Richard Jeffery was from Guildford. I have a wonderful pinfire by him, using the Dougall Lockfast action, actioned by J. Wilkes, and very handsomely engraved. I have seen a few others. All of fine quality.
From the Internet Gun Club
Richard Jeffery was born in 1821 in Lymington, Hampshire. He was probably the son of John Jeffery, a gun maker of Lymington, and brother of William Jeffery, a gunmaker in Farnham, Surrey, also in Plymouth and Dorchester, and brother of Samuel Jeffery, a watchmaker recorded at 15 Borough, Farnham, in 1891.
Richard almost certainly worked for his father but in about 1844 he married Maria (b.1822 in Hastings, Sussex) and in 1845 they had a daughter, Harriet who was born in Poole, Dorset (Robert Jeffery was recorded as a gun maker in Poole from 1847 until 1855). In 1850 Richard Jeffery was recorded trading at 17 High Street, Guildford, Surrey. However, it was in 1849 that William Jeffery moved from Farnham to Plymouth, and at that time or soon after that the Farnham business started to trade under the name of Richard Jeffery. It may well be that this was Richard Jeffery of Guildford.
The Guildford shop was recorded again from 1858 at 137 (137-139) High Street.
On 5 February 1861 R Jeffery registered patent No. 296 for a two part locking lever for drop-down guns. In the 1861 census Richard was recorded as a gun maker employing 2 men and 1 boy, and living at 139 High Street with Maria and Harriet. In about 1863 the High Street was re-numbered and the address became 132-134 High Street.
In the 1871 census Richard was recorded as a widower living in the High Street (no number stated) with his daughter Harriet. At this time he employed 1 man and 1 boy.
In 1880 the business was sold to William Jeffery of Plymouth and his son, Samuel Richard Jeffery, moved to Guildford to manage it (the Farnham business continued to trade as Richard Jeffery until 1910 when it started to trade as Walter Jeffery). William Jeffery moved from Plymouth to live in semi-retirement in Stoke Road, Guildford.
Samuel Richard Jeffery expanded the business to sell fishing tackle and other sporting goods and in about 1900, in spite of the large size of the shop, he had to obtain additional premises in the Tuns Gate (almost next door to 134-137 High Street) to display these items.
Between 1910 and 1912 the firm became S R Jeffery & Son, and it became a limited company in 1929. By this time, if he was alive, Samuel would have been 79 years old. The names of his sons, if any, are not known, but they may have included Harold and Jack Jeffery who ran the business up to the 1970s.
In 1951 the firm bought the business of Arthur Chamberlain of 21a Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire (this was sold to Greenfields in 1960).
At about this time and up to about 1973 the day to day running of the gun department was under the control of Walter Brooks.
In 1957 the firm is reported to have moved to 134 High Street, but this was just a convenient single number to give as the company's address.
Harold Jeffery died in 1970, and Jack died in 1977.
It is incidental, but a part of the firm's premises was originally an ale house with a cellar which still stretches out under the present pavement. In the late 1970s there were reports of a ghost in the cellar and, on another occasion, in a room used by Jack as his office. There were also reports of guns stored in an upstairs room being moved overnight.
There is a report that at some time the company was managed by H V Jeffery (of the partnership of A R & H V Jeffery of Plymouth, Tavistock and Yeovil 1966-1970), but this has not been confirmed and in view of what is known about Harold and Jack Jeffery is considered to be unlikely. The same report says that A R Jeffery ran the Dorchester business (Charles Jeffery & Son) and this is probably correct.
In about 1982 S R Jeffery & Son was sold to John Marchington and re-named Jeffery's of Guildford. It was re-sold in about 1990 to Warren (?).
On 31 August 2001 the firm closed. No records have survived.
See William Jeffery of Farnham, Surrey.
Other Info
The firm sold pinfire and gastight cartridges and other cartridges including .410 (short and long) under their own name. They also sold cartridges under the names
Last edited by Daryl Hallquist; 01/10/17 12:55 PM.
