doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com INFO PLEASE ON HENRY CLARKE 28 GA

I recently acquired this nice little gun and can't find much about Henry Clarke or Henry Clarke and Sons.
Any help please.
Thank you!
Bob Jurewicz

Bob,
While you're waiting for a response from the more knowledgeable here, please give us a few more photos and specs on this dandy little piece. What an outstanding and rare little gun.
JR

Very nice. What does it weigh?

from Internet Gun Club


Name Edward Clarke
Other Names Louisa Clarke; Louisa Clarke & Son; Henry Clarke; H Clarke & Sons
Address1 Market Place
Address2 36 Gallowtree Gate
Address3 21 Hotel Street
Address4 20 Humberstone Gate
Address5 20 Humberstone Gate and 37 1/2 Gallowtree Gate
Address6 20 Humberstone Gate and 38 Gallowtree Gate (
Address7 38 Gallowtree Gate (Midland Gun Works) and 58 Gallowtree Gate
City/Town Leicester
County Leicestershire
State/Region/Province
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun maker
Other Address 38 Gallowtree Gate; 20 Halford Street.
Dates 1832-1955
Notes

Edward Clarke was born in 1810 in Leicester, Leicestershire. He established his business in 1832 at Market Place, Leicester, moving between 1842 and 1845 to 36 Gallowtree Gate.
In the 1851 census he was recorded as a gun maker in Gallowtree Gate living with his wife, Louisa (b.1816 in Hinckley, Leicestershire) and Mary Elizabeth (b.1841), Charles Edward (b.1843), John Barisbrigg (b.1845), Sophia (b.1847), Henry (b.1849) and Arthur (b.1850).

In about 1854 the business moved to 21 Hotel Street but Edward died in about 1860 and in the 1861 census Louisa was recorded as the owner of the business which she had moved to 20 Humberstone Gate. Mary Elizabeth was described in the census as her assistant, Charles was described as a gun maker, and John B was described as a cabinet maker.

In 1866 Charles and his sister, Sophia, moved to Andover, Hampshire, where they opened a gun shop in Winton Street. This moved to Winchester Street (no number given) in about 1870, and Charles and Sophia were recorded there in the 1871 census.

Charles does not appear to have run the Andover business very successfully. In about 1879 he married Mary (b.1859 in East Cholderton, Hampshire) and they moved to Birmingham where a daughter, Alice, was born in 1880. Arthur Clarke moved from Leicester to took over the Andover business from Charles, but only for as long as it took to sell it. In the 1881 census Edwin Chamberlain was recorded staying with Arthur, obviously negotiating the purchase. Arthur was recorded in the 1901 census as an upholsterer and cabinet maker in Haverhill, Suffolk.

By 1883 Charles and Mary had moved from Birmingham to establish another gun making business at 29a Lower Monk Street, Abergavenny, where they were recorded in the 1891 census. In about 1892 Charles moved to 12 Cross Street, he closed in about 1895.

In the 1860s the firm in Leicester were armourers to Prince Albert's Own Leicester Yeomanry Cavalry, and in the 1871 census Henry was recorded as a soldier at the New Military Barracks in Alverstoke, Hampshire.

In 1878 it seems Louisa retired or died and the firm was inherited by Henry and re-named after him.

The 1881 census records Henry as a 32 year old gun maker living at 20 Humberstone Gate with his wife, Margaret (b.1856) and their children Henry (b.1878), George (b.1879) and daughter Francis(b.1880). In 1881 Henry opened an additional shop at 37 1/2 Gallowtree Gate, and in about 1883 this second address was recorded as 38 Gallowtree Gate, the firm being given the alternative name of Midland Gun Works. In about 1886 the shop at 20 Humberstone Gate was closed.

In about 1895 the firm became Henry Clarke and Sons. By 1908 the Midland Gun Works occupied 58 Gallowtree Gate, but these premises appear to have closed in about 1910.

In about 1913 H Clarke & Sons took over the firm of Pollard & Co of 62 Broad Street, Worcester. This may have been one of Henry Clarke's sons opening his own business, it closed in about 1922.

The firm continued to trade in Leicester until 1939/42, it was recorded again as H Clarke & Sons (Gunsmiths) Ltd at 20 Halford Street in 1955.

Other Info
As H Clarke & Sons, the firm sold cartridges under the names "Express", "Keeper", "Midland" and "Alma".

Bob, you got a good one there. That's a Joseph Lang patent lever cocking gun. Never seen one in 28 before. Clarke probably bought the unfinished gun from Lang of London. I have a few old 12 bore Clarke of Leicester cartridges in my collection. Lagopus.....

What kind of action is that? Is it a sideplated boxlock? Or an action without visible pins?

Regards
Ken

Thanks all for the comments. Special BIG thanks to Daryl for all that info!
Gun weighs 4lbs 15 oz, has fine star Damascus barrels and is sideplated.
Bob Jurewicz

Bob, I have done a lot of research into Henry Clarke and would be happy to share. However I am away on leave this week so will revert presently.

Tim

Daryl, I have a Henry Clark Case Labelwhich shows both the 38 Gallowtree Gate, and 20 Humberstone Gate, address. It pictures an impressive double fronted shop with a side entrance to the Midland Gun Works.
Clarke also also states on the label;" Patronised by the Prince of Wales". Likely because the prince purchased cartridges to use at the shoots held in nearby Bradgate Park. The bags at these shoots ran into the thousands and attracted large crowds to see the prince shoot.

Yes Roy, that info about cartridges for the PoW came from research.

I have the notice of the firm closing down in 1963 as well as many examples of adverts, names of some of their workers and of gun numbers.

Tim