doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E. M. Reilly Records

Do the records of E. M. Reilly, London, still exist and are they available?

Unfortunately I do not believe that any records exist. E.M.Reilly is one of the mysteries of British gun making; was he a maker or merely a merchant? I've seen some great Reillys over the years and my first English double was a sleeved hammer-less 12 Ga. box-lock that remains my favorite gun in the rack.

Someone will post a history of what is known about the make and the man behind it...Geo

Nigel Brown has made a stab at serialisation in his Brit Gunmakers Vol. 3 - looks like it has been put together from actual guns.
There is a record (according to Crudgington & Baker) of Reilly paying 'royalties' to J D Dougall for use of the Lockfast patent whuch would point to him being a practical gunmaker. On the other hand there are no patents under his name listed by the same C & B.

Reilly was incorporated with Charles Riggs in 1920 . Who exactly Riggs were I do not know but I do know they were a GTA member in the 1960's,I have come across other references together gun companies being taken over by them .

I asked this exact same question regarding records for E M Reilly a couple weeks or so ago and got no response except from one member who questioned my use of the word "maker".

Checked my Brit Books to confirm and posted that either Boothroyd or Brown stated that the old man was a jeweler who became a gunmaker and that got the family ball rolling.

That's maker, like shaker, like youthquaker. Edie where art thou now?

This info courtesy the IGC:

Name J C Reilly
Other Names Reilly & Co; Edward M Reilly; E M Reilly & Co; E M Reilly et Cie; Reilly; Edward M Reilly Ltd
Address1 12 Middle Row, Holborn
Address2 316 High Holborn
Address3 502 New Oxford Street
Address4 315 Oxford Street (277 Oxford Street) & 502 New Oxford Street (16 New Oxford Street)
Address5 295 Oxford Street
Address6 13 High Street, Marylebone
City/Town London
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun maker
Other Address 2 Rue Scribe, Paris; 29 Rue du Faubourg, Paris.
Dates 1816-1917


Joseph Charles Reilly was born in 1786 in Granard, Co Longford, Ireland. At some time he moved to London where, in about 1814, he married Martha (b.1787 in London). In 1815 they had a daughter, Elinor, and in 1816 a son, Edward Michael. No other children have been found. In 1816 he opened a business as a jeweller at 12 Middle Row, Holborn and, as was common with jewellers in those days, he also part-exchanged, bought and sold guns. In about 1832 Edward joined the business and in 1835 it moved to 316 High Holborn. J C Reilly guns were sometimes engraved "Holborn Bars" but whether this address was 12 Middle Row or 316 High Holborn is not known. In the 1841 census Joseph and his family were recorded at "Holborn (above the Bars)", both Joseph and Edward described themselves as gun makers. In 1847 father and son moved to 502 New Oxford Street but whilst Joseph described himself as a gun maker Edward described himself as an air gun maker. Air guns by both have been seen, they were very fashionable at the time, but Edward obviously chose to specialise in them and they may have run a separate business from the same address. In 1850 he published a "Treatise on Air Guns", but he had wider interests and later developed a wholesale export market for military volunteer rifles.
In the 1851 census Joseph was recorded living at 502 Oxford Street with one servant, his wife had died and he was a widower. If Edward was living at home he was not in residence on the night of the census and no record of him has been found. Joseph and Edward Reilly are known to have bought completed guns from both the Birmingham and London gun trade makers. How many guns, if any at all, were actually made or even finished by them is not known. Never-the-less, the Reillys together with Joseph Lang and John Blanch were the best known promoters of centre-fire guns after the 1851 Great Exhibition. These were very different to manufacture compared with muzzle-loaders, and very different to use, and therefore a huge novelty in a traditional business. In 1859 Joseph appears to have retired because the business trading as J C Reilly was re-named Reilly & Co (which apparently traded as such until 1899) and they moved to 315 Oxford Street (later named "Armoury House"). These premises were formerly Joseph Manton's and were next door to James Purdey. The business of E M Reilly remained at 502 New Oxford Street but in 1860 it was re-named E M Reilly & Co. In the 1861 census Joseph was recorded living at Barn End, Cranfield, Bedfordshire with a housekeeper, his occupation was not stated. He died in 1864.
The 1861 census does not appear to record Edward but it does record that 502 Oxford Street was occupied by S French, who described himself as "porter to a gunmaker". Edward may have been living at 315 Oxford Street or he may have been elsewhere in the country or abroad. In 1869 E M Reilly patented an explosive bullet for use in Enfield rifles (No. 1259). The purpose of these explosive bullets was the penetration of artillery ammunition wagons with the intention that artillery could not be safely brought within the range of ordinary soldiers. The patent emphasises Edward's interest in profitable military business although he is best known for retail business with the public. In 1867 E M Reilly & Co were awarded a Prize Medal at the Paris Exhibition and in 1869 Edward started trading as E M Reilly et Cie at 2 Rue Scribe, Paris. This shop closed in 1872 but another Paris address is known (see below). At this time E M Reilly was appointed gun maker to Napoleon III.
From 1870 to 1874 E M Reilly & Co traded from both 502 New Oxford Street and 315 Oxford Street, From 1875 to 1882 E M Reilly traded only from 502 Oxford Street leaving Reilly & Co trading at 315 Oxford Street. In 1881 315 Oxford Street was re-numbered 277 Oxford Street. This portion of Oxford Street consisted of several adjoining buildings numbered variously. James Purdey, for example, occupied 314-315 Oxford Street which, possibly because of sub-division and re-arrangement of the shopfronts / buildings, he called 314 1/2, it became 287-289. The re-numbering of Oxford Street included No. 502 New Oxford Street which was re-numbered to 16 New Oxford Street.
In the 1881 census Edward was recorded living at 315 Oxford Street, before it was re-numbered. He was recorded living with his wife, Mary A (b.1848 in London), 31 years his junior. His children were listed as Charles A (b.1871), Herbert (b.1875) and Gerard (b.1878), all were born in London. Charles A, being born in 1871 suggests that Edward and Mary A were married shortly before 1871 and suggests that Edward could have been previously married and had children. Interestingly, Edward described himself in the census as a gun maker employing 300 men. This figure may have been a transcription error because it is an extraordinarily large number and there is no record of any Reilly factory in London or Birmingham. If it is not an error Edward probably calculated that the number of guns he sold would have employed 300 men.
At some time between 1884 and 1898 E M Reilly opened another shop in Paris, this time at 29 Rue du Faubourg, St Honore. When it closed is not known. In September 1890 Edward died aged 74. In the 1891 census one of his sons, Herbert H Reilly (b.1875/6 in Hanover Square, London), is recorded at Highfield House, a boarding school in Chertsey, Surrey run by William Tranter (born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, son of a shoemaker and not apparently related to the Tranter gunmakers). In the same census a Charles E Reilly (b.1870 in Ventnor, Isle of Wight) is recorded living at 277 Oxford Street. He, aged 21, described himself as a gun maker and was living with his brother, Gerard (aged 12), who he described as a naturalist (bird), and Mary Reilly who was recorded as Charles' mother but was only 25 years old (b.1866 in Leeds, Yorkshire). Charles described her as a widow living on her own means. Almost certainly, Charles E was in fact Charles A and Mary was his mother, Mary A aged 43 and born in 1848. What is not clear is the reference to Charles being born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight, and this is complicated by the fact that in the 1891 census a Charles Reilly (b.1871 in Hanover Square, London) was a boarder with Isabella F Davis (living on own means) at 3 Buona Vista Villas, Ventnor, Isle of Wight. He was recorded as a mechanical engineering student. It may be that Edward had an illegitimate son.
In 1898, the shop at 16 New Oxford Street closed. In the 1901 census the occupants of 277 Oxford Street were Charles Reilly (b.1871 in London) and Bert (Herbert) Reilly (b.1875 in "not known", Middlesex). Both were described as gunmakers on their own account. The 1902 Post Office directory lists E M Reilly & Co as gun makers at 277 Oxford Street. In 1903 277 Oxford Street was vacated prior to re-building, and the firm was recorded at 315 and 295 Oxford Street. From 1904 to 1911 the firm was recorded at 295 Oxford Street. In 1912 E M Reilly & Co Ltd was recorded at 13 High Street, Marylebone. The directors of this limited company were H Reilly and C W Roberts. In 1917 the company was bought by Charles Riggs & Co. It is believed Charles Riggs worked for James Kerr (& Co) of London (see also London Armoury Co). Charles Riggs & Co ceased trading in 1966. A pinfire cartridge and centrefire cartridges by E M Reilly & Co have been seen, also cartridges named the "Green" (post 1890).the "Harewood" and the "Patent Brass 2090".

trw999 - Many Thanks for that intensely comprehensive study of the Reilly clan as related to E M. Unfortunately, it does not leave one with a feeling of having gained a definitive history of the true nature of the E M Reilly brand, whether gun making or gun selling firm.

Admittedly, if I were a betting man my hand would be forced to play it out as the latter. And if that were indeed the case then I am in a real quandary as to the makers of my soon to be pair of E M Reilly .500BPE doubles. One I have in hand and the other is en route.

All facets of the one I have are striking in the workmanship/craftsmanship exhibited, and for what its worth, photos of the soon-to-be-mine rifle likewise show exemplary work.

The dates of manufacture by serial # given by Brown puts the guns' completion in the mid to late 1870's. Who in the trade would have been capable of such work done "under the radar", so to speak? I ask this not out of incredulity but merely as a "fact finding" question.

Now, we know many of W J Jeffery's beautiful double rifles from the same period were crafted by Harry and/or his son Daniel Leonard. That they were capable of such fine work is known fact.

If E M Reilly was in fact a gun broker/vendor, and not a maker, who could the maker in actuality have been? Please, if anyone can shed some factual knowledge or an educated guess I would greatly appreciate hearing what you have to put forth.

And to narrow the candidates down let's only concern ourselves with the manufacture of rifles, single or double, during the 1870's. OK, it may be a self-serving request, but I think the specificity of these types of weapons is crucial to the question.

Many Thanks to any and all who can contribute.