doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Clabrough & Johnstone information wanted

I just purchased a 12ga sidelock marked Clabrough & Johnstone Makers on one barrel, and London and Birmingham on the other. Any info on this company would be appreciated.

A picture or two of your gun and the proofmarks would help us get more accurate information on it.

I'd be glad to post a pic, but don't know how.

There may be other ways but I use photobucket as a host and download them from there onto your post here. It is easy. You can email them to me if you want and I can post them for you. PM me if you want me to do it.

PM sent.

Here are the pics of his gun.

Clabrough and Johnstone was established in 1894 at 7 1/2 St;Marys Row,Birmingham.It resulted from the merger of J.P.Clabrough&Bros; and J.V Johnstone a gunmaker,established in 1891 & previously located at 81 Bath Street.The C&J business continued at various locations in the Birmingham Gun Quarter until the mid 1930,s.
For the record;the Clabrough business was founded in 1868 as J.Clabrough,its origional location was 5,New Buildings Price Street.The Brothers was first added to the name in 1872
The Clabrough business was focused on exports to North America, with its home base in San Fransisco.The Merger with Johnstone was likely an indirect result of the death of J.P.Clabrough in 1894-5.
As point of interest,the San Fransico earth quake of 1906 resulted in the total destruction of Clabrough/Golcher inventory & business location.
Your C&J.sidelock is typical of the low end/cost sidelocks made by the Birmingham trade in 1920-30 era.

I have seen references to a merger or similar of Clabrough and Johnstone and Hollis Bentley and Playfair circa 1915. As I recall this connection continued until after the war, when each went his own way. If accurate, and I'm just guessing, it may have had something to do with war production.