Research Press

Historical Firearms, Long Range Target Shooting & Military History

Main Menu

Research Press

Index


1845

  • A GREENWOOD born 2/10/1845. (I M E letter 18/6/1971)
  • Ames Mfg. Co. buys Cabotsville property of the Springfield Canal Co. (Chamberlain 10/1971)
  • Probable takeover year of Groocock & Co. gun makers, at 30 King William Street, London Bridge. (Contemporary advert)
  • Fanny E CRIPPS born St Mary Cray, Kent?. (1851 census)
  • Dr E MAYNARD’s U S Patent #420 22/9/1845, for priming system used by Mass. Arms Co.
  • H LOWCOCK, of Westerland, Marldon, Devon, wins another prize for his one-way plough at the Royal Agricultural Society of England Show at Shrewsbury. (Museum of English Rural Life. 19/11/1972)
  • 1845 was suggested as the year that Robert ADAMS took John ADAMs into partnership – until the formation of Deane, Adams & Deane in 1851. John is named as an air-cane maker and gunsmith. (Airgun Scene. John Walter, Guns Review, (1982, p760)
  • B COGSWELL active at 224 Strand, (see 1862)
  • James WEBLEY first listed at 14, St Mary’s Row, Birmingham, in this year. (Gammell 19/5/89)

1846

  • T W CARTER resigns as Agent of the Chicopee Mfg. Co. 1/7/1846. (Chamberlain 10/1971)
  • T T AMES becomes Agent of Ames Mfg. Co. (Chamberlain 10/1971)
  • George and John DEANE at 46, King William Street, London Bridge, as iron mongers etc., but at No 30 as gun and pistol makers (former premises of Groocock & Co.). (Contemporary advert)
  • (A.T.- my own Directory searches showed listing for Deane, Dray % Deane (at 1842 address) for stoves, ranges, fire-proof boxes, iron fences and hurdles, but Geo. & John DEANE as iron mongers at 3 Arthur Street, West London Bridge. At 46 King William Street, the Geo & John DEANE listing was as range, stove and fender manufacturers, general ironmongers, cutlers, jewellers, lamp and bath manufacturers, dealers in horticultural implements, agents for Sheffield plate and Windle’s steel pens. The Geo. & John DEANE ‘London Bridge Gun Manufactory’ was at 30 King William Street. Their business as saddler and harness makers, manufacturer of horse clothing, bits, spurs, portmanteaus etc. was at 2 Arthur Street, East London Bridge).
  • N P AMES makes Wm. JENKS B/L percussion carbines, at Springfield, for US Navy. (Chapel, p266)
  • Casimir LEFAUCHEUX patented application of the pin-fire cartridge to the pepperbox revolver (Mariette?), in France, on 7/2/1846, as a certificate of addition to his patent of 2/5/1943.
  • U S Traiff on arms – 30% ad. Val.
  • HOUILLER French patent #1936/1846 for a metallic –cased pinfire cartridge.
  • EAMES drilling machine for Jenks carbine barrels made by E REMINGTON & Co.(Fitch Report, p8, 10) (Setterlee & Gluckman, p132) E Remington purchases gun-finishing equipment of Ames & Co. (NRA Handbook, p37)
  • Henry WEBLEY born.
  • W & J Rigby broad sheet claiming invention of a multi-barrelled pistol. (The Revolver 1818-1865, p30)
  • Directory of Birmingham, 1846:
    • Gun & Pistol Makers - ADAMS, Walter. Up Priory.
    • Gun Barrel Makers - ADAMS, Walter. Up Priory
    • Gun Finishers - ADAMS, T. Lancaster Street.
    • Gun Finishers - POUNTNEY, Thomas. Whittall Street
    • Gun Implement Makers - ADAMS, Walter. Up Priory.
    • Gun Lock Makers - ADAMS, Walter. Up Priory (Chamberlain 12/3/1973)
  • William Powell & Son at 11 Carr’s Lane, London. (PHAB, Cochran)

1847

  • Ames Mfg. Co. incorporate. (Chamberlain 18/4/71)
  • N P AMES died 23/4/1847, aged 44. (Chamberlain 10/1971)
  • List of Southwark iron-founders for 1847. (Southwark Library 24/8/1972)
  • About this time Charles & William ELEY established their ammunition business at 28, Broad Street, Golden Square, London. (PHAB, Cochran)
  • Samuel COLT begins production of the 1,000 WALKER model revolvers at Whitneyville, New Haven, Conn. (Armsmear, p305). (PHAB)

1848

  • G & J DEANE advertise themselves as ‘Gun Makers to H R H Prince Albert’ in the Illustrated London News, 1/2/1848. (J Rosa 28/11/1972)
  • End of first Poultney & Trimble firm? (The American Arms Collector, 10/1957)
  • List of Southwark iron founders for 1848. (Southwark Library 24/8/1972)
  • T WARNER associated with Edwin WESSON and Mass, Arms Co. (S & Gluckman, p170)
  • Edwin WESSON commenced production of LEAVITT’s Patent revolvers in May 1848. (Sellers & Smith, p186)
  • B COGSWELL’s Reg. Design #1378 2/3/1848 for a self-capping pepperbox. (The Revolver 1818-1865, p 52)
  • Break up of TRANTER / HOLLIS Bros. Partnership.
  • British Committee on Small Arms formed 9/1848, (Roads, p 27) under Select Committee of Artillery Officers. Lt Col CHALMER was Secretary to both. (Roads, p29)
  • HOWE milling machine introduced at Robbins & Lawrence plant, Windsor, Vt, US. (Rolt, p159)
  • Samuel COLT restarted production at a small three-story building on Pearl Street. (Armsmear, p307). (PHAB)

1849

  • N P AMES knife contract with U S Army, 2 & 3/1849. (Lewis, p85)
  • Edwin WESSON died prior to 4/1849. (Sellers & Smith, p185)
  • Samuel COLT secures English Patent #12668 of 20/6/1849.
  • Executors of E WESSON granted U S Patent #6669 of 28/8/1849, for mechanically rotated revolver later made by Mass, Arms Co. (Sellers & Smith, p91)
  • W HUNT’s  US patent for the magazine rifle Patent 31/8/1849. (Lewis & Rutter, p 137)
  • J R COOPER’s English Patent #12781 of 20/9/1849 for a pepperbox mechanism.
  • W TRANTER’s British Registered Design #2054 0f 13/10/1849, for a pepperbox lock mechanism.
  • Expiry of Samuel COLT’s English Patent #6909 of 1839 on 22/10/1949.
  • 25/12/1849, J JENNINGS Breech Loading magazine rifle US Patent #6973. (Lewis & Rutter, p138)
  • Samuel COLT went to Europe, travelled as far as Constantinople and later this year moved to a larger premises, built for a cotton factory, between Grove and Potter Streets.(Armsmear, p307). (PHAB)
  • Mass. Arms Co. incorporated during this year. (Chamberlain 18/4/1971?), (Sellers & Smith, p 90 says it was ‘formed’ in this year, p90, see 1850 entry). Buys from the Ames Mfg. Co. the former plant of the Chicopee Falls Co. (Chamberlain 10/1971) (Sellers & Smith, p 172)
  • T WARNER hired as factory superintendent for the Mass, Arms Co. by Edwin G RIPLEY, executor of E WESSON. (Sellers & Smith, pp185, 186)
  • List of Southwark iron foundry in 1849. (Southwark Library 24/8/1972)
  • The Sir Claude E Scott incident – see letters re ‘Steel Gun Barrels’. The Times, 20/12/1849 et seq. (The Revolver 1818-1865, p74)
  • Probable birth year of A R ADAMS, Parish of St Michael, Crooked Lane. (Ledger, 12/11/1971)
  • For selection of G & J DEANE advertisements. (Illustrated London News? 1848/49). (J Rosa 28/11/1972)
  • William TRANTER first listed at 13 St Mary’s Row, Birmingham, in this year. (Gammell 19/5/1989)