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When did Wm Evans stop (or did he) using the �From Purdey�s� to sign his work? I ve seen guns marked with and without this. Thanks

Don�t know, but if it helps I have a matched set of box locks made in 1902 that have it engraved on them.

I was looking at a 1916 hammergun that had th� From Purdey on the locks and top rib

Odd that he never signed himself "from Holland and Holland" who he worked for after he left Purdey
This claiming was a sales gimmick as any one who had worked for the likes of Purdey even in the capacity of an shop assistant/sweeper , could claim to be late of that company .
Myself, I could claim to be " From WW Greener " or "late of W&C Scott", having worked for Webley and Scott .

Did Evans apprentice for Purdey? If so, perhaps what he was saying was he was a graduate of their program. Sorta like being a Harvard Lawyer is different than being a University of Iowa lawyer.

It has always been my assumption that he learned his trade at Purdeys, wherever he went from there.

According to Richard Beaumont�s book �Purdey�s The Guns and the Family� William Evans was not apprenticed at Purdey or employed by Purdey as a gunmaker ,it appears that he was only employed in the shop for a short time. This was restated in the Donald Dallas� book �Purdey The Definitive History�

Hmmm, so that begs the question, where did Evans learn to build guns? He certainly made some nice ones. I owned a hammer 16 of his that was probably from the 1870 or '80s. I'd still have it if fit me better.

He did not build guns but contracted with the trade to have guns built in his name, same business model as W.J. Jeffery used.

My understanding was that William Evans was a great salesman who , without the overheads associated with a workshop and retained workers, used the Birmingham trade predominantly Webley to source shotguns for clients.

True .