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Westley Richards Gun Maker & Magistrate 1789-1865

J

jativey

knowlegable brummie
Hi :D

I have just discovered that my GGG Grandad was William Westley Richards who founded the Westley Richards Gun making factory. According to census info he was also a magistrate in 1861. If anyone has any info, photos, memorabillia from the factory or about Westley, please get in touch.

Cheers
Jan
 
https://www.westleyrichards.com/firm/history.html
the old established firm is going from strentgh to strength today and are situated by bham university,but are shortly to be rehoused so i believe to the aston science park,on dartmouth st,will get a photo of the present buildings soon as i have to call in the bham proof house,the westley richards guns of today are worth more than my house,they make excellent shotguns and rifles and the reputation is as good as the best london gun makers such as boss ,purdey ,holland and holland,i am very fortunate to have used these guns from time to time,alas the bham gun trade is just a shadow of its former self,but westleys is reknown thro out the world for its excellence and reliabilty,i think the famous african hunter selouis was a an admirer and user of westley gun/rifles
 
Hi :D

Thanks so much for this.... :smitten:.........A photo would be absolutely Brill :coolsmiley:

You seem to have a v good knowledge of the firm

My mum always talked about her grandad Harry Richards being the grandson of Wm Westley but it has been hard to trace with mispellings etc.

Harry's dad was William Richards b 1827 Birmingham St Phillips area, son of Wm Westley Richards and his 2nd wife Harriett Seale. William was disowned by his father for marrying his sweetheart Harriett and promptly had a breakdown, ending up in the Birmingham Lunatic Asylum in 1849 ish. He did recover and went on to have 7 children with Harriet, my g grandad Harry being the youngest.

So thrilled that I have a famous rellie..................mum thinks he was a 'Sir' or his gun making inventions but I havent tracked this down yet.

Harry's daughter Sarah married Charley Knight - his family were from Droitwich Worcs but are said to have some sort of connection to the BSA company..............still to track this down

Thanks so much, Great stuff :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

Jan
 
Westley Richards &Co,Bham
40 grange rd
bham
west mids
0121 472 1701
established in 1812.William Westley RichARDS.THE FOUNDER,WAS BORN IN 1788 and he died in1865,he was responsible for a number of inventions connected with the muzzle loader.
Although founded in bham,the firm was not typical of the bham trade,and its premises were in the old high street quite some way away from the gun quarter.
A LONDON RETAIL OUTLET WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1815AT 170 NEW bOND sT under the management ofwilliam bishop.
in bham,westley richards,the son of the founder,took over the business fromhis father in 1840 and a further series of inventions did much to influence the development of guns ,rifles and revolvers.
Sporting guns received attention and patents were taken out covering the following features:
1858 drop down barrels
1861 drop down and sliding forward barrels
1862 the famous top lever and dolls head extension
1862 patent rifle sights
1864 top lever design modified to improve the operation
1866 Monkey Tail capping breachloader further improved.
Westley Richards retired in 1872 and that year saw bolt action and sliding breech block designs.
In 1878 his last patent covered the locking system for the drop down barrel gun.

John Deeley took charge,having joined the firm in 1860 ,and between 1873 and 1907 he was partly or wholly responsible for some 17 patents.
One of the most important of these patents,where the firm was concerned,was British Patent No 1756.This was taken out jointly with W Anson in 1875,protecting the famous box lock Anson & Deeley action.
In 1896 the firm outgrew the premises in the High street and moved out to a factory in Bournebrook,on the south side of the city.

The Westley Richards factory as it is today still builds the finest box lock guns and when you place your order,you are given the serial numbers of your gun and you can follow its progress through the factory
 
And here's a nice set of pictures from the derelict factory! :)

www.28dayslater.co.uk

Report - - Westley Richards Gun Makers, Birmingham | Industrial Sites

Visited with Rigsby, Bubblehead and Speed. This was a lonnggggg time ago but so as not to ruin tradition, I'm posting up some photos a lot later than is necessary because they've been floating around my hard drive for about a year. I remember it being a crazy hot day and we sat in McDonalds car...
www.28dayslater.co.uk www.28dayslater.co.uk

Maurice :cool:
 
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Derelict-UK:

Thought I'd better stick something up here as you're so shy! :D:D:D:D

But nice pics and Jan had better nip round there pretty smartish if she's looking for a personal momento! :(

Maurice :cool:
 
Hello every i am doing my partners family tree. and her granfather name is Westley Richards. he has said that his family owned a gun bussiness. and have trave it to William westley Richards. hes son was Charles Richards born 1824 then i think he had a son called Charles Richard Born 1853 marriaged Emily Bird b -1855 but i am having troble link Charles Richards 1853 to his father Charles Richards 1825. charles Richards 1853 had a son called Westley Richards 1874 and his wife was Lucy Brookes 1874. they had a son called Westley Richards 1900 and his wife was Emily Blackwell. then they had a son call Westley Richards which is my partner Gt Grandad.

It is just the Charles Richards 1853 and his father Charles Richards 1825 which im stuck on. hope anyone can help me.

Regards
Anthony
 
I hate to say it, but this place is now gone, flattened for probably more student diggs........

I managed to explore the place a little too, and it was still like a time warp in parts. The old Motorcycle factory over the road now looks like this.....

2 more losses to the area!

Neil
 
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Hi There

I havent been on here for a while (I'm ashamed to admit!) and I am sorry to find out that my ancestor's factory has now been demolished = would just like to thanks everyone for their input. I have saved all the photos on these threads.

Thanks Everyone
Cheers
Jan x
 
Their new place is quite nice, on corner Walsall rd/ New John St diagonally opposite Brandeurs - Wonder if they kept all the old stuff?
 
Pleased to see some pics of the factory. The picture of the gun rack on the wall, was where i worked - my bench was right next to it. I am responsible for the ''?'' on the wall, and the other felt pen inscriptions detail thread sizes we used on different shotgun actions. We drove through Selly Oak recently, and I was a quite sad to have seen the old place gone, lots of memories and history.
 
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