Here is what IGC has:
Name John Pryse & Co
Other Names Charles Pryse & Co
Address1 9 Great Castle Street
Address2 5 Great Titchfield Street
Address3 285 Oxford Street
City/Town London
County
State/Region/Province
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gunmakers
Other Address
Dates 1874-1888
Notes
John Pryse was the son of John Pryse, a brewer who was probably the brother of Charles Pryse of 12 St Mary's Row, Birmingham.
John Jnr was the brother of Thomas and Lewis Pryse all of whom probably worked for Charles at one time or another. John was recorded as a gun maker trading under the name of John Pryse & Co at 9 Great Castle Street, London, in 1874, and under the name of Charles Pryse & Co at the same address from 1874 to 1883. It would seem that Charles supported and eventually bought the firm. Charles Pryce & Co moved to 5 Great Titchfield Street in 1884 and 285 Oxford Street in 1886. They closed in 1888. See Charles Pryse.
Name Charles Pryse
Other Names Charles Pryse & Co; Pryse & Redman; Charles Pryse & Co
Address1 12 St Mary's Row
Address2 84 Aston Street
City/Town Birmingham
County
State/Region/Province
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun & pistol maker
Other Address 24 Potter Street
Dates 1838-1873
Notes
Charles Pryse (b.1815 in Birmingham) was the son of John Pryse (b.1789 in Cardigan, Wales), a brewer. He established his business as a gun and pistol maker at 12 St Mary's Row in 1838, the firm was re-named Charles Pryse & Co in 1840. The 1841 census does not seem to record Charles but it does record the rest of the family living in Woodcock Street, Aston. John's wife was Sarah (b.1791 in Birmingham) and their other children were Jane (b.1821), Thomas (b.1826), John (b.1827), Lewis (b.1830) and Ann (b.1837). In 1842, when he was only 18 years old, Richard Redman became a partner in Pryse & Redman and the firm moved to 84 Aston Road. Richard Redman was born in 1824 in Limehouse, London. In 1850 he was recorded living as a lodger with the Robinson family in Hunters Lane, Aston Manor, in the 1851 census he was recorded at the same address and described himself as a 27 year old gun manufacturer. The 1851 census records a Thomas Pryse living at 9 Fisher Street as a gun stocker and employing 5 apprentices. He was married to Sarah (b.1825 in Birmingham) and they had two daughters, Ann (b.1845) and Eliza (b.1847).
On 4 November 1852 Pryse and Redman patented a breech loading rifle action (No. 635) which was designed to protect the user from blowback. From 1858 the firm was licensed to make revolvers under William Harding's patents Nos. 669 and 1155 (1159?) of 1858, these carried a P suffix to their serial numbers. On 6 September 1855 Charles Pryse and Paul Cashmore registered patent No. 2018 for a double action percussion revolver with half-cock and a linked ramrod and a double acting safety bolt. Their design appealed to George Daw of 57 Threadneedle Street, London, he stocked and promoted it and it became known as the "Daw" revolver. The 1861 census records Charles living at Claremont Apertments, Coventry Road, Yardley, Birmingham with his wife Emma Amelia (B.1828 in London daughter of Robert Neck formerly Vanneck a solicitor) who he had married in 1859. Her mother Amelia (a widow (b.1803 in London) and her sister Fanny (b.1843) were staying with them on the night of the census. Charles described himself as a gun manufacturer. The 1861 census records Richard Redman living in Lichfield Road, Birmingham, with his wife, Mary Murray Redman (b.1830 in Welshpool) and their children, George and Richard: Richard described himself as a gun and pistol manufacturer and contractor to the Hon. War Department, and a wholesale jeweller.
The 1861 census records Lewis Pryse as a 30 year old gun maker in Ashtead Row. It seems that Thomas, John and Lewis all worked at some time either directly or indirectly for Charles. On 20 March 1863 Charles Pryse and David Kirkwood patented a forward hinged breech loading mechanism (No. 750). On 12 May 1866 Charles Pryse and Richard Redman patented extractors for breech loading actions (No. 1367), this patent was used by Holland & Holland, amongst others. In 1867 Pryse and Redmond registered a design for a loaded indicator for centre-fire guns (No. 4864). Also in 1867, an employee at Pryse & Redman, James Scott, was caught stealing from the firm; he shot John Pryse (Charles's brother recorded in the 1851 census as a carpenter) dead and wounded Charles Pryse. Scott was sentenced to death but the sentence was later commuted to 20 years imprisonment.
In the 1871 census Charles and Emma were recorded living at Green Bank, Hall Green, Yardley, Worcestershire. Three children were recorded, Charles Henry Redman Pryse (b.1863 in Yardley, Henry Louis Vanneck Pryse (b.1865) and Annie Gwynneth Pryse (b.1868). The name Charles Henry Redman Pryse almost certainly indicates that Charles Pryse married Richard Redman's sister in the mid 1830s but that she died before 1838. The 1871 census records Richard Redman as a gun manufacturer living with his family at Lords Wood House, Lords Wood Road, Harborne. In 1873 the partnership between Charles and Richard ended and both became partners (with others) in Abingdon Works. Charles Pryse continued in business at 84 Aston Road under the name Charles Pryse & Co, and Richard Redman opened his own business at 170 New Edmund Street where, although he continued as a gun maker, the wholesale jewellery side of his business appears to have prospered. John Pryse, son of the John Pryse who had been shot, moved to London and opened a showroom at 9 Great Castle Street under the name of John Pryse & Co. On 15 November 1876 Charles patented a locking mechanism for a revolver (No. 4421) the general design of which became known as the Pryse centre-fire revolver. Although known mainly for their revolvers, the firm made all kinds of sporting and military weapons. The 1881 census records Charles, aged 67 and described as a gun manufacturer, and Emma living at Church Road, Kings Norton, with Henry (who later became a solicitor in Leamington) and Annie. The family employed a cook, housemaid, and coachman / gardener and another servant. Although Charles described himself as a gun manufacturer the business seems to have scaled down probably due to a lack of military orders. Also, Charles Henry Redman Pryse seems to have been in line to take over the firm but he had died in July 1873.
The 1881 census records Richard Redman simply as a manufacturer. He was living at Lords Wood House, Lords Wood Road. The family employed 4 servants. On 9 August 1883, Charles (II) Pryse and Thomas (II) Horsley of York patented an open cocking hammerless action patent No. 3874) similar to the Beesley patent but differing in that the rear lever of two rocking levers under the barrel flats depresses the top limb of the mainspring. Not many guns were made using this patent. On 9 February 1884 Charles (II?) together with Edwin James Cashmore registered patent No. 3002 for an under-lever cocking action and a safety sear. In about 1886 the firm took additional premises at 24 Potter Street, and in about 1888 Charles (I) appears to have retired or died. Some reports suggest that the business was taken over by Thomas and Lewis Pryse but it was probably John who took it over. Thomas and Lewis opened as partners at 80 Bath Street in about 1889 but closed in about 1890. Lewis Pryse, presumably the same person, was recorded as a gun maker from 1890 to 1893 at 5 Hills Place, Oxford Street, London. Thomas Pryse was recorded at 7 1/2 Bath Street from about 1897 to 1904, latterly as a gun finisher.
John Pryse Jnr was recorded as a gun maker trading under the name of John Pryse & Co at 9 Great Castle Street, London, in 1874, but the business was obviously not very successful because from 1874 to 1883 he traded as Charles Pryse & Co at the same address. In 1884 and 1885 the business traded at 5 Great Titchfield Street, and from 1886 to 1888 it traded at 285 Oxford Street.
Tim
