Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Westley Richards Company: NOT IN ANY WAY CONNECTED
William Westley Richards, a silversmith, founded the company in 1812 and it is still in business today in Pritchett Street. But in December 1882 the Westley Richards Co. issued the above Public Notice distancing themselves from the National Arms and Ammunition Co. It was also in March of that year that the annual meeting of shareholders of the National Arms and Ammunition Company gathered under the chairmanship of Captain Bullock with, among others directors, J Deeley, S Alport, and E Ludlow being present. Things were not looking to good and in December an extraordinary meeting passed the resolution to wind up the company. A Mr. Brinsley stated that he would like to know something about Westley Richards. Where was he? People had taken shares because they saw his name connected with the company. Was he coming to give them £20,000 towards the liquidation?
J Deeley supported the resolution and advised that when he was prevailed upon to take a seat on the Board he found it struggling with lack of capital, and trying to complete the contract which was perhaps one of the largest that had ever come into Birmingham. The Board had lost two practical and energetic gentlemen, Mr Greenwould had died, and Mr Westley Richards had been stricken with illness. Deeley was also one of the liquidators, and “if he was starting a new ammunition company,” he would be in the position of both buyer and seller.
January 1884 saw the report of the liquidators. The sale of the bicycle and tricycle part of the business had gone to a Coventry firm, the fog signal part was sold to Mr Ludlow, and the ammunition portion of the company's business to Messrs Westley Richards and Co. who were the principal customers. These parts had been attended, as the selling value of these trades would have seriously suffered if there had been any delay in carrying out the manufacture of the goods to supply the orders that were periodically coming in.
Now back in January 1871 a new company had been formed called Westley Richards Small Arms and Ammunition Co. It was set up for the manufacture on a large scale, by machinery, of military small-bore rifles on the interchangeable principle, and also ammunition. Westley Richards, and Messrs Greenwood and Batley, of Leeds, were associated in the undertaking, and would commence operations on land and premises in Birmingham which had been secured for the purposes.
In April 1871 the Westley Richards Small Arms and Ammunition Co. applied for licence to manufacture ammunition, percussion caps and other articles at Holdford Mill (having purchased the Mill from Ludlow's) and an extra 50 acres of land.
In 1872 The National Arms and Ammunition Co. was formed with capital of £300,000 to establish factories on a "complete and extensive scale" for manufacture of rifles, arms and ammunition. It would take over the works of the Westley Richards Small Arms and Ammunition Co. and directors included three with addresses given as Westley-Richards Arms and Ammunition Co, being T Greenwood, Westley Richards and J Bateley.
According to Grace's Guide, in 1871 J Deeley was the sole commercial manager of Westley Richards Co, and in 1872 Westley Richards retired and sold the business to John Deeley. Westley Richards discontinued active connection with the business and moved to Oakham but retained interest in the business. In 1873 Westley Richards became a Limited Company.
If you look to the Wikipedia entry for Westley Richards Company it says...."It remained in the hands of the Richards family until it was purchased by Clode in 1957.” I cannot find any further involvement of the Richards family from around 1882!