 34 Stafford Rd
Brazier Thomas	GLM	1838 - 1881	Tanhouse Lane & Pountney Pool & Cleveland St & Townwell Fold
Brazier William	GLM, GS & Lic Vic	1851 - 1877	Graisley Hill & Pountney Pool & 100 Gt Hampton St & 24 Upper Vauxhall & 'Swan Tavern', Pool St
Brewster Edwin	GLS	1871	46 Pearson St
Brewster William	GSM	1861	Oak St
Brier John	GLS	1875	Walsall St
Brindley John	Gun Barrel Borer	1813	Wolverhampton
Bristow Joseph	GLS	1871	72 Zoar St
Brittain Bernard	GLF	1861	Oak St
Brittain [Britton] James	GLM, GLF & GS	1859 - 1881	Graisley Row & Oak St & Herbert St & Gough St
Brittain Samuel	GLS, GLF & GLM	1841 - 1859	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St & Brickkiln Lane
Brittain Thomas	GLF & GS	1861 - 1892	Zoar St & Canal St
Broadbent Charles	GLS	1861	Dale St
Brotherton Samuel	GS	1861	Pountney's Fold
Brown Thomas	GS	1868	Duke St
Brueton [Bruerton Brewton] Thomas	GL Forger, GLS & GLF	1818 - 1823	Wolverhampton
Bullimore Edward	GLS	1868	Little's Lane
Bullock James	GLS & GS	1861 - 1868	Gt Brickkiln St & Sidney St
Bullock John Thomas	GLM	? - 1925	Employed by J. Stanton & Co Ltd
Bullock Joseph	GLF	c1760	Bilston (Ettingshall)
Bullock Leonard	GLS & GLM	1895 - 1901	Baker St & 166 Merridale St West
Butler George	GL Forger & GLM	1852 - 1880	Merridale St & Philip St? & Dale St
Butler Joseph	GLF	1847	Wolverhampton
Butler Thomas Snr	GLF	1846 - 1847	Wolverhampton
Butler Thomas	GLF	1846	Wolverhampton
Butler William	GLF	1730	Bilston
Callaghan Luke	GLF	1861	Court 1, St Peter's Sq
Callaghan Thomas	GLF	1861	Court 1, St Peter's Sq
Cartwright Isaac	GLS & GLF	1861 - 1897	Pool St & Pearson St & Hallett’s Row
Challinor Thomas	GLF	1861	Townwell Fold
Chilton Edwin (also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)	GLM	1872 - 1924 (1921 - 1924)	Lowe St & 41 Newhampton Rd West
Chilton William Bradshaw (also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)	GLM	1901 - 1964 (1924 - 1864)	41 Newhampton Rd West & 189-190 Sweetman St
Choles James	GLS	1861	24 Waterloo St
Churm John	GLS & GLF	1901 - 1916	5 King Edward's Row (off Little Pountney Street)
Clempson John	GS	1699	Wolverhampton
Cliff Henry	GLF & GLS	1866 - 1879	Oak St & Graisley St & Graisley Row & Yew St
Cliff Richard	GLS	1874	? St John's
Cliff Robert	GLF & GS	1873 - 1876	Bilston St & Zoar St
Collins Thomas	GSM	1861	Oak St
Cook[e] George	GM	1905 - 1907	9 Mars St
Cooper George	GLS	1861	Melbourne St
Cooper James	GS	1853	Merridale St
Cotterhill Joseph	GLM	1839	?
Cotterhill William	GS	1861	‘Prince of Wales’, Russell St
Cox Joseph	GLS	1847	Salop St
Cresswell Anthony	GLM	1717 - 1725	Bilston
Cresswell Benjamin	GLM	1793 - 1802	Wolverhampton
Cresswell James	GM	1860	Wolverhampton
Curtis William	GLF	1848	Wolverhampton
Daly William (Also as a founding partner of Law & Daly Co.)	GLF & GLM	1861 - c1900 c1900 - 1913	68 Pountney St & 44 Pearson St & 197 Dudley Road & 2 Perry St & 244/248 Great Brickkiln St & 20 Paget St
Daly William Bernard (Also involved with Law & Daly Co.)	GLF & GLM	1891 - c1935	2 Perry St & 244/248 Great Brickkiln St & 20 Paget St & Mancroft Road, Tettenhall
Daly Frederick Raymond (Also involved with Law & Daly Co.)	GLF & GLM	1891 - c1935	2 Perry St & 244/248 Great Brickkiln St & 52 Kimberly St & 20 Paget St
Daly Arthur Valentine (Also involved with Law & Daly Co.)	GLF & GLM	1901 - c1935	20 Paget St & 244/248 Great Brickkiln St
Dangerfield Adam	GLS	1875	Lowe St
Dangerfield Edward	GLS, GLM & GLF	1846 - 1888	Penn Rd & Bradmore & Gt Brickkiln St & 67 Ash St
Dangerfield Noah	GLS	1861 - 1918	Gt Brickkiln St & Green Lane [All Saints]
Darlaston John	GLS	1841	Merridale St
Davies John	GLM	1719 - 1726	Bilston
Dawes Jesse	Gun worker[?]	1852	Little Brickkiln St
Dawes William	GLS	1819	Bilston
Devey Thomas	Military GLM	1861	Oak St
Dewel Martin	GIM	1854	Sidney St
Dodd George	GLF	1901 - 1915	30 Zoar St & 12 Bond St
Dodd Henry	GLF & GLS	1861 - 1881	Oak St & Gt Brickkiln St & 8 Zoar St
Dodd William Henry	GLS & GS	1884 - 1903	Zoar St
Drew Joseph	GLF	1861	Russell St
Dudley Joseph	GLF	1754	Wolverhampton(?)
Dudley Thomas Snr	GLF & GLM	1841 - 1864	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St & Merridale St
Dudley Thomas	GLM	1901	Wolverhampton
Dudwell Edward	GS, GLM , GLS & GS	1871 - 1926	'Fox Inn' & 28 Zoar St & Salisbury St & Laburnum St
Dudwell William Henry	GLM	1916 - 1962	Employed by J. Stanton & Co Ltd
Duncombe George	GL Forger	1901	86 Gt Brickkiln St
Edge John	GLS	1861	3 Compton St
Edge Thomas	LS & GLS	1861 - 1871	3 Compton St
Edwards John Frederick	GM	1872	Townwell Fold
Edwards Joseph	GLF	1863	Walsall St
Edwards William	GLF	1923	West St [Christ Church]
Evans William	GLM	1853 - 1855	Birches's Lane, Penn & Finchfield, Compton
Faulkner Benjamin	GLM	1875	Ettingshall
Fellows [Fellowes] Henry	App GLM, GLF & GLS	1841 - 1861	Paradise St & Merridale St & Pool St & 25 Lewis St
Ferrett Francis	GLF	1861	23 Gt Brickkiln St
Fisher Benjamin	GLS & GLF	1844 - 1853	Zoar St & Merridale St
Fisher Henry	GLS	1861 - 1871	63 Pountney St & Church Lane, St John's
Fisher William	GLM	1853	Wolverhampton
Fletcher Joseph	GLS & GS	1871 - 1874	Upper Vauxhall & Berry St
Fletcher William	GLM, GLF & GS	1861 - 1874	26 Salop St & North St & StJames St
Fossbrook Peter	GLS	1863 - 1883	Dale St & Tettenhall Rd
Foster Charles	GLF	1865	Falkland St
Foster Thomas	GLF	1865	Wolverhampton
Foster William	GLF	1848	Brickkiln Lane
Fox John	GLM	1727 - 1730	Bilston
Gandy Charles	GLS	1822 - 1825	Bilston Mill
German [Jerman] Richard	App GLF & GLS	1861 - 1869	Oak St & Merridale St
Gibbons Edward	GLS	1861 - 1884	Brazier's Buildings, Little Brickkiln St & Phillip St
Gill James	GLS & GLF	1856 - 1861	Merridale Fields & Oak St
Golcher Emmanuel	GLS	1802	Bilston Rd
Grainger James	GLM	1841 - 1869	Pountney St & Merridale St & Oak St & (latterly) London
Grainger James	GS & GLM	1861 - 1874	6 Clifton St & St Mark’s St & Upper Vauxhall
Grainger John	GLS	1841 - 1881	Brickkiln St & 57 Herbert Street & Molineux Fold
Grainger John Jnr	GL Forger & GLS	1907 - 1935	57 Herbert St & 63 Lord St & Newhampton Rd
Grainger Joseph	GLF & GLM	1835 - 1841	Gt Brickkiln St
Grainger Thomas	GLF & GLS	1851 - 1860	Brickkiln St & Ash St
Grainger Joseph	GLM?	1871	Molineux Fold
Gregory James G.	GLS	1861	Townwell Fold
Griffin Richard C.	GLF	1861	Russell St
Griffiths Giddeon	GLF	1846 - 1848	Zoar St & Brickkiln St
Groom Joseph	Gun Sight Filer	1861	Dale St
Groom Richard	GLS ?	1849	Gt Berry St
Grosvenor Edward	GLS	1870	Russell St
Groves Joseph	GLM	1874	Court 7, Walsall St
Guest Joseph	GLS	1824	Bilston
Gutteridge Joseph	GLM	1841 - 1851	Merridale St
Hadley William	GS	1872 - 1883	York St & Gt Hampton St
Hancher William Fletcher	GLS	1869	Ash St
Hand William	GLS, GS & GLF	1816 - 1863	Wolverhampton & West Bromwich & 56 Church Lane (St John's)
Harnett [Harnitt] Benjamin	GS & GLM	1833 - 1850	Wolverhampton
Harper Samuel	GM	1842	Princes St
Harris Thomas	GLF	1856 - 1875	Ettingshall
Hawkins Henry	GLF	1841	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Hayes Henry?	GLM & GIM	1920 - 1922	Hayes & Co, 59 Queen St (res) 6 Howard St
Hemmingsley [Hemingsley] George	GLF & GLM	1846 - 1861	Graisley Green & Gt Brickkiln St
Hemmingsley [Hemingsley] John	GLF & GLM	1861	Gt Brickkiln St
Hickin [Hicken] Thomas	GS & GLF	1863 - 1866	Graisley St & Merridale Rd & Merridale St
Hill Isaac	GLF	1849	Wolverhampton
Hill Josiah	GLF	1851 - 1867	Merridale St & 23 Clifton St
Hill Thomas	GLF & GLM	1849 - 1851	Graisley St
Hipwood George	GLM	1861	Gt Brickkiln St
Hodgkins Charles	GLM	1871 - 1881	Gt Brickkiln St
Holden John	App GLF	1861	Bradmore
Holland Thomas	GLF	1861 - 1866	Cannock Rd & Franchise St
Homer Edward	GLM	1722	Bilston
Homer Edward Charles	GLF	1814	Catchem's Corner, Ettingshall
Homer James	GLM	1851	Bloomsbury St
Homer Kemsey	GLS	1791 - 1829	64 Berry St & 30 Stafford St & Horseley Fields
Homer Richard	GLF & GLS	1820 - 1828	Rough Hills (Ettingshall) & Wolverhampton
Homer Richard	GLM, GLF & GS	1826 - 1861	Bell St & Bloomsbury St & Pool St
Homer William	GLM	1820	Ettingshall Lane
Hughes Benjamin	GLS	1820 -1826	Catchem's Corner, Ettingshall
Hughes Edward	GLS & GS	1861 - 1871	'Pheasant', Zoar St & Littles Lane & Berry St
Hughes Edwin Harry	GS	1897	Stanhope St
Hughes George	GLF	1861	27 Bloomsbury St
Hughes John	GLS & GLF	1813 - 1825	Catchem's Corner, Ettingshall
Hughes John	GLS & GLM	1822 - 1834	Bilston
Hughes John	GLF	1861	Philip St
Hughes Samuel	Gun Barrel Borer	1839	Wolverhampton
Instone [Inston] John	GLS & GLF	1861 - 1902	10 Clarendon St & Baker's Buildings, Red Cross St & Rupert St
Jackson Reuben	Gun Stocker	1863	Bilston St
James John	GLF	1901	86 Gt Brickkiln St
Jessup George	GLM	1871	Dale St
Jones Allen	GLS	1861	Dale St
Jones Alfred	GLS	1881	16 Raglan St
Jones Henry	GLS	1861 - 1881	Gt Brickkiln St & Graisley St & 16 Raglan St
Jones John	GLS & GLM	1861 - 1865	23 Noakes Buildings & Little Brickkiln St
Jones Joseph	GIM, GLM & Powder Flask Maker	1821 - 1858	Wolverhampton & 102 Salop St
Jones Richard	GLM , GLS & GM	1865 - 1916	66 Zoar St & Middle Vauxhall
Jones Roger	GLM	1718 - 1727	Bilston
Jones Thomas	GLF	1814 - 1825	Wolverhampton
Kingston William	GLF	1861	Court 1, Horsefair
Lambert Robert	GLS	1846	Wolverhampton
Landred Dennis	GS	1877	St James's Square
Law Alfred	GIM, GBM, GAF & GM	1871 - 1881	Merridale St & Ash St & Lord St & Chapel Ash
Law John	Lic Vic & LS	1818	‘Star & Garter’, Cock St
Law John	GLM, GLF & GS	1827 - 1887	Bell St & Temple St & Tettenhall Rd & Belle Vue Terrace, Compton Rd & Merridale Lane & Inkerman St
Law John	GIM, GLM & GS	1861 - 1869	Oak St & 46 Snowhill
Law Joseph	GIM & GAM	1861 - 1921	Oak St & 6 Little Brickkiln St
Law Peter	GIM & GS	1851 - 1881	Merridale St & 72 Ash St
Law Richard	GIM & GS	1851 - 1861	Merridale St & Oak St
Law Stephen	GSM & GAM	1861 - 1869	Oak St & 44 Darlington St & 5 Clarence Place & (latterly) Birmingham
Law Thomas	GLM	1841 - 1881	Woolley's Buildings ( Darlington St) & Salop Row & Gt Brickkiln St & 'Model Houses', Raglan St
Law Thomas	GLM	1881	Clarence Place, Clarence St
Lawson Richard	GLS, GLF & GS	1880 - 1895	Court 1, Merridale St & Zoar St & Sheperd St
Leonard Patrick	GLM	1861	Littles Lane
Ling Richard Snr	GLS	1871	73 Zoar St
Ling Richard Jnr	GLS	1871	73 Zoar St
Littleward Robert	App GLS	1861	60 Pearson St
Lockley Edmund	App GLM	1861	65 Pearson St
Lockley Harry	GLF	1901	24 Sweetman St
Lockley William	GLS	1871	63 Zoar St
Luckruck James	GS	1837	Canal St
Mander James Haycock	GS	1866	Middle Vauxhall
Mansfield Samuel B.	GLM & GS	1867 - 1930	Oak St & St Mary's Terrace, Waterloo Rd & 44 Waterloo Rd & 63 Sherwood St, Whitmore Reans
Mansfield William (also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)	GLM & GAM	1880 - 1901 (1880 - ?)	111 Lord St West & Oak St & 61 Darlington St & 21 Birch St & Wrottesley Rd, Tettenhall
Mantle Edward	GLF, GLS & GS	1861 - 1877	'Spin Cottage' (St Paul's) & Dale St
Marlow William	GLS	1830	Wolverhampton
Marrias [Marrian?] John	GSM	1862	Merridale St
Marrian James	GLM & Gun Sight Filer	1860 - 1861	117 Merridale St
Marshall Richard	GS	1871 - 1873	Brickkiln Croft & Bennett's Fold
Marston Jonah	GLM	1859	Ash St
Marston Mark	GLS	1859	Ash St
Martin Aaron	GLF	1861 - 1871	Dale St & Monmore Green
Mason John	GS	1793 - 1802	St John’s Square
Mason Joseph	GLM	1719	Bilston
Matthews Francis B.	GLF	1901	82 Rayleigh Rd
Matthews George F.	GLF	1901	82 Rayleigh Rd
Matthews William M.	GLF	1901	82 Rayleigh Rd
McLaw [M'Cleur] Charles	GLS	1861	Ash St
Miles Joshua	GLS	1861	Clifton St
Mills Herbert	GS & GLS	1891 - 1897	Southampton St & Herbert St
Mills Richard	GS	1848	Graisley St
Mitchel Edward	GLF	1861	Graisley Hill
Moore John	Manager of Joseph Brazier gunlock works	1861 - 1871	'Ashes', Great Brickkiln St
Moore John Richard	GLM	1880 - 1894	Gt Brickkiln St & 2 Victoria Terrace, Bradmore
Morris George	GLF	1821 - 1823	Wolverhampton(?)
Morris John	GLS, GS, GLF & GLM	1846 - 1881	Graisley St & Merridale Fields & Oak St & 4 Elm St
Morris Thomas	GLM	1861	Oak St
Moseley [Mosely] Joseph	App GLS	1861	Mary Ann St
Moseley [Mosely or Mosley] James	GLS	1866	Dale St
Moss Robert	GLM	1726	Bilston
Mosse John	GLM	1717 - 1722	Bilston
Mosse Robert[?]	GLM	1717	Bilston
Mountford John	App GLM & GLF	1839 - 1848	(App to Joseph Cotterill) & Brickkiln Street
Munn Ernest	GLF	1901	Walpole St (employed by Edwin Chilton?)
Munn George	GLF	1901	Walpole St (employed by Edwin Chilton?)
Munn Joseph	GLF, GLM, GLS & GS	1861 - 1875	Shipton St & Dudley Rd & Court 3, Melbourne St
Munn William	GLM	1861 - 1901	Court 3, Melbourne St & Warwick Terrace & Walpole St (employed by Edwin Chilton?)
Newton John	GLM	1841 - 1851	Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)
Newton Thomas Snr	GLM	1780 - 1841	St John’s Square & Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)
Newton Thomas Jnr	GLM	1841	Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)
Parker Benjamin	GS	1701	Wolverhampton(?)
Parker Henry	LS	1871	79 Zoar St
Parker Isaac	GLF	1813	Bilston
Parker James	GLF	1814	Bilston
Parker John	GLM	1871	79 Zoar St
Parker Joseph	GS	1699	Bilston
Parker Richard	GLM	1871	79 Zoar St
Parkes John	Gun Barrel Borer	1815 - 1817	Wolverhampton(?)
Parkes John	GLF	1822	Wolverhampton(?)
Parsons Joseph	GLS & GLM	1851 - 1861	Gt Brickkiln St & 3 St John's Square
Partridge David	App GLM	1861	Gt Brickkiln St
Perkins Richard	GLM	1727	Bilston
Perry George	GLF	1841	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Perry Homer	GLF	1823	Wolverhampton(?)
Perry John Snr	GS	c1660 - 1665	Bilston
Perry John Jnr	GS	1715 - 1723	Bilston
Perry Thomas	GLM	1834	Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)
Perry William	App GLM	1841	Pountney St
Phillips Thomas	Gun Action filer	1879	Upper Vauxhall
Pilsbury John	GS	1861	Lower Vauxhall
Pinckston Peter	GS	1702	Wolverhampton(?)
Poole [Pool] John	GLF	1813	Wolverhampton(?)
Poole [Pool] William	GLM & GLF	1814 - 1861	Wolverhampton(?) & North Rd
Powell? Charles	GLM	1851	Gt Brickkiln St
Povey Thomas	GLF	1871 - 1875	Merry Hill (Penn) & Brickkiln St
Radcliffe George	GLF	1861	Clarence St
Rees William Edward	GLS	1905	Molineux Alley
Richards Meshack	GLS	1861 - 1872	Old Mill St
Rigby Daniel Snr	GLF	1860	Dale St
Rigby Daniel Jnr	GLF & GS	1867 - 1872	Bradmore & Baker St & Dale St
Rigby John	GLM	1855 - 1892	Zoar St & Bradmore
Rigby Thomas	GLS, GLM & AM	1854 - 1880	Merridale St & Bradmore
Riley Josiah	GLS	1813 - 1841	Wolverhampton
Roberts James	GLS	1903	Haden Hill [St Mark's]
Robinson Alfred	GS	1871	Wednesfield
Rock William	GLF	1864	Dudley Rd
Russell John	GBM	1805 - 1811	Horseleyfield Square
Rycroft Thomas	GLF	1861	5 Portland Place
Savage Thomas	GM & GL Finisher(?)	1845 - 1858	Gt Brickkiln St
Scotcher John Adams	GM	1853	Walsall St
Shale John	GLS	1813	Bilston
Shaw Thomas	GLM	1838	Bilston
Shaw William	Gun Barrel Borer	1816	Wolverhampton
Short John	GLS	1861	65 Merridale St
Simkin Thomas	GLS	1837	Wolverhampton(?)
Skipwood John	GLM	1871	Ash St
Slater Benjamin	GLF	1851	Old Church Yard (St Peter's)
Slater William	GLF	1851 - 1858	Wolverhampton
Smith Edward	Gun Finisher	1875	2 Havelock Place
Smith Elijah William	GLS	1862 - 1863	Dudley Rd & ‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Smith Francis	GLS & GLF	1861 - 1902	18 Bloomsbury St & 32 Clifton St & Herbert St
Smith Frederick [Oliver]	GLS	1861 - 1925[?]	18 Bloomsbury St & Sweetman St
Smith George	GS & GM	1845 - 1885	Salop St & 26 Middle Vauxhall
Smith Samuel	Gun Finisher	1875	Wolverhampton
Smith William Thomas Charles	GLM & GS	1926 - 1978 1978-1980 1980-1985	Employed by Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd & Magnum Arms Co Ltd & Joseph Brazier Ltd
Spinke John	GLS	1802	1 Garden Houses, Stafford St
Spink[e] William Snr	GLM & GLF	1815 - 1861	Wolverhampton & 5 Portland Place
Spink[e] William	GLF	1863	5 Portland Place
Stanton Bernard	GLM, GAM, GIM & GM	1869 - 1930	13 and 30, Clifton St & 17 and 41, Merridale Rd
Stanton Frederick Richard Hall	Proprietor of John Stanton & Co	1925 - 1954	41 & 89, Merridale Rd
Stanton George	GLF	1874	15 Dudley Rd
Stanton John	GLM, GAM, GIM & GM	1841 - 1871	113 Tower St & 13 and 30, Clifton St
Stanton John Bernard	GLM	1901	17 Merridale Rd
Stanton John Charles	App Engraver	1881	13 and 30, Clifton St
Stanton Thomas	GLM	1876	Wednesfield
Steatham Joseph	GLM	1839	Wolverhampton
Stiles Frederick	GS & GLM	1841	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Stilliard Charles	GIM	1871	Gt Brickkiln St
Stilliard Cornelius	GIM	1851 - 1861	Merridale St & 37 Gt Brickkiln St
Stillyard [Steelyard] Frederick	GLS	1851 - 1861	Salop St
Stilliard George	GIM, GLF & GAF	1871 - 1881	Gt Brickkiln St & Zoar St & 61 Merridale St
Stilliard Martin	GLM & GLF	1861 - 1871	Gt Brickkiln St
Stokes John	GL Fitter	1844 - 1865	Wolverhampton
Stokes Joseph Stephen	GLF	1865	Waterloo St
Stokes Thomas	GLM	1721 - 1727	Bilston & Dublin[?]
Stubbings [Stebbins] Edmund	GLS, GLF, GS & GM	1861 - 1871	Horsefair [St Peter's] & Brickkiln St
Styche [Stych] John	App GLM (to John Newton) & GLM	1841 - 1891	Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall) & 48, Franchise St & Summer Row (Ret'd Res)
Stych Edward	GS	1861 - 1864	'Prince of Wales', Russell St & Pearson St
Taberner George	Gun Fitter	1856	Berry St
Tayler Robert	GLM	1724	Bilston
Taylor Jeremiah	GLF & GLS	1861 - 1867	Cobden St & Hall St & Dudley Rd
Taylor Thomas	GLM	1728	Bilston
Taylor William	Gun Finisher	1865	Ettingshall
Terry George	GLS	1861 - 1881	Dale St & Zoar St & 5 Elm St
Terry Samuel	GLM	1875	Wadhams Hill
Thomas John	GLF	1865	Russell St
Thomas William	GLS	1860 - 1861	Baker St & Russell St
Tibbetts William	GLF & GS	1860 - 1877	Baker St & Back of ‘Cross Guns’, Brickkiln Croft & Dale St
Tonks Eli	GLF & GS	1861	Zoar St
Tonks John	GS	1864	Russell St
Tonks Thomas	Military GLF & GLS	1861 - 1862	Zoar St & Bradmore
Troman William	GS	1840	Bilston
Tuckley Joseph	App GLS & GLM	1901 - 1962	65 Zoar St & Employed by J. Stanton & Co Ltd
Turner John	GLF	1813	Bilston
Turner Joseph Snr	GLF	1838	Wolverhampton
Turner Joseph	GLF	1838	Wolverhampton
Turner William	GLM	1874	Mill St, Ettingshall
Turton George	GLS	1878 - 1880	Little Brickkiln St
Underhill Richard	GLM	1735	Coseley
Waddams John	GLM	1851	Gt Brickkiln St
Wadhams William		1851	Gt Brickkiln St
Wakeman Frederick	GLF	1901	45 Merridale St
Wakeman Joseph	GLS, GLM, GLF & GS	1861 - 1901	46 Snow Hill & 45 Merridale St
Walker John	Gun Stocker	1863	Drayton St
Wallin A. Robert	GLM	1964 - 1976 1976 - 1998	Employed by Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd. Co-founder of York & Wallin Ltd
Walls Edwin Henry Snr	GLF & GLS	1901 - 1903	83 Owen Rd & 195 Merridale St West
Walls Edwin Henry Jnr	GLF & GLS	1901 - 1903	83 Owen Rd & 195 Merridale St West
Ward Thomas	GLS	1844	Brickkiln St
Warren William	GLM & GLF	1871	23 Russell St & Baker St
Watkin Reginald	GS	1901	17 Gibbs St
Wesley John	Gun Finisher & GLS	1868 - 1871	Russell St & 20 Zoar St
Weston John	GLS	1861	42 [Royal Exchange] Waterloo St
Weston Joseph	GLF	1861	Dale St
Westwood Thomas	GS	1830	Wolverhampton(?)
Whitehouse George	GLF	1863	Wharf St
Whitehouse Jesse	GLM	1861	Grove St (St John's)
Whitehouse John	GLF	1863	Wharf St
Whitehouse Joseph	GLF	1855	Wolverhampton
Whitehouse Samuel	GS & GLF	1864 - 1865	Elm St & Graisley Green
Whitehouse Sarah (Mrs. Jesse)	GLM	1861	Grove St (St John's)
Whitehouse Thomas	GLF	1717	Bilston
Whitehouse Thomas	GLF	1855	York St
Whittingham John	GLM & GLS	1861 - 1901	10 Paul St & 2 Russell St & Alexandra St
Wicks Edwin	Gun Polisher	1875	10 Ash St
Wilkes Daniel	GLF	1861	Barratt's Yard (St John's) & Oxley St
Wilkes George	GLM	1853	Horseley Fields
Wilkes John	GLS & GLF	1846 - 1848	Merridale St
Wilkes Samuel	GLF	1840 - 1861	Walsall St & Barratt's Yard (St John's)
Wilkes William	GLM	1846	Wolverhampton
Wilkins John	GLS	1861	Bennett's Fold & Dudley Rd
Wilkinson William	GLS	1861	35 Graisley St
Wilks Edward	GLS	1860 - 1871	Bennett's Fold & Dudley Rd
Wilks Thomas	GLF	1865	Monmore Green
Wilson John	GLS & GLF	1843 - 1861	Graisley St & Ashland St & Brickkiln Lane & 'Ashes', Gt Brickkiln St
Wilson Thomas	Powder Flask Maker	1841	‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St
Wilson William	GLF	1853	Wolverhampton
Wires Louis	GLF	1867	Whitmore Reans
Wood John	GLM & GM	1840 - 1850	Darlington St
Wooley Edward	GLM	1726	Bilston
Wright Edward	GM & Engineer	1861	Worcester Rd
Wright Enoch	GS	1880	Petit St

LS = Locksmith = Generally, a maker of locks other than gunlocks, e.g.: mortice locks.

GL Forger = A person who forges iron and steel bar into roughly shaped gunlock parts.

GLS = Gun Lock Smith = Vaguely, a maker and repairer of gunlocks but not springs.

GIM = Gun Implement Maker = A maker of screws, pins, triggers, hammers etc. for guns.

GAM = Gun Action Maker: [in a breech-loading gun] the action being the body around which the lock(s), stock and barrel(s) are integrated.

Powder Flask Maker = A maker of gunpowder charging flasks for muzzle-loading guns.

App = Apprentice = Strictly, an indentured or legally bound trainee (often a loosely used term).

The author would like to acknowledge all the help he has received during more than thirty-five years of research from:
Wolverhampton Central Library
Birmingham Central Library
Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies
Wolverhampton City Council (Law & Resources Dept.)
Lichfield Joint Records Office
Staffordshire County Records Office
Dti Companies Registration Office
The William Salt Library
The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers
Dudley Archives & Local History Service
Free UKGEN (FreeBMD, FreeCen, FreeReg)

and the individual contributors:
Maj. D. H. L. Back
Hon. Richard Beaumont (at James Purdey & Sons Ltd.)
E. Dora Billingsley
Barry Brazier
David Brazier (at the Brazier surname website)
Rev. Fr. Francis Brazier
Hugh Brazier
Joseph Brazier
Lilias H. (St Aubin) Brazier
D. J. Brown
Anthony V. Bullock
J. Harlan Buzby
David Chilton (at the Chilton surname website)
Mr. & Mrs. F. R. Daly
Rev. Fr. Peter Dennison
Joanna Donohue
Charles Eaves
Peter Edridge
Christine Ellis
Cyril Gibbons
S. James Gooding
Harry W. Griffiths
Lesley B. Hampton
Chris Henry (The Museum of Naval Firepower)
Kathryn Hill
H. Hodson
June James
Clive Law
Victor Mitchell
Pauline Nicholson
Julia A. Pursehouse
Ian Rooke
Andrew Short
Anthony Smith
John Stanton & the Stanton family
Elsie Van der Star
Iris Tudor
David Wakelin
Dr. H. A. S. Walker
Mark Wallin (at York & Wallin Ltd.)
John Wilkinson
W. H. Clark (1933 - 2005) and W. T. C. Smith (1912 - 1987)