• About
  • Index
  • Map

London Street Views

~ London Street Views

London Street Views

Tag Archives: guns

Charles and William Eley, patent wire cartridge warehouse

24 Tue Feb 2015

Posted by Baldwin Hamey in 14 St James's Street nos 1-88

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

guns

Street View: 14
Address: 36 St. James’s Street

elevation

In July 1828, Charles Ely, patent shot cartridge manufacturer, of 11 Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, took out a fire insurance. Later that year, on 17 December, he and his brother William took out another policy with the Sun Fire Office for their premises at 14 Charlotte Street, Rathbone Place. They are listed as “patent shot cartridge manufacturers”. On the face of it, they entered into a partnership somewhere in the second half of 1828. However, at the end of December 1828, their partnership is already dissolved.(1) They are then described as “of Lovell’s-Court, Paternoster-Row, London, Silversmiths, and of Charlotte-Street, Fitzroy-Square […] Patent Shot Cartridge Manufacturers”.

Trade Card (Source: British Museum)

trade card (Source: British Museum)

By 1837, they, or perhaps just William, must have moved to 36 St. James’s Street where Tallis was to find them, because in the insurance entry for Robert Thomas, bootmaker and dealer in spurs, they are mentioned as the other occupiers of the premises. As you can see from the elevation at the top of this post, number 36 was a large property on the corner of Jermyn Street, which the Eleys shared with Robert Thomas. Whether Charles was actively involved in the shop, or whether he remained in the background, just having a financial stake, is not entirely clear, but on the 1st of January 1840, the brothers once again dissolve a partnership. The St. James’s Street address is given, but Old Bond Street is also mentioned. They apparently did not live above the shop as the 1841 census locates William and his family in Chelsea, and Charles with his family in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

Advert in Street View 14

Advert in Street View 14

Charles and William had developed a cartridge which looks as if they wrapped chicken wire around the shot, but apparently you could shoot further with them than with loose shot, the idea being that the wire came off somewhere between the gun and the target. The wire was wrapped in thin paper and also contained the wadding, so it was a lot easier to load your gun with one of those than with loose shot. Sorry animals, I am just repeating their brochure, not condoning the use of their ammunition. One of their advertorial brochures, explaining the product in detail, can be found online here. An instruction paper on how to load your gun with the wire cartridges and more technical information can be found here.

But, as we all know, guns, gunpowder and accessory chemicals are dangerous things to handle and it went drastically wrong in June 1841. Below the report found in several newspapers.

Dreadful explosion in Old Bond Street – On Friday evening, between the hours of six and seven o’clock, a tremendous explosion, similar to a discharge of cannon, was heard to proceed from the extensive manufactory of Messrs. Eley and Company, cartridge and percussion cap manufacturers, of Emmatt’s Mews, Old Bond-street. A vast number of persons immediately proceeded to the premises, accompanied by a number of the police on duty near the spot, when they found that great destruction had taken place. It was very shortly discovered that Mr. Eley, the proprietor of the manufactory, and who carries on his business in St. James’s, at the corner of Jermyn-street, had perished. On search being made through the dilapidated premises he was discovered stretched on the floor of the counting house, a frightful spectacle. His left arm and hand were blown off, his right thigh was nearly severed, both his feet were blown to pieces, his person in other respects was mutilated and blackened, and scarcely a remnant of his apparel was left about him. Information of the awful catastrophe was immediately forwarded to Mr. Gell, coroner for Westminster, who appointed Saturday afternoon for the holding of the inquest. After the jury had viewed the body of the deceased, the following evidence was produced. Mr. Charles Eley, of Cheshunt, said that deceased was in the habit of using detonating or fulminating mercury, a composition of most combustable and dangerous nature. He had no doubt that deceased was stirring the composition when it exploded. A soliciter stated, on behalf of Mr. Emmatt, the proprietor of the premises, that he had not been aware of any combustable matter being used by the deceased; that had the fact been known to the neighbours deceased would have been indicted. Ann Stubbins, servant to the deceased, stated that the whole of the partition and roof of the room in which the composition was made had been more or less carried away and injured, and all the windows destroyed. Joseph Long and James Price, both in the deceased’s employ, stated that the detonating mercury was obtained at Mr. Diamond’s, on Holborn-hill. After other evidence had been heard, the jury returned a verdict of “accidental death.” The deceased, who has left a large family, was much respected.(2)

Despite this fatal warning, the Eleys continued producing their dangerous products and are, in fact, still in business. You can read the later history of the firm here or on their own website here.

Advert in The Bradford Observer; and Halifax, Huddersfield, and Keighley Reporter, 25 September 1845

Advert in The Bradford Observer; and Halifax, Huddersfield, and Keighley Reporter, 25 September 1845

(1) The London Gazette, 30 January 1829.
(2) The Morning Post, 28 June 1841. Most of the other London newspapers carried a similar report.

Neighbours:

<– 38 St. James’s Street 36 St. James’s Street –>

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Joseph Egg, gunsmith

18 Mon Feb 2013

Posted by Baldwin Hamey in 25 Piccadilly Division I nos 1-35 and 197-229

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

guns

Street View: 25
Address: 1 Piccadilly
elevation 1 Piccadilly

Durs Egg, a gun maker originally from Switzerland, spent some of his apprenticeship years in Paris, but came over to England in the early 1770s. He set up his own shop in Princes Street in 1778. In 1786 he moved to Coventry Street, then to 132 Strand and then to 1 Pall Mall (you can read why he left the Strand here). After his death in 1831, the business was continued under his sons.(1) Another member of the Egg family, Joseph (baptised as Jean Joseph), the son of Durs’ brother Johann Jacob from the Alsace region, also came over to England, probably in 1790. He most likely started working for his uncle, but in 1800 he set himself up independently in Great Windmill Street. In 1801 he entered a partnership with one Walker at 59 Frith Street as “Gunmakers and Patent Spring Truss Makers”, but that same year he was also recorded as having being in partnership with Henry Tatham as Tatham & Egg at 37 Charing Cross. That partnership was dissolved on the 8th of September, 1814.(2)

In 1800, Joseph, took out a patent for a “method of bending steel without the assistance of heat, which may me applied to the manufacturing of surgical instruments”.(3) In 1814, Joseph advertised a self-resisting and adjusting truss, invented by him and protected by a German patent, used in many hospitals, and made at his shop on the corner of Piccadilly, at the top of the Haymarket. Two years later, he still advertises them “with the high sanction and patronage” of even more hospitals. This time, he lists his address as No. 1 Piccadilly, near the Haymarket.(4) These trusses must have been a lucrative sideline, as Joseph’s main claim to fame comes from his guns. Several gun labels are still extant.

two gun labels

2 gun labels (Source: www.dixiegunworks.com)

In 1813, then working at Charing Cross, Joseph took out a patent for “applying and improving locks”.(5) That was not the only improvement he made or patent he took out: he devised a waterproof gun lock (referred to in the labels), a self-primer, a percussion priming magazine and he patented a pellet lock (patented in France). He also claimed to have invented the copper percussion cap, but that invention was claimed by more gunsmiths. In 1827, Christie’s held a sale of fire-arms and other weapons belonging to the late Duke of York and one of the items was “a beautiful pair of double-barrelled pocket pistols, by Joseph Egg, silver mounted, with coronet engraved on gold behind the locks, and the Royal Arms in gold upon the buts, with case and apparatus”.(6)

detail of shot gun

Detail of shot gun by Joseph Egg (Source: museumvictoria.com.au)

Joseph married Ann Stephens in 1805 and they had four sons, Henry, Charles, George and Augustus.(7) I do not know what happened to George, but Augustus became an artist, and Henry and Charles followed their father’s footsteps in the gun-making business. Somewhere around 1835, Joseph changed the name of the firm to Joseph Egg & Sons. Henry and Charles continued the business from 1 Piccadilly after their father’s death(8), at some point changing the name to Charles & Henry Egg.

label for C & H Egg

Gun label for Henry and Charles Egg (Source: www.dixiegunworks.com)

Charles died in 1867, Henry in 1869 and the business was then continued by Henry’s son Henry William.(9). According to the census records, both Henry and Henry William continued to live at 1 Piccadilly.

Piccadilly Circus

Source: E. Callow, Old London Taverns, 1899, p. 327

(1) Not in 1822 as I first thought. He was blinded in 1822, but died in 1831. Thanks to Seth Isaacson for pointing this out to me.
(2) The London Gazette, 10 September 1814. Information on the Egg family and the details about guns from a forum on doublegunshop.com.
(3) The Annual Register, or A View of the History, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1800 (1801), p. 338 “useful projects”.
(4) The Times, 14 October 1814, 5 July 1816 and 18 November 1817.
(5) Repertory of Patent Inventions and other Discoveries and Improvements in Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture, volume 5 (1828), p. 319 “notice of expired patents”.
(6) The Times, 24 March 1827.
(7) Charles 8 Oct 1809 (bapt. 8 Nov. 1809 St. Martin in the Fields), Henry 10 Nov 1810 (bapt. 1 May 1812 St. Martin’s), George Hine 3 Nov. 1814 (bapt. 2 Dec. 1814 Piccadilly St. James), Augustus Leopold born on 2 May 1816 (bapt. 29 May 1816 St. James’s).
(8) His will is dated 11 May 1837. PROB/1878/58.
(9) England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1867, p. 46-47. Probate granted to Sarah, his widow; effects valued as under £12,000. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1869, p. 49. Probate granted to son Henry William; effects valued as under £7,000.

Neighbours:

<– 2 Piccadilly 5 Tichborne Street –>

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Links

  • My other blog:
    London Details
  • Index
  • Map

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Or:

Follow on Bloglovin

Recent Posts

  • Isaac and Hannah Manfield, wire workers
  • John Meabry & Son, grocers
  • Williams & Sowerby, silk mercers
  • Nichols & Son, printers
  • John Boulnois, upholsterer
  • Perkins, Bacon & Petch, bank note engravers
  • Thomas Farley, toy warehouse
  • Ralph Wilcoxon, boot maker
  • Ruddick and Heenan, importers of cigars
  • Sampson Low, bookseller
Blue plaque John Tallis

Blue plaque John Tallis in New Cross Road (photo by Steve Hunnisett)

Categories

  • 01 King William Street London Bridge nos 1-86 and Adelaide Place nos 1-6
  • 02 Leadenhall Street nos 1-158
  • 03 Holborn Division I nos 14-139 and Holborn Bridge nos 1-7
  • 04 Regent Street Division 2 nos 168-266
  • 05 Newgate Street nos 1-126
  • 06 Ludgate Hill nos 1-48 and Ludgate Street nos 1-41
  • 07 Bond Street Division I Old Bond Street nos 1-46 New Bond Street nos 1-25 and nos 149-172
  • 08 Holborn Division 2 Holborn Bars nos 1-12 and 139-149 and Middle Row nos 1-29 and High Holborn nos 1-44 and 305-327
  • 09 New Bond Street Division 2 nos 26-148
  • 10 Fleet Steet nos 1-37 and nos 184-207 and Strand Division 2 nos 201-258 and nos 1-14
  • 11 Holborn Division 3 nos 45-99 and nos 243-304
  • 12 Regent Street Division 3 nos 45-167 and 52-168
  • 13 Strand Division 5 nos 1-68 and 415-457
  • 14 St James's Street nos 1-88
  • 15 Fleet Street Division 1 nos 41-183
  • 16 Regent Street nos 251-328 and Langham Place Division 1 nos 1-3 and nos 14-15
  • 17 Regent Street nos 1-48 and Waterloo Place Division 4 nos 1-16
  • 18 Farringdon Street nos 1-98
  • 19 Strand Division 4 nos 69-142 and 343-413
  • 20 Holborn Division 4 nos 95-242
  • 21 Gracechurch nos 1-23 and nos 66-98 Also Bishopsgate Within nos 1-16 and nos 116-125
  • 22 Haymarket nos 1-71
  • 23 Piccadilly Division 2 nos 36-63 and nos 162-196
  • 24 Fish Street Hill nos 2-48 and Gracechurch Street nos 24-64
  • 25 Piccadilly Division I nos 1-35 and 197-229
  • 26 Holborn nos 154-184 and Bloomsbury Division 5 nos 1-64
  • 27 Broad Street Bloomsbury Division 2 nos 1-37 and High Street nos 22-67
  • 28 Strand Division 3 nos 143-201 and nos 260-342
  • 29 Red Lion Street and High Holborn nos 1-78
  • 30 Bishopsgate Street Within Division I nos 17-115
  • 31 Blackman Street Borough nos 1-112
  • 32 Lamb's Conduit Street nos 1-78
  • 33 Hatton Garden nos 1-111
  • 34 Oxford Street Division 2 nos 41-89 and 347-394
  • 35 Newington Causeway nos 1-59 and Bridge House Place nos 9-52
  • 36 Oxford Street Division 3 nos 89-133 and 314-350
  • 37 St John Street Division 1 nos 46-145 and Smithfield Bars nos 1-18
  • 38 Cheapside Division 2 nos 59-102 and Poultry nos 1-44 and Mansion House nos 1-11
  • 39 High Street Borough nos 85-236
  • 40 Oxford Street Division 1 nos 1-40 and 395-440
  • 41 Oxford Street Division 4 nos 130-160 and nos 293-315
  • 42 Cheapside Division I nos 3-58 and 103-159
  • 43 Skinner Street nos 1-61 and King Street Snow Hill nos 2-47
  • 44 St Martin's-Le-Grand nos 13-33 and nos 60-66 Also Aldersgate nos 4-25 and nos 164-175 and General Post Office nos 6-8
  • 45 Wellington Street London Bridge nos 1-16 and 40-42 and High Street Borough nos 44-83 and 237-269
  • 46 St. Paul's Churchyard nos 1-79
  • 47 West Smithfield nos 1-93
  • 48 Oxford Street Division 5 nos 161-200 and nos 261-292
  • 49 Tottenham Court Road Division 1 nos 91-180
  • 50 Wigmore Street Cavendish Square nos 1-57
  • 51 Bishopsgate Street Division 3 nos 53-162
  • 52 Tottenham Court Road Division 2 nos 46-226
  • 53 Tottenham Court Road Division 3 nos 1-46 and nos 227-267
  • 54 Goodge Street nos 1-55
  • 55 Aldersgate Street Division 2 nos 26-79 and nos 114-163
  • 56 Fenchurch Street Division 2 nos 44-124
  • 57 Blackfriars Road Division 1 nos 1-30 and 231-259 Also Albion Place nos 1-9
  • 58 Blackfriars Road Division 2 nos 31-76 and 191-229
  • 59 Shoreditch Division 2 nos 30-73 and nos 175-223
  • 60 Norton Folgate nos 1-40 and nos 104-109 Also Shoreditch Division 1 nos 1-30 and 224-249
  • 61 Shoreditch Division 3 nos 74-174
  • 62 Wardour Street Division 1 nos 1-36 and 95-127
  • 63 Wardour Street Division 2 nos 38-94 Also Princes Street nos 24-31
  • 64 Rathbone Place nos 1-58
  • 65 Charles Street nos 1-48 Also Mortimer Street nos 1-10 and nos 60-67
  • 66 Coventry Street nos 1-32 and Cranbourn Street nos 1-29
  • 67 Bishopsgate Street Without Division 2 nos 1-52 and nos 163-202
  • 68 Wood Street Cheapside Division 1 nos 1-36 and 94-130
  • 69 Westminster Bridge Road Division I nos 4-99
  • 70 Old Compton Street nos 1-52
  • 71 Burlington Arcade nos 1-71
  • 72 Oxford Street Division 6 nos 201-260
  • 73 Parliament Street nos 1-55
  • 74 Fenchurch Street Division I nos 1-44 and 125-174
  • 75 Chiswell street nos 1-37and 53-91
  • 76 Trafalgar Square nos 1-12 and 53-91
  • 77 Cockspur Street nos 1-4 and nos 22-34. Also Pall Mall nos 1-21 and 117-124
  • 78 New Bridge Street Blackfriars nos 1-42 also Chatham Place nos 1-13 and Crescent Place nos 1-6
  • 79 King Street nos 1-21 and New Street Covent Garden nos 1-41
  • 80 Bridge Street Westminster nos 1-28 and Bridge Street Lambeth nos 1-13 Also Coade's Row nos 1-3 and 99-102
  • 81 Lowther Arcade nos 1-25 and King William Street West Strand nos 1-28
  • 82 Charlotte Street Fitzroy Square nos 1-27 and 69-98
  • 83 High Street Islington nos 1-28 Also Clarke's Place nos 1-45
  • 84 Cockspur Street nos 16-23 and Charing Cross nos 9-48 and Pall Mall East nos 1-18
  • 85 Soho Square nos 1-37
  • 86 Cornhill nos 7-84
  • 87 Wood Street division 2 nos 37-93 and Cripplegate Buildings nos 1-12
  • 88 Moorgate Street nos 1-63
  • Suppl. 01 Regent Street Division 1 nos 1-22 and Waterloo Place nos 1-17
  • Suppl. 02 Regent Street Division 2 nos 32-119
  • Suppl. 03 Regent Street Division 3 nos 116-210
  • Suppl. 04 Regent Street Division 4 nos 207-286
  • Suppl. 05 Regent Street Division V nos 273-326 and Langham Place nos 1-25
  • Suppl. 06 Haymarket nos 1-71
  • Suppl. 07 Cornhill nos 1-82 and Royal Exchange Buildiings nos 1-11
  • Suppl. 08 Strand Division I nos 1-65 and 421-458
  • Suppl. 09 Strand Division 2 nos 67-112 and 366-420
  • Suppl. 10 Strand Division 3 nos 113-163 and nos 309-359
  • Suppl. 11 Strand Division 4 nos 164-203 and nos 252-302
  • Suppl. 12 Strand Division 5 nos 212-251 and Fleet Street Division 1 nos 1-37 and nos 184-207
  • Suppl. 13 Fleet Street Division 2 nos 40-82 and nos 127-183
  • Suppl. 14 Fleet Street Division 3 nos 83-126 and Ludgate Hill Division 1 nos 1-42
  • Suppl. 15 Ludgate Hill Division 2 nos 15-33 and Ludgate Street nos 1-42
  • Suppl. 16 St. Paul's Churchyard nos 1-79
  • Suppl. 17 Cheapside nos 33-131
  • Suppl. 18 King William Street nos 7-82 and Adelaide Place nos 1-5

Tags

architecture art artificial flowers auctioneer bank book trade brazier canes carpet catering chandler charities chemist china circus clocks and watches clothing copying machine cork currier cutler decorator dentist dressing case education engineer engraver food and drink footwear fringe maker fuel fur furniture games glass grocer guns hairdresser hats horticulture indigo instrument maker ironmonger ivory jeweller lace law library maps medicine merchant metal military mourning music optician pawnbroker perfumer photography playing cards plumber rubber seal engraver shaving silk staymaker theatre tobacco tools toys transport travel turner umbrellas vet

Blogs and Sites I like

  • London Details
  • Chetham’s Library Blog
  • Marsh’s Library, Dublin
  • Caroline’s Miscellany
  • London Unveiled
  • London Historians’ Blog
  • Medieval London
  • Discovering London
  • IanVisits
  • Faded London
  • Ornamental Passions
  • Charles Ricketts & Charles Shannon
  • Jane Austen’s World
  • London Life with Bradshaw’s Hand Book
  • Georgian Gentleman
  • Flickering Lamps
  • On Pavement Grey – Irish connections
  • Aunt Kate

Creative Commons Licence

Creative Commons License
London Street Views by Baldwin Hamey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: