doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Status of the Internet Gun Club

Trying to research the history of a couple of HJ Hussey Imperials and from reading previous posts it sounds like the Internet Gun Club may have access to the records. Unfortunately the website seems to be difficult at best to register with. Can anyone tell me if the website is still viable and, if not, what other avenues are there to research Hussey records. (Note: Cogswell and Harrison DO NOT have records for guns built by HJ Hussey, LTD.

Thank you,

JDG

Jay

Hussey Imperials are extremely nice and well made guns. I have produced below the IGC HJ Hussey entry, which includes the email address for the founder of the site. Let me know if you are not successful reaching him via that route, as I have an alternative address for him.

Name H J Hussey Ltd
Other Names Hussey & Hussey Ltd
Address1 22 Woodstock Street
Address2 81 New Bond Street
Address3 88 Jermyn Street
Address4 88 Jermyn Street and 25 Ryder Street
Address5 88 Jermyn Street
Address6
Address7
City/Town London
County
State/Region/Province
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gunmakers
Other Address 12 Bennett Street, Kings Parade, Cambridge.
Dates 1898-1918
Notes

Henry Joseph Hussey was born in December 1857 in Saffron Waldon, Essex. He was recorded in the 1881 census living at 30 Richmond Road, Islington, London with his wife, Elizabeth (b.1857 in London) and a son, Henry Hugh (b.1880 in London). Henry described himself as a "Foreman packer with a footnote ("fact Lab") - presumably factory labourer.
At some time he started work for Holland & Holland and by 1894 had risen to the position of assistant manager, presumably shop manager. He was recorded in the 1891 census as a 33 year old gunmaker's assistant living at 16 Cantlowes Road, Islington with Elizabeth and Henry Hugh who was aged 11 years at that time.

On 14 May 1892 H A Douglas and H J Hussey registered patent No. 9208 for a Paradox type of partially rifled shot and ball gun barrel.

In 1894 he left Holland & Holland in order to join James Lang & Co Ltd.

Although the performance of the new limited company was not very good, H J Hussey's performance as a gun fitter impressed the firm's customers and the directors so much that on 17 January 1895 a new company named Lang & Hussey Ltd was formed.

Henry Webley, being the majority shareholder, suggested that he should put more capital into Lang & Hussey Ltd and that the two firms should amalgamate but in fact, what was about to happen was a take-over rather than an amalgamation.

On 24 June 1898 Lang & Hussey Ltd was put into voluntary liquidation and a new company of the same name was registered. Henry Webley was elected chairman of the new company and Henry J Hussey was appointed managing director on a 10 year contract. Henry Webley and H J Hussey were the only directors who continued with the new company. The staff at Joseph Lang & Son moved to work for Lang & Hussey Ltd, and their shop at 10 Pall Mall was closed. It is worth noting that some guns were stolen during or after transfer to 102 New Bond Street.

In late 1898 H J Hussey fired one of the former Joseph Lang & Son finishers, George F Whitby, in defiance of Henry Webley's instructions; Whitby was reinstated by Henry Webley.

In November 1898 the company's accountants discovered that some of the proceeds from guns which had been auctioned had disappeared. Hussey could not provide a satisfactory explanation and was asked to resign, he left taking all his craftsmen with him; his son, Henry Hugh Hussey who was also employed by the company, was fired a month later.

In 1899 Henry Hussey opened temporary offices at 22 Woodstock Street, New Bond Street, and started to trade with Lang & Hussey Ltd customers. A few months later he registered H J Hussey as a limited company and moved to 81 New Bond Street where he traded variously as H J Hussey Ltd, H J Hussey, and Hussey Ltd (He advertised on the front cover of the Shooting Times as Hussey Ltd in July 1912). A Stanley Wilson was chairman of the company, H H Hussey was certainly an employee.

The 1901 census records Henry J Hussey living at Isla Bank Palmerston Crescent, Southgate, Enfield. He had obviously separated from his wife because Elizabeth was living at 14 Cloudesley Street, Islington, with Henry Hugh and three previously unrecorded children, Caroline Mary (b.1892), Josephine May (b.1894) and Frederick Joseph (b.1896). Henry Hugh was described as a "gunmaker (stocker and screwer)".

In 1900 Lang & Hussey Ltd had found out that in his publicity material H J Hussey was referring to his connection with Lang & Hussey in direct contravention of his resignation agreement. He was also, of course, also soliciting custom from Lang & Hussey. They demanded he desist, perhaps he did, but in 1901 they decided that they should break the last connection with H J Hussey by changing the name of Lang & Hussey Ltd to Joseph Lang & Son Ltd.

Hussey made "Best" quality guns using "Imperial" as a model name. He used London outworkers, amongst them John Ross, an outworker for Lang & Hussey. H J Hussey Ltd subsequently bought his business thereby ensuring his loyalty. However, H J Hussey Ltd was not able to make profits and in 1905 the chairman offered to sell the company. Nobody was interested.

At about this time H J Hussey opened a shop trading as H J Hussey at 12 Bennett Street, Kings Parade, Cambridge. This shop may have been his insurance against the failure of the London company, and it may have been used to dispose of guns which had been traded-in.

The 1911 census does not appear to record H J Hussey but Elizabeth, Henry Hugh and the other children were recorded living at 19 Norman Avenue, Twickenham. Elizabeth described herself as a teacher as did Caroline, Henry Hugh was a 31 year old gun maker.

From 1909 to 1913 H J Hussey was recorded trading at 25 Ryder Street in London, but in 1911 H J Hussey Ltd was recorded at 88 Jermyn Street.

In 1914 H J Hussey Ltd closed and H J Hussey and H H Hussey formed a new company, Hussey & Hussey Ltd, at 88 Jermyn Street. However, when war was declared H H Hussey joined the Army. This did not stop H J Hussey, H H Hussey and John Ross registering two patents on 17 October 1914, one for a selective ejector and the other for a side-bolt locking system, both for O/U guns (patent nos. 21125 and 21126 respectively).

In the period 1913 to 1918 H J Hussey again referred in his publicity material to his past employment with Lang & Hussey Ltd.

Hussey & Hussey continued trading during the war, but on 31 December 1917 H J Hussey died at the Wellington Inn, Welwyn, Hertfordshire. It appears that he was visiting Lionel Hodges who lived in Welwyn. He was the son of E C Hodges who, at the time, was a director of Henry Atkin Ltd. Henry Atkin Ltd moved into Hussey's shop and workshop at 88 Jermyn Street when Hussey & Hussey ceased trading.

In 1919 H H Hussey joined Claude Edward Harrison, formerly manager of the Cogswell & Harrison shop at 141 New Bond Street, to form Harrison & Hussey Ltd at 41 Albemarle Street. H H Hussey managed the production side of the business and Claude Harrison ran the shop and office. The company leased the Wimbledon Shooting Grounds at Worcester Park from William Watson and re-named them the Albemarle Shooting Grounds. In 1921 H H Hussey resigned to open a gun department at the fishing tackle business of Ogden Smiths at 62 St James's Street.

Claude Harrison appears to have continued the Harrison & Hussey business with his son, Edward Richie Harrison, and William Howe who was workshop manager. The firm appears to have bought guns in-the-white, some were over / under guns made in Germany. Claude died on 20 June 1928 leaving the company to his wife, Lena, but in December 1929 Stephen Grant & Joseph Lang Ltd and Herbert Beesley bought some of the work-in-progress, the remaining stock and equipment was sold to the trade. In August 1930 Stephen Grant & Joseph Lang Ltd bought the name and goodwill of the company, the lease on the premises was taken over by Boss & Co Ltd, and the Albemarle Shooting Grounds were re-named the Worcester Park Shooting Grounds.

The fishing tackle and shooting business of Ogden Smiths was transferred to a new partnership, Ogden Smiths & Hussey. In 1925 the company had offered to buy Joseph Lang & Son Ltd but their offer of �3000 was refused.

H H Hussey died on 22 July 1929.

Ogden Smiths & Hussey Ltd appears to have closed in 1933.

Other Info
The club is able to give some information on serial numbers and dates, email archives@internetgunclub.com with details of your gun.
H J Hussey Ltd sold Eley's Ejector cartridges. As Hussey & Hussey Ltd they sold cartridges under the name "The Times", and as Harrison & Hussey Ltd they sold the "Albermarle", the "Curzon", the "Grafton" and the "Stafford Deep Shell".

I have handled the guns Jay is asking about. They are both first rate IMHO.

It looks defunct to me. The last forum message was from months ago. A shame since it used to be a good forum, particularly for English guns although there was a modest charge to become an active member. Shooting Sportsman (Sporting Shot) did an article a couple of months ago about the club but the article was just plain misinformation.

I just logged in and it is working fine. Strangely, I cannot log in on Internet Explorer, but Safari gets it fine.

Yes, it works fine for me too. I have no problem with access through Safari either. IE tends to be a little more temperamental though.

John who runs the site has had awful problems with the folk who do all the technical side for him. He spends his time researching gun makers for our benefit and he should be applauded for so doing. Without his considerable resource our interest would be lessened.

Tim

I was able to get in but that' about it. Went through the process of registering but when I try to log in it does not recognize my registration info. Oh, well.

Thanks,

JDG

I tried to register with the IGC a few months ago and didn't have any luck either. Not sure what the problem is/was. I've handled one of Jay's Hussey guns and it is a fine gun. I even shot a Grouse or 2 with it. Perfect balance and BEAUTIFUL French walnut.