Information provided by the Internet Gun Club.
Thomas William Watson was reportedly married to Mary Louisa Tranter, one of the four daughters of William Tranter, the Birmingham gunmaker. If this is true, and it is doubtful, he probably married her (aged about 20?) in the late 1850s or early 1860s, and he would have been much older than she was (he appears to have retired in 1885).
Other reports state that Thomas Watson was married to one of Durs Egg's daughters. If this is true it would explain how, in 1875, he came to acquire the business of Durs Egg at 4 Pall Mall, London, after John Egg reportedly died in 1873.
Reportedly, his foreman at the time was John Masters, John Masters was recorded as being foreman for the firm of Durs Egg, but only until 1861.
When Thomas retired in 1885, his sons, Thomas and Arthur Henry Watson took over. The firm was re-named Watson Brothers. By this time the firm had been appointed Gunmakers to His Imperial Majesty The Sultan of Turkey. At some time they were also appointed gunmakers to the Shah of Persia.
The firm reportedly patented a pistol sight (the firm never claimed to be pistol makers!), and a single trigger with Thomas Bain (Patent No. 10986). Neither of these patents have been verified but one for a leaf rearsight incorporating a helical cam (No. 1272/1906) was patented by a C H Watson (a third brother or son of Thomas or Arthur?) and F W W Baker.
In 1894 Watson Brothers moved to Observatory House, 31 Cockspur Street, Charing Cross where they were recorded as being opticians as well as gun and rifle manufacturers, but in 1895 they moved to 29 Old Bond Street where they traded as gun and rifle manufacturers, and an "Agency for moors, Shootings, Fishings &c.".
In 1929 they moved to 13a Pall Mall.
Thomas died in 1933, and in 1935 Arthur retired. The firm, which had a reputation for small bore guns for ladies and boys, was bought by Stephen Grant & Joseph Lang Ltd. It moved to their premises at 7 Bury Street and only a few guns were made in the Watson name over the following years. The last of the Watsons, Arthur D Watson (grandson of the founder?), worked for Grant & Lang as Sales Director.
Ebeneezer Hands was stocker for the company, his signature was a teardrop on the comb of the stock.
In 1984 "Grant & Lang", by that time Churchill, Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd, was bought by Chubbs Ltd (Chubbs of Edgware Ltd, owned by Fred Buller). The Watson name was briefly active between 1984 and 1989 as Hellis Beesley & Watson, Gunmakers, 33 South Parade, Mollison Way, Edgeware, London. In 1989 the Watson Bros name was sold to Michael Louca (ex Purdey) who traded at 2-5 Old Bond Street and at 4 Waterworks Cottage, Addisham Road, Addisham, Canterbury, Kent. In 1991, as Watson Brothers Gunmakers Ltd, the firm moved to 39 Redcross Way, London Bridge, London. It is believed that the records of the firm are available.
