These historical information threads are fascinating. The Webley and Scott action thread's relevance to the gun trade in particular. The information on Wolverhampton being a major source of actions especially. Is it safe to say that Wolverhampton area was the major source of actions for both Birmingham as well as London?
It looks like this passage from the referenced link lends credence, as Wolverhampton was in the Black Country:
"A few branches of the gun trade, such as lock-making were undertaken in the Black Country. The location of barrel-making, which required some heavy machinery, was restricted by the need for water or steam power (only 9 of the 27 gun barrel makers in Pigot’s 1829 Directory had locations within the Gun Quarter.) Most branches, however, could be carried on in any small factory or workshop and their congregation in one particular part of Birmingham was a natural result of the need for close contact between material maker, manufacturer and setter-up. If materials had to be collected from or sent out to places beyond the Gun Quarter, additional costs would arise from the consequent expenditure of time and effort.”
I've essentially answered my own question regarding lock making with this passage:
"The reason for this concentration in such a small area is to be found in the organisation of the Gun Trade. At an early stage the need to speed up production led to division of labour and the trade soon separated into a number of branches, each specialising in one process. Perhaps the first activity to become clearly defined as a separate branch of the trade was the making of gun locks, which became concentrated in Wolverhampton and Willenhall during the 18th century. Barrel welding probably developed as a separate trade during the same period."
So, we have "Gun Makers" who orchestrated the process utilizing "Material Makers" and "Setters-Ups"..
Does anyone know the sources of the forgings? Did England have the equivalent of the Schilling forge that serviced the Suhl trade?
Regards
Ken
Last edited by Ken61; 01/01/15 04:02 PM.
