doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com G.E. Lewis records

ANyone know if the Lewis records are available for a search?

Nigel Brown reports that the owner since 2003 is Grant Dempsey of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire . Tel 01992 462742 Brown's book lists serial numbers and years from 1871-2000 It appears the records are available for these dates.

Thanks Daryl. I'll try to contact him. I'd like to find out some info about my .404 Jeffery Mauser.

George Edward Lewis was born in Birmingham (possibly in Mosley Street) on 23 January 1829. He was the son of John Lewis, a brick manufacturer, and Elizabeth Lewis.
He was apprenticed in the gun trade, and established his business in 1850 in Bath Street, Birmingham. Reportedly, he had studied art while completing his apprenticeship, and started his business as a gun engraver. This may well be partly true, but within a year or so he described himself in the 1851 census as a gun finisher employing 5 men. At that time, he lived with his parents in Great Ring Street.

In 1859 the business was described as gun and rifle makers and reportedly, they built a very large new factory at 32-33 Lower Loveday Street. If they did indeed build the factory, this would have been a remarkable achievement after only 9 years trading; it is more likely that space in the factory was leased, enlarged over time and, perhaps, bought by the firm at a later date. Perhaps George's father, being a brick maker, had contacts in the property development business.

In 1862 the firm exhibited their guns in London.

In 1863 Lewis together with Henry Walker and Joseph Blout Wayne patented a drop-down breech loader (No. 2100) which had two plugs in the breech face which entered the chambers by movement of a side lever. The patent seems to be a variation of the Dougall "Lockfast" breechloader, it was Lewis's only patent and very few were made.

In 1867 the firm exhibited in Paris.

Initially, the firm had been trade manufacturers who also did repair work, re-barrelling etc., but they were typical of the major Birmingham manufacturers. They exported guns to the Confederate army in the US Civil War (1861-1865) in return for cotton, and after the war developed export markets in the USA, India and Australia. They built military rifles for the French during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871).

In 1871 the firm began to sell direct to the public as well as to the trade. They exhibited in Vienna in 1873, and in Paris in 1878 where they introduced their "Gun of the Period", a registered trade name for a high quality gun made in hammer and hammerless versions (their other famous trade name for a model was the "Ariel", a 12 bore weighed under 6lbs). At some time G E Lewis introduced a type of recess choke boring, and over a period of time he popularised magnum small bores (12 and 20 bores with 2 3/4 inch chambers).

From about 1873 the firm had two showrooms in London, one at Duke Street, Manchester Square, Paddington, St Marylebone, and another at 172 Strand. It is believed these premises closed in about 1905.

The firm exhibited in Sydney in 1879/80, Melbourne in 1880/81, and Calcutta in 1884.

A son, also named George Edward Lewis, was born in 1863, and another, Ernest Charles Lewis, was born in 1865.

In the 1901 census G E Lewis was recorded as a widower aged 72 living with G E Lewis (II) and E C Lewis, and three of his daughters, at 2 Cambridge Crescent, Edgbaston.

In 1909 the name of the firm changed to George E Lewis & Sons.

G E Lewis (I)died on 17 January 1917, and the sons inherited the firm. G E Lewis (II) handled the day to day management of the firm, E C Lewis was involved in production and, because he was an excellent shot, was responsible for the regulation the firm's rifles. E C Lewis won the Birmingham Rifle Club Championship six times and the Gunmakers Association Challenge Cup five years running.

In the very late 1930s two of E C Lewis's sons joined the firm, G E Lewis (III) who in 1951 became a guardian of the Birmingham Proof House, and E V Lewis.

When G E Lewis (III) died in 1988, the business was sold to John Harris who was a friend of G E Lewis (III) and stocked guns for the firm. In 1989 John Harris moved the firm to Unit SF2, 63 Price Street. In 1996 it moved again, to Halesowen.

In December 2003 the name, goodwill and records of G E Lewis were sold at auction in London to Grant Dempsey of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and in December 2009 they were sold by him at auction in London.

The firm sold Pegamoid cartridges under their own name, and also cartridges under the names "The Express", "The Keepers Cartridge and "The Premier".
In the 1920s the firm produced their "Ariel" model, a lightweight 12 bore with 28 inch barrels as standard, and now fairly rare (it was designed to compete with the Churchill XXV).

Pete

Pete thanks for all of that. I hope you didn't have to type it. All that I needed was who had the records.

They were bought a couple of years ago by the Royal Armouries at Leeds. http://www.royalarmouries.org/visit-us/leeds I was there last month doing some research on Lewis. They are quite helpful if you e-mail them. Lagopus.....

I looked it up in the book "British Gunmakers" Vol II and it dates late 1913 early 1914. I've sent an email off to teh RA. Thanks Lagopus.

I have one marked "The Ariel" on the top lever. Also engraved on top of right barrel: "The Gun of the Period". Left barrel "GE Lewis & sons. Lower Loveday St. Birmingham" Fine Damascus, sunken rib. This one is a BLNE, very high quality. I perhaps didn't appreciate the quality until I got inside of it.

My pleasure Mike. Good luck as although the records are fairly complete there is the odd gap. If you don't get a reply to general enquiry please let me know and I'll give you the direct e-mail to the librarian there. Lagopus.....

Thanks.