William Spinks Riley. Gun and rifle maker. At 34/35 Lench St, Birmingham from 1861-1867; then at Eagle Gun Works, Stafford St, Birmingham from 1868-1880; then at 40/41 Vauxhall St, Birmingham from 1881-1886. From 1878-1887 he had premises at 63 Bishopsgate St Within, London (from N Brown Vols I & II).
WS Riley gets mentioned in Crudginton & Baker Vols I & II for several patents, though not nos 615, 617 or 54.
Finally, putting a little more gloss on the fellow, this courtesy of IGC:
William Sparks Riley (b.1825 Birmingham) was recorded in the 1851 census as a gun finisher living at House 3, Back of 49 Brearley Street, Birmingham, with his sister, Sarah (b.1834), his brother, Frederick (b.1837 Birmingham) a pistol maker, and his cousin, Thomas Cole (b.1835 Leicester) an air gun maker.
William married in about 1852, and he opened his business in 1861 at 34 & 35 Lench Street, Birmingham, trading as a gun finisher and retail viewer. At the time, he was living at the Tower Tavern, 90 Lancaster Street with his wife, Mary Ann (b.1832 Worcester), and their children, Francis (son b. 1853), Ellen (b.1855), William (b.1858), Susannah (b.1860), and Susanna Allen (sister-in-law b.1841 Birmingham).
On 16 February 1866 he patented a transitional pinfire / centrefire drop-down barrel action with extractor and loading indicators (No. 491).
In 1868 he moved to Stafford Street to what he called the Eagle Gun Works. His trade mark was a spread eagle with the motto "Nothing Without Labour" in a banner.
In 1871 he was recorded as a gun maker living at 273 Bridge Street West with his wife, Mary Ann. His son, Francis had become a hat maker, and William was aged 13, was an errand boy possibly working for his father. Living with them were two more daughters, Mary A (b.1862) and Sarah J (b.1864).
In 1872 patent no. 1825 (possibly provisional and not registered) covered a drop-down barrel action and stocks.
In 1878 he opened a shop in London at 63 Bishopsgate Street Within.
In 1881 the firm moved to 40-41 Vauxhall Street, this was also named the Eagle Gun Works, but at this time William described his occupation as a gun finisher.
In 1887 the London shop closed and firm was no longer recorded in Birmingham. However, in 1891 William was recorded as a grocer at 45 Wheeler Street, living with his wife, Mary Ann, and Ellen, his grand-daughter.
Tim
Last edited by trw999; 04/15/13 06:39 AM.