Justin, as you most likely know, 'Made' in describing the output of an English gunmaker at the turn of the century covers a multitude of sins!
What I meant by the expression was that Beesley was reputed to have taken on the organisation of the manufacture of the Beesley patent guns for Lancaster. No doubt they were not made in their entirety, if at all, in his own workshop but farmed out throughout the London, and possible Birmingham, trade.
He would have been in charge of the patent use and quality control, where he was not actually hands-on, and would have answered to Thorn as his customer.
The concept that the British guntrade has ever produced the majority of their wares in-house is mistaken. Only very few 'makers ever had the capacity to do so and even they would farm work out at times of high demand or workforce issues. This is as true today as it ever was.
