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Webley Gunmakers - information requested

G

ginny137

Guest
Can any one help me with this manufacturer My ggfather worked there as a Gun Action Filer what ever that is, so it says on my ggmothers death certificate (amazing how my aunt had him as a Chief Munions and he died before she was born) are there any sites that would give me photos of the factory back then 1942/5 and any phots of workforce

Thanks for any help

Jen
 
Hello there

I'm no expert but there are alot of them out there! My interest is that I had an Uncle who worked in quality control and dispatch. I have not found photo's of the work force but the following will get you 'into the firm'.

Try the 'Made in Birmingham' Site

Webley Air Pistols: Their History and Development (Hardcover)
by [ame="https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Gordon%20Bruce"]Gordon Bruce[/ame] (Author)

This book has an outline history of the firm. The Archives in Birmingham Library has the following:


Scope1897-2006: records
RepositoryBirmingham City Archives
Record ReferenceMS2660/2006/046, MS2660/2006/050, MS2660/2006/053

And theres not a bad start on Wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webley_and_Scott


If you come across any 20C workforce photo's post em up

Regards
 
When Webleys called in the receivers at Christmas 2005 my wife and I purchased the historical archive of gun production books, drawings, blue-prints, photographs and records relating to revolver and pistol manufacture. The records cover the period from about 1897 to 1985 when firearm production was stopped. We did this to keep the archive together and stop it being broken up and lost forever. I would like to contact anyone who has, first or secondhand related knowledge of having worked at either the Weaman Street or Park Lane factories.
Sincerely,
Richard
 
I sadly am unable to help but want to say what a fantastic thing to do and all best wishes in finding out the information you seek.
 
Richard, I worked at Webley and Scott which I think was in Weaman Street in the latter part of the 1970's. I was a shorthand typist working as a temp and spent a month there. I remember a customer in South Africa required a rifle which was custom made to suit his measurements. All the details were dictated to me which I then typed up.
Best of luck with your research - will you be writing a book in the future?
Anthea:)
 
Richard,
A similar experience to Anthea, when I worked in Stafford St. as a signwriter, they bought a rifle in, which had the barrel engraved for some rajah in India, we had to gild the engraving.
That was about 1958.
 
Bernie, Thanks for the good wishes, I remember at the time there was someone interested in buying the collection in Germany. We realised that if it want overseas it would be lost for ever as very few people would get to see it.
Richard.

Anthea, I have given a number of lectures on Webley's to specialist groups and assocciations and I have a web-site www.armsresearch.co.uk which is dedicated to help owners of Webley & Scott made firearms research their property. We do a similar thing for owners of Wilkinson Sword Co. officer's swords.
The problem with writing specialist books is the cost of publishing, you will never sell enough to cover the initial outlay.
Richard
 
Richard have you tried an appeal via say Carl Chinn or the Birmingham Mail?

Shame on you re Wilkinson's Swords what is wrong with Birmingham swords made by the Gill family. Oh and yes I do have an agenda.
 
Richard, I must congratulate you on your website and on what you are trying to achieve in saving this historical data. I don't remember much about my time at Webley's, but I remember they had a rifle club for employees which I would have joined had I been a permanent employee. However, I joined the rifle club at Aston University when I went to work there on a permanent basis.:rolleyes:
Regards, Anthea:)
 
Anthea, Thanks, that's kind of you to say so. There are a few photos of the W&S rifle club members in the collection, some group pictures and a couple of posed ones of some girls shooting with .22 Martini rifles, appears to be taken at Weaman Street on the range on the roof, so would date before 1958 as the factory was demolished by the city council in that year to make way for the inner ring road.
Richard
 
Richard, I didn't realize W&S was demolished in 1958 (the year I married!), so I must have been about 19 years old when I worked there. My personal archives are getting rusty/dusty! :(
Tempus Fugit, as they say.
Anthea:)
 
My husband was the last van driver for Greener's Sporting Gun's in the 60's they sold out to Webley Scott and at the time they were in West Bromwich. He had to take all the guns and ammunition to West Brom from Birmingham in a Comma van. Imagine doing that today!:rolleyes:
 
RichardMilner said:
When Webleys called in the receivers at Christmas 2005 my wife and I purchased the historical archive of gun production books, drawings, blue-prints, photographs and records relating to revolver and pistol manufacture. The records cover the period from about 1897 to 1985 when firearm production was stopped. We did this to keep the archive together and stop it being broken up and lost forever. I would like to contact anyone who has, first or secondhand related knowledge of having worked at either the Weaman Street or Park Lane factories.
Sincerely,
Richard
Click to expand...
Hi Richard,
For many years Birmingham City Police had the use of both the Weaman Street Range and later at Park Lane to prepare for the Police Pistol Competition at the Imperial meeting in July each year at Bisley, Surrey.I have fired many rounds on each range from the fifties until the early 70's. also visited Weaman St as a member of the BCP Explosives & Firearms Dept (1960's) Chief tester was 'Ruben' -? also looked after external Weaman St premises with BCP in 1950's. Look after the records.
It's just come to me - Tester - Ruben EDKINS (not sure of spelling of Christian name - sounds like anyway)
 
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Further to the above, I've turned out a cupboard and I have files re the use of the Slaney Street Range and also Park Lane by Birmingham City Police, the first being July 1926 from the W & S Secretary - confirming the loan of .32 Semi-automatic pistols and an indicated bill for ammunition at the rate of 11 shillings and three pence per hundred.
 
View attachment 42768View attachment 42767View attachment 42766View attachment 42765David,
Nice to hear from you, I too, shot at Bisley until the awful pistol ban of 1997. Amongst the archives are a large number of photographs, see above, some are of the members of the firm's rifle club, a picture of the apprentices and one picture of the directors or managers, possibly taken at Bisley, maybe in the '30s or '40'. I wonder if you (or anyone else out there) can put any names to the people in these pictures.
One of my especial interests is in the production of the revolvers in the period before CNC machines. We have the Proccess Manuals which are very useful but I need someone who made the product to talk it through with.
Sincerely,
Richard
 
Richard, Nice to see the pictures, there is only one face that look familiar to me on photo No 2 and I'm not certain. The man on the extreme right looks very much like Dr Marion JUREK, who manufactured bespoke single shot pistols for target shooters. He did in fact make a personal one for me - long since gone (1997 along with many others) We had as many as fifteen spread amongst club members. He used to manufacture in Bath Street near the people that made Vincent motor cycles. and then moved to a small factory in Bradford Street, Camp Hill - almost opposite the Police Station. I have an article written about him holding my pistol and one for another member on completion & proofing before it was handed over. He died some years ago, but I'm not sure when. I have it in the back of my mind he was at W & S before branching out on his own as the weapons he produced were similar to the long standing single shot target pistol Webleys used to make. We had a few of those as well (All gone !!!!!!!!!) We also had one or two Fosberys in the force specimen collection, alas also all gone. If I can find the article I'll send it, I'm only two days into forums so not too sure how things work. Regards David

Richard, I've found the article - Birmingham Mail 1978 - It says he had a 10 year spell at Webley & Scott as a pistol designer - I will scan the article and send to your business e-mail if you like or advise acordingly, it won't look much on here as a thumbnail. The photo No 2 - extreme right must be him Dr Marien JUREK he was 74 in 1978. The pistol ih his left hand is mine and the other is for my friend. They had just returned from the proof house. I think it cost me £29-00 complete with custom grips and attending the workshop for a couple of fittings!!
 
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David, Thanks very much for that. I had thought it was JUREK on the right of that picture but until you confirmed it I could not be sure. His pistols were very popular in the 1960s although I never shot one myself. Amongst the W&S factory collection was one of the (only) two prototypes pistols he made for W&S in 9mm calibre for government trials in the late '50s. When the collection was sold in 1997 that particular item went to a British collector who subsequently moved to Switzerland taking his entire collection with him. Amongst the W&S Archive is a pistol target card shot and signed by JUREK. The score is a good "possible" still a hard think to do with a .22 pistol even today, to judge by the scores in the Commonwealth Games.
Yes please, could you send the article to [email protected]

Sincerely,
Richard
 
Thanks for reply I'll send it along with a couple of interest photographs I have taken during the 1st Gun Amnesty in the 1960's when I worked in the Explosives and Firearms Dept - also a card I have on the wall dated 28.10.1985 - only 99 but it was shot with the Jurek on the forcs range. only one I ever did. Reading the article now it really sums him up - I'd forgotten mine was the last pistol he produced along with the right hander. It was amazing how he was able to reverse all the release catches etc to accomodate my left hand, it really was made to measure.(I wish I still had it !! ). Another name that comes to mind is Pat Whatley, but I don't think I ever met him.
 
I've been told that Pat Whatley moved to Scotland, but I don't know where. -R
 
Hi my father worked at Webley and Scott at Slaney Street and at West Bromwich, he was in charge of a screw making department and then a general machining department,
he was also in the home guard, he was on watch on the roof of Webleys the night that the Odeon was bombed, his name was Doug ( horace) Harryman. I would be interested in any history of Webleys
junelesly
 
I have not as yet found any photo's of Webley Scott Revolver and Arms Company. I have done some searching without luck. I would love a photo of their premisess in Weaman St, St Mary's Row, Lancaster Street or even Birmingham Road West Bromwich...thanks for any help.
 
hi wend you may already have found these pics...caption reads..interior of webley and scott circa 1910..probably either weaman st or slaney st...the other one is an advert for the company..
will keep looking for any of the actual buildings..

lyn

Webley_and_Scott_factory_interior_1910.jpg


Webley_and_Scott_advertisement_early_1900s.jpg
 
I could kiss you all especially Lyn, this is brilliant I can print these for my folder thank you so much! What a brilliant forum...xx

Lyn have you any idea of a date for your last picture it's the same picture as in Linda's advert.
 
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Wendy said:
I could kiss you all especially Lyn, this is brilliant I can print these for my folder thank you so much! What a brilliant forum...xx

Lyn have you any idea of a date for your last picture it's the same picture as in Linda's advert.
Click to expand...

glad to help wend...ive just looked at ladylindas advert and in the bottom right hand corner its got 1897 webley factory..seems about right to me...

lyn
 
Thanks Lyn I didn't notice that but yes as you say seems about right.
 
My grand father Cyrus Fieldworked for Webley and Scottfrom prior to 1914 up until after WW2, I have copies of letters agreeing to pay him half pay while he was fighting WW1 and a copy offering to re-employ after the war. He also worked 1897-1900 for the Field rifle co( Martini Henry Dept) in Cambridge st Birmingham. Are there any records of these two companies available that would list employees etc. Any help appreciated.
 
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