Ernie,
John Plumb Clabrough was an English maker. About 1862 he emigrated to San Francisco and worked as a gunsmith for Wilson & Evans and then, from 1864 to 1866, for Robert Liddle & Co.
In 1867 he opened his own business sharing a shop with a jeweller at 630 Montgomery Street, San Francisco.
In the 1876 JP Clabrough became ill. In 1877 gunsmith William Golcher, of St Paul, MN, was in England with his mother. He and Clabrough met and a deal followed. William Golcher was the son of gunsmith James Golcher of Philadelphia who had immigrated from Straffordshire where his family, under his brother Joseph, ran a gun lock making business.
Upon his return to the states, William, who had retired from his gun business, set out for San Francisco. Liking what he saw, he rebrokered the deal with Clabrough. William then set up his sons with running the San Francisco operation.
The last Golcher, Benned M Golcher, to run the business retired in 1949. Over the years, the business moved more heavily into fishing and general outfitting. In part the fishing was a natural move, as William had been a commissioner in MN and is credited with stocking several lakes with trout. One grandson became an award winning fly casting champion.
Clabrough was a business man from a family of gunsmiths. He made guns to meet the market. Some were low end, basic hunting guns. Some were much more. He never produced a "best" gun, but some are very handsome today.
The guns changed under the Golcher's. In part because the times and tech changed. We begin to find engraving more illustrative of American hunting. A broader array of options were offered. The Golcher's were much more in tune with their American competitors.
Ernie, if you can, please post images of your gun. There those here that may be able to help date it.
Pete
