doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com British Gunmakers: Birmingham, Scotland (vol.2)

Does anyone have a copy of 'British Gunmakers: Birmingham, Scotland and the Regions v. 2' by Nigel S. Brown?
I would really appreciate a lookup of the name 'Spendlove' in Birmingham.
(William?) Spendlove was my mother's grandfather and allegedly worked in the Birmingham gun trade.
Many thanks if anyone can assist,
Nigel

William Spendlove Lockmaker 1926-1944 rear of Number 11 St. Mary's Row B'ham

Nigel,

I looked up Spendlove in the British Gunmakers Volume 2. There is not much information. Here is all that there is:

William J. Spendlove / Spenlove
Imkr, 11 (back of) St. Mary's Row
Birmingham circa 1926 - 1944
(different directories record the Number as 10 or 11
Probably 11 is correct)

Imkr means gun implement maker

Larry

Salopian, Larry,

Thank you very much for that. It looks as though William Spendlove was one of those small, probably one-man, producers of parts for the Birmingham gun trade. My mother remembers visiting his house and that it was full of duck decoys. Maybe that was his sideline!

For anyone who is interested, I have found some photos of St. Mary's Row, Birmingham (William was in good company, W. W. Greener's factory fronted on to St. Mary's Row as well!)

http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/547/
http://www.pbase.com/beppuu/image/81049516 (W W Greener's premises)
http://www.pbase.com/beppuu/image/92254254 (typical yard off the street where one-man businesses operated).

Salopian, does St. Mary's Row still exist?

Nigel.

Nigel, Thank you for drawing my attention to the excellent photographs of the Birmingham Gun Quarter circa 1950-1960,s.Besides the photographs of St;Marys Row,included in this series are important photographs of other streets in the Gun Quarter.For example Price Street, much modified but still standing, at least in part!One side of the street having been being demolished to facilitate a new ring road, forcing relocation of Gunmakers such as Wisemans.Sand Street,also demolished,is also seen,and was a former location Of A.A.Brown. Those interesred in researching the Birmingham Gun Quarter will find these photographs assist in pinpoint some business locations as well as illustrating the conditions that existed in the gun quarter during the 1950-60,s.

Roy,

I did wonder whether the photos would be of interest to anyone. I'm glad I posted them now!

My mother had one grandfather in the Birmingham gun trade and the other grandfather in the jewellery trade, both trades now greatly diminished, sadly.

Stay well,
Nigel