Here is the IGC data on Benjamin Norman:
Name Benjamin Norman
Other Names Norman & Sons
Address1 Castle Street
Address2 Church Street
City/Town Framlingham
County Suffolk
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gunmaker
Other Address 10 Church Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Dates 1871-1975?
Notes
Benjamin Norman was the son of William Norman Jnr (a butcher) and Ann. He was born in 1833 in Eye in Suffolk. In about 1847 he was apprenticed to a gun maker, but whether it was a local gunmaker or not is not known. In the 1851 census he was living at home with his mother (then a widow), brothers and sister; this implies that he was apprenticed to a local gun maker but it may well be that he was apprenticed to James Purdey, he reportedly worked for Purdey (amongst others?), possibly as an outworker. Dallas shows a 'Norman, paid 2.4s.0d in June 1863. In the 1861 census he was recorded living at 43 Markham Street, Chelsea. He was married to Eliza at the time and they had a son, William (b.1860 in Chelsea). He was recorded as a gunmaker trading under his own name at 43 Markham Street only from 1869 to 1871. The family does not appear to have been recorded in the 1871 census, so it may be that they were in the process of moving and setting up the business in Framlingham at that time although Benjamin was recorded as a gunmaker in Castle Street only from 1878. In the 1881 census he described himself as a master gun maker, and at this time his son, William (aged 21) was described as a gun maker. In about 1883 the family moved to Church Street.
By 1891 Benjamin and Eliza were living in Market Hill leaving William and his wife, Mary, and their son William G Norman (b.1889), to live above the shop in Church Street. By the time of the 1901 census, William and Mary had had at least one other son, Benjamin H (b.1892) and a daughter, Hilda (b. 1894). In about 1901 it appears the firm established a branch in Woodbridge, Suffolk, which was run by William G Norman. The photograph of the Framlingham shop taken in about 1906 shows Benjamin Norman on the right, William on the left, and Benjamin H Norman in the middle aged about 14. Benjamin, the grandfather, probably retired in about 1914 and William took over the business. By 1916 it was known as ?
In about 1917 the branch in Woodbridge was recorded at 10 Church Street, by them the firm was known as Norman & Sons. The Woodbridge shop closed at some time between 1940 and 1955. By the 1970s the firm had moved from Framlingham to Haughley, and it specialised in restoring guns; it appears to have closed in about 1975.
Other Info
We are indebted to Stu Nestling, great great grandson of Benjamin Norman, and his mother for confirmation of the above and for the shop and invoice images. As Norman & Sons, the firm sold cartridges under the names "Gastight", "Service", "Special" and "Standard" (post 1922).
Tim
