Name Thomas Boss
Other Names Boss & Co; E F P Boss & Co; Thomas Boss Ltd
Address1 3 Bridge Road, Lambeth
Address2 33 Edgeware Road
Address3 1 Lower Grosvenor Street
Address4 14 Clifford Street
Address5 76 St James's Street
Address6 73 St James's Street
Address7 13 Dover Street
City/Town London
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun maker
Other Address 41 Albemarle Street; 13-14 Cork Street; 13 Dover Street; 16 Mount Street.
Dates 1816?-date
Notes
Thomas Boss (b.1790 in St Ann's parish, Blackfriars, London) was the son of William Boss (William (II) b.1758 in Narborough, Leicestershire) and Catherine (nee Seymour), and William (II) was the son of William Boss (I) (b.1722 in Woodthorpe, Leicestershire) and Parnell (nee Newberry).
William (I) may have been a gun maker. William (II) was apprenticed in 1773 to Thomas Ketland, the famous military and sporting gun maker of Birmingham. At some time in 1780 or shortly afterwards William (II) moved to London to work for Joseph Manton. In 1784 he married Catherine Seymour and they lived in Cumberland Street, Shoreditch, which was where, in 1787, their first son, William (William (III)), was born. Two more sons were born in St Ann's parish, Blackfriars, Fisher Boss (b.1788) and Thomas Boss. William (III) was apprenticed to his father in 1801, he went on to establish his own business as a gun maker, he was recorded between 1814 and 1817 trading as a gun maker at 9 Crown Street, Westminster, London (see William Boss). Fisher Boss also became a gun maker, he inherited some of his father's gun making tools, but he does not appear to have been recorded trading as a gun maker under his own name, although he is known to have made one gun which bore his name.
William (II) and Catherine had two more sons and four daughters, all were born at White Hart Place, Kennington, where the family lived.
In 1804 Thomas was apprenticed to his father at Mantons, but when his father died aged 51 in 1809 Joseph Manton took him on for the remainder of his apprenticeship. When Thomas finished his apprenticeship in 1811 he reportedly worked for Manton as a journeyman but his gun case labels from about 1920 claimed an establishment date of 1812, and this date is likely to be correct so he probably worked as a journeyman for about one year and then became an outworker. Many gun makers were also truss makers, because of their knowledge of making springs, and in his early days Thomas was both a truss maker and gun maker. There are reports that he set up as a gun and truss maker in 1816, or prior to 1814, near Leicester Square, but these are likely to be inaccurate. In any event, he was not recorded in business until 1817 when his address was 3 Bridge Road, Lambeth. In this period he seems to have been an outworker for the London trade and did work for James Purdey, Charles Moore, W A Beckwith and Charles Lancaster. The period around 1818 was bad for makers of high quality flintlocks because flintlock sales collapsed due to the invention of the copper cap and percussion ignition. Only flintlocks made by the best makers performed reliably, but percussion guns were much more reliable and almost any gun maker could make a good percussion gun. Lambeth was not a prime retail area so in 1827 Thomas rented premises, as near as he could afford to the fashionable West End of London, at 33 Edgeware Road. Although he continued as an outworker he also traded as a gun and pistol repository, buying from and selling guns direct to the public. He advertised "Self-acting Safety Guns" and "Attendance upon Gentlemen at their own houses, from 8 till 12 in the forenoon, and at his residence from that hour until 8 in the evening" (Bell's Life in London 3 June 1832). It is interesting that James Purdey and Thomas Boss worked for Joseph Manton at the same time, and that James Purdey was able to establish a successful manufacturing and retail business in 1816 but Thomas, due partly to the introduction of percussion ignition, had to work longer as an outworker before he could set himself up as a "Best" gun maker. It is also worth noting that both Boss and Purdey were primarily makers of sporting shotguns, whereas Charles Lancaster (established as a gun maker 1826) and later Holland & Holland (established 1835) were to build their reputations on making sporting rifles. James Purdey made only a few rifles and very few pistols, Thomas Boss made less of both.
Between 1833 and 1839 Thomas moved the business five times. In 1833 he moved to a property known as both 1 Grosvenor Street and 3 Lower Grosvenor Street; in 1835 he moved to 14 Clifford Street, and then in 1837 to 76 St James's Street. At this time Thomas described himself as a patent gun maker although the patents to which he referred were the patents of other gun makers, he never registered any patents himself. In 1837 Thomas married Amy Fields (known as Emma) who was born in 1795 in Louth, Lincolnshire, she was the daughter of a baker. They had no children, which was part of the reason why so many relatives were later employed in the business. In 1838 Thomas' nephew, Edward Fields Paddison (b.1825 in Louth), started his apprenticeship with Thomas. In 1839 the firm moved to 73 St James's Street. The 1841 census records Thomas and Amy living at 73 St James's Street with Edward Paddison, aged 13 years. Thomas described himself as a gun maker and Edward as an apprentice. In 1849 there was an epidemic of Cholera in London. Thomas caught it but survived.
The 1851 census records Thomas, Amy and Edward at 73 St James's Street, Thomas described himself as a gun maker employing 10 men and Edward as a journeyman gun maker. The firm made about 70 guns per annum. The 1851 census records Thomas' elder brother, William (William (III)) living Charterhouse Square, Finsbury. Charterhouse Square was surrounded by terraced houses and these comprised a hospital, poor house, school and accommodation for elderly gentlemen who appear to have been “founders” of the organisation (the school was later re-established in Godalming, Surrey, where it became the famous public school it is today). Evidently, William (II) did not work for Thomas. In 1856 Edward Paddison's brother, James Joseph (b.1842 in Louth) joined the firm as an apprentice. Other relatives later employed by Thomas were George Fatt (cousin), William Mears (husband of Ann Paddison), William John Mears and Joseph Chapman Mears (both sons of William). One very important employee who was not a relative was Stephen Grant, who almost certainly occupied the position of foreman. In common with all other London gun makers, the firm bought most of the parts for their guns from specialist makers. Their lock suppliers were John Stanton and Joseph Brazier (also barrels). Their barrel suppliers were Hutchison, Amos Elvins, Henry Squires, Thomas Parkin, John Portlock (and actions), Christopher Aston, and Thomas Smith. Outworkers used by Thomas were Atkins (actioner), William Byrne (finisher), Edwin (actioner), Finucane (finisher), Henry Glazier (stocker), Groves (finisher), Edwin Charles Hodges (actioner), Holliman (stocker), McEvoy (finisher), John Sumner (engraver), Whitehouse (stocker), and Edwin Wilkes (finisher). At this time, the firm used the Red House Shooting Ground at Battersea for testing and regulating their guns. Thomas Boss died on 17 August 1857, aged 67. Apart from a few monetary bequests his widow, Emma, then aged 62, inherited everything. She made Stephen Grant the managing partner.
In the 1861 census Emma was recorded as Amy Chapman Boss. She was living at 73 St James's Street with James Joseph Paddison (nephew b.1842 in Louth) and George Fatt (nephew b.1842 in St Pancras, Middlesex). Emma described herself as a partner in gun making firm employing 10 men, The boys were described as journeyman gun makers. On 15 June 1861 Stephen Grant, giving Boss & Co's name and address on the application, patented a drop-down barrel breech loader with underlever and double bite rotary bolt (patent No 1538). In this underlever design there was a rigid fore-end at the end of which the barrels pivoted. Only about six guns were made to the design. In 1862 the firm was appointed gun maker to the Prince of Wales, and their name changed to Boss & Co. In the 1860s gun production rose to about 95 guns per annum. Most of these, over 700, were pin-fire, the firm made no center-fire guns prior to 1866. In 1866, when Emma Boss was 71 years old, the partnership with Stephen Grant ended. Stephen Grant left to establish his own business a short distance away at 67a St James's Street. Emma Boss would not have been pleased to see him go or establish his own business so near to her own. The management of the firm fell upon Edward Paddison. The 1871 census records Edward as married (in 1870) to Martha Jane (nee Bowen b.1822 in Kensington). They lived at 63 Stamford Street, Lambeth. Martha had been married before and had a daughter, Angelina (b.1851 in Peckham), who lived with them. Edward was described as a gun maker, Martha was described as a mantle (cape) maker. and his brother James. The 1871 census also records James Joseph Paddison as a gun maker (screwer) living with his family at 22 Denbigh Street, Westminster. He was married to Ellen (b.1847 in Rye, Sussex) and they had a 1 year old daughter, Amy F (b.1870 in Camberwell). In 1871 Stephen Grant advertised in "The Field": "Stephen Grant, 67A St James's Street, SW (corner of St James's Place) late Managing Partner in the firm of Boss & Co, Breech and Muzzle-Loading Gun and Rifle Manufacturers, begs to inform the nobility and gentry that the partnership is dissolved and his business is now carried on as above.". Emma Boss replied with the following advertisement: "BOSS & CO., GUN AND RIFLE MANUFACTURERS Boss & Co beg respectfully to inform their numerous patrons and the nobility and gentry generally, that their business is carried on at their old established shop, 73 St James's Street (next door to The Conservative Club) and that they have no connection whatever with any other house. N.B. Several good second-hand guns and rifles for sale by celebrated makers.".
In July 1872 Emma died, leaving the business equally between Edward and James. They formed a partnership but unfortunately James died in December 1873 and Edward became sole owner of the business. He changed the name of the firm to E F P Boss & Co. Edward liked to be called Mr Boss, and signed his letters E F P Boss, but it seems that no guns were ever engraved E F P Boss & Co although the firm's letterheads, trade cards, and advertisements all carried the name, as did the shopfront. Like Thomas Boss, Edward described himself as a "Patent Gun Manufacturer" but he registered no patents himself. By the time of the 1881 census Edward and Martha were living at 177 Hampstead Road, St Pancras, with them on the night of the census was their grand-daughter Lilian Loughton (b.1874 in St Pancras) and a boarder, Ann Scott, a mantle maker. Martha died in August 1884. In 1886 Edward, aged 60, married a widow named Emelia Allen, Emelia was aged 44 and had a son. In Edward Paddison's hands the guns made by the firm remained very much the same as before. He was not in favour of snap actions or the top lever, The top lever was a step too far from the Jones under-lever, or "lever over guard" as he and some other traditional gun makers called it, and when he did change he, like Stephen Grant, had a preference for side-levers. Hammerless guns became more popular and Edward didn't object to these, but he favoured back action locks long after other gun makers dropped them, on the grounds that they were stronger. The one invention that he adopted very quickly was Whitworth Fluid Steel barrels, because they were stronger and lighter and more easily bored and rifled. On the other hand, he insisted, despite the introduction of nitro powders, that a 12 bore shotgun needed 30 inch barrels and nothing less would do. The 1880s saw a fall in the number of guns produced to about 50. This would have caused a reduction in the cash flow of the business and a fall in profits. Undoubtedly, the main reason for this was that Edward's customers wanted their new guns to have all the latest improvements and mechanisms. This was, after all, a time of great change and innovation, but in talking to his customers Edward's traditional and fixed ideas put them off buying Boss guns. From the mid 1880s Edward was not in good health and sought a partner to help him run the business. In 1890 John Robertson (John (I)), the outworker Boss & Co used more than any other, was offered a partnership. It is possible that Edward Paddison owed him for work done and could not pay. On 1 January 1891 John (I) bought a half share in the business. He paid £432 which appears to have been much lower than the real value of a half share in the business, but may have taken account of John (I)'s outstanding invoices.
In April 1891 Edward's wife, Emelia, died. In the 1891 census Edward was recorded living at 19 Portland Terrace, Paddington with a housekeeper, housemaid and general servant. He died in September of that year leaving his share of the business to a relative, Walter Fields Paddison (b.1858 in Great Malvern, Worcestershire) of 13 Belgrave Terrace, Wandsworth. Walter was a coach builder from Great Malvern who moved to London in about 1891 (see below). From 1 January 1891 John Robertson's three sons John (II), Sam and Bob continued the trade outworking side of the Robertson business at 4 Dansey Yard whilst John (I) devoted almost all of his time to the management of Boss & Co. At some time in late 1891 or early 1892 he changed the name of the firm back to Boss & Co. As mentioned above, Boss guns were old fashioned, and John (I) sought to restore the fortunes of the firm and develop a distinctive style for the guns it made. There was no immediate big change to the guns, for some time they had been based on the John (I) and Henry Holland patent No. 23, but were lever cocked on the fall of the barrels. They had John (I)'s own design of intercepting sear and his ejectors in fact, the guns of the early and mid-1890s were engraved "Boss Patent Ejector" and were sold as the "Desideratum Ejector". However, John (I) had in mind a slimmer and sleeker hammerless sidelock than most of the top gun makers produced, and for these new guns he had the locks made for him by Chilton. In the mid 1890s a rounded body version was introduced on which the locks and the action were curved, and the stock had no drop points. John (I) also wanted his own distinctive engraving, this was developed over a period of years in co-operation with the Sumners. Like Purdey engraving, it pictured roses and scrolls, but it had five small bouquets rather than three large ones. In May 1891 John (I)'s son, Sam Robertson, had married Annie. They had three sons but only the second son, Alec (b.1894) joined the business. On 27 February 1892 Walter Fields Paddison registered patent No. 3809 for a try gun. In the patent application he described himself as a gun maker and gave Malvern as his home address. It seems likely that Walter Paddison tried as best he could to contribute to the Boss business, but that John (I) assisted him in the design of the try gun. Walter and his family were recorded in the 1901 census living at 13 Belgrave Terrace, Wandsworth. Walter described himself as a coach trimmer (employed).
Walter’s try gun was hailed by John Robertson as the best on the market mainly because of the number of adjustments that could be made, and in particular because there was a pivot immediately behind the boxlock action for accurate adjustment of cast. Try guns were used to determine the correct stock measurements for individual customers. William Palmer Jones of Birmingham had registered the first successful design but Walter's try-gun was a substantial improvement. These guns were sold to Churchill and Atkin amongst others, but they and other try guns were not favoured by James Purdey, Westley Richards, W W Greener or Mr Watts at the London School of Shooting, because of their weight and balance, and the lack of consistency in the way most customers mounted their guns. On 3 November 1893 John (I) registered his first single trigger patent No. 20873. This was a two pull mechanism but was not a success due to the usual occasional double discharge. Another patent on 21 March 1894 (No. 5897) never got past the provisional stage for the same reason. On 31 December 1893 Walter sold his half share of the business to John (I) for £1500. John (I) could not finance this purchase out of his own funds so he took out a mortgage which took him until 1903 to pay off. On 26 November 1894 John (I) registered patent No. 22894 for what quickly became the famous Boss revolving turret non-selective single trigger, described in the order books of the firm as the "thistle" trigger, probably because of its general shape and John (I)'s Scottish ancestry. A trial was organised in December 1894 at the London School of Shooting (re-named London Sporting Park in 1897) at Old Oak Common, Willesden, to demonstrate the safety, reliability and effectiveness of the trigger. The Press and others were invited, and they were enthusiastic about the invention. Over the next 18 months the subject of single triggers was much discussed but some members of the public were still sceptical, so in June 1896 another trial took place at the London School of Shooting where, amongst other things, the single trigger proved to be 100% reliable but a double trigger gun with very light (one pound) pulls double discharged. Boss's claim that their single trigger was "Absolutely the safest Guns Made" was justified. On 28 September 1895 John (I) and William Adams registered patent No. 18135 for a safety mechanism which locked the sears, this was improved by a further patent in 1905.
In the late 1890s Bob Robertson moved from the workshops, which employed about 36 gun makers, to act as his father's assistant at 73 St James's Street. Boss & Co employed about 10 gun makers in the shop at this time, gun production had risen to about 70 guns per annum. On 4 February 1897 John (I) and William Adams registered patent No. 2988 for the famous Boss ejector which is still in use today. Most ejectors use simple leverage to extract unfired cases a short distance out of the chamber, but in the Boss ejector the ejector spring moves the extractor and the unfired cases are moved further out of the gun. After firing, the extractors remain held back until the gun is open and the cartridge cases can be ejected. A by-product of the design is that when the gun is unfired, the extractors acting against the action face make the gun an "assisted opener", but this is not the same as a "self-opener". This feature is of very little benefit and was not mentioned in sales literature. On 13 May 1898 John (I) registered patent No. 10949 for a selective version of his Thistle single trigger. This had a slide on the right lockplate which when pushed forward fired the right barrel first and when pushed back fired the left barrel first. In 1898 the firm made two three barrelled single trigger sidelock ejector guns. Three barrelled guns were not popular and were never intended for volume production, they were probably made only to demonstrate the firm's skill at gun making. In 1899 John (I)'s workshops moved to larger premises at 1-2 Ham Yard, Great Windmill Street, where John Rigby also had workshops.
In the 1901 census the family were recorded living at 25 Uplands Road, Hornsey, London. John described himself as a sporting gun maker rather than simply a gun maker. On 5 January 1903 John (I) registered patent No. 241 for a supposed further improvement to his turret single trigger. This resolved the problem of failure of the spring in the turret, which left the gun unusable. The turret was mounted on ball bearings and the spring was replaced with inclined planes on the turret against which the trigger blade acted. The patent was complicated and not popular, so the idea was abandoned and the ordinary spring was replaced by a corrosion resistant spring made of gold and copper. Also in 1903, the firm opened the Regent Shooting Ground off the Finchley Road at Hampstead. Bob Robertson took responsibility for tuition and gun fitting. One of the instructors at the shooting school was P A Stockbridge, a former employee of London Sporting Park later to work at Lang's Metropolitan Shooting School. On 30 May 1905 John (I) registered patent No. 11278 for his last improvement to his single trigger, a safety device. This locked the turret until the trigger blade was fully raised. If a trigger was lightly pulled and the safety sear not fully engaged, the gun would fire accidentally. On 31 May 1905 John (I) registered two patents, patent No 1140 for angled trigger blades to ensure smooth trigger pulling, and patent No. 11400B which was for an improvement to patent No. 18135 for his safety sear mechanism.
In 1894 James Purdey had registered his first single trigger patent, invented by a Purdey employee named William Nobbs. Purdey claimed that his trigger was a three pull mechanism but the claim was disputed by John Robertson who claimed that the Nobb's design had originally been a delayed action mechanism but had been altered to a three pull mechanism. As such, it was a copy of his patent No. 22894 of 26 November 1894. John Robertson took Purdey to court in December 1906. It was decided that the Nobbs single trigger was a 2 pull mechanism but it did not achieve it's objective and was useless, the patent was therefore invalid. It was also decided that Robertson could not claim to have been the inventor of the first three pull trigger mechanism because William Baker had made them before Robertson. Consequently, Purdey had not infringed the Boss patent. Although neither side could claim to have won or lost the case, Purdey was awarded costs. In 1908 the lease on 73 St James's Street expired and the property was rebuilt. On 1 July 1908 Boss & Co moved a short distance away to 13 Dover Street, a much smaller property where they leased only the ground floor and basement. Almost all the gun making was transferred to the Robertson workshops at 1-2 Ham Yard, but some repairs and adjustments were done at the shop, cartridges were loaded in the basement, single triggers were assembled, and Jack Sumner engraved guns by the front window of the shop. Also in 1908, because of compulsory purchase of the land for housebuilding, the Regent Shooting Ground moved a short distance north to Shire Hall Lane, Hendon, opposite the Royal Oak, Finchley Road. On 10 February 1909 John (I) registered patent No. 3307 for his famous "vertical barrelled" or Over / Under gun and, on the same date, patent No. 3308 for his O/U ejector mechanism. The problem with O/U guns was the weight of the gun and the depth of the action. John(I) got around this by replacing the central front lump of a normal gun with studs on either side of the lower barrel which slotted into grooves in the inside of the action. The rear lump was likewise replaced by larger studs or lumps on both sides of the lower barrel. The barrels were bolted shut by bolts coming through the lower part of the action face and engaging in slots in the rear barrel lumps. The ejector mechanisms were fitted into the sides of the fore-end. The result was a light, slim and strong gun which was later also made in a lightweight version. These first Boss O/U guns were made so that the top barrel fired first. The reason given for this was that the top barrel is easier to re-load quickly than the lower barrel, but this ignores the fact that firing the top barrel first results in more perceived recoil and muzzle "flip". This is due to the top barrel being more off-set from the line of the stock than the lower barrel. Normal practice in modern times is for the bottom barrel to be fired first so that it the shooter can more easily, quickly and accurately move on to the second bird.
It is likely that much of the development of the Boss O/U was done by the factory manager at the time, Bob Henderson, and the story, probably apocryphal, was that he was annoyed that his contribution was not sufficiently acknowledged by John(I) and eventually, in 1918, he resigned to go to John Rigby & Sons. In 1926 he re-joined Boss & Co. In 1910 Alec Robertson, Sam's second son, joined the firm as an apprentice at the workshops in Ham Yard. At this time the firm employed 46 gun makers most engaged in trade work but also making about 100 guns per annum for Boss & Co. In 1913 the workshops moved to even larger premises at 6, 8 & 10 Lexington Street, Golden Square, Soho. In August 1914 war was declared and and gun orders almost ceased. Almost half the staff left to join the fight, others found work elsewhere. The firm obtained a series of contracts to make cocking pieces for Lee-Enfield rifles, and this kept them occupied for the duration of the war. On 20 August 1915 John Robertson registered patent No. 12298 for a bomb or grenade thrower. Grenades were in their infancy, and this catapult type thrower powered by rubber bands was designed for a cylindrical bomb or grenade with a hand lit fuse. It was probably never used.
In March 1917 John (I) died of appendicitis aged 77 years, he was cremated at Golders Green. The firm was left equally to his sons, John, Sam and Bob, but his daughter, Annie, was left several properties which had been bought over the years. John ran the shop and chequered guns, Sam ran the workshops and stocked fore-ends, and Bob ran the shooting ground at Hendon. here was always a demand at Boss & Co for inexpensive guns, both shotguns and "Rook and Rabbit" rifles, for young sons, keepers etc. In Edward Paddison's time customers were probably referred to other gun makers such as Holland & Holland. After John Robertson took over the demand was satisfied by selling guns, sidelocks and boxlocks, bearing the John Robertson name. Some of these guns were given Boss serial numbers and some were not. From about 1930 lower quality guns were sold bearing the John Robertson name and Boss & Co's address at 41 Albermarle Street. Most of these guns were made by John Harper and Webley & Scott, a few were made by Arthur Ilsley. In the early 1920s the firm had cash flow problems and was on the point of bankruptcy, but a gift of £1000 from a Mr A G Turner resolved the situation, perhaps he was a friend of the family. The demand for sporting guns in Europe was poor, so for the first time the firm made an effort to find export business and appointed Von Lengerke & Detmold of New York their USA agents. Bob visited the USA regularly every year for the next 20 years. The result was that gun production in the 1920s was a record for the firm, about 120 guns per annum. In 1929 John Robertson died aged 67. Under his will and the partnership agreement his daughter, May, who in 1915 had married John Cameron Rennie, an engineer and patent agent, inherited his share of the business.
In 1929 the Regent Shooting ground had to move because of the compulsory purchase of the land at Shire Hall Lane, Hendon, for building houses. The firm bought the freehold of 30 acres of land at Rowley Green, Barnet, and the shooting ground was re-established there (it eventually became the A1 Shooting Ground and exists to this day). In May 1930 the shop moved from 13 Dover Street to 41 Albemarle Street, formerly occupied by Harrison & Hussey. At this time the Great Depression was affecting sales in the gun trade generally, and the outlook was not good, so the firm became a limited company with Sam, Bob and May Rennie as directors. A few staff were laid off, and the remainder took a cut in wages, but the main cause of lower levels of production must have been a fall in trade work because although some years were poor, Boss & Co Ltd sales remained fairly high at about 80 guns per annum. Remarkably, servicing and repairs and cartridge sales were hardly affected. At some time in the early 1930s John Donald Rennie (Jack), May Rennie's son, joined the firm as an apprentice barrel maker. In the early 1930s Boss made a true self-opening gun which made use of the rocking motion of the cocking lever. As the barrels fell the rear end of this lever, assisted by a V spring, rose to cock the tumblers while the front end of the lever moved down to push the barrels further open. The guns were a little difficult to close and less than 60 were made from 1933 to 1937, a couple were made after the Second World War. The advantage of the design was not considered to be a significant improvement over the basic Boss assisted-opening design. At some time in the 1930s Bob Robertson was attending, as an instructor, a grouse shoot in Yorkshire at which King George VI was a guest. Bob reportedly asked the king if he had ever thought of buying a Boss gun, to which the response was "A Boss gun! A Boss gun! Bloody beautiful but too bloody expensive!". Only in 1862 did any member of the British Royal family ever buy a Boss gun, this was the Prince of Wales, no other Royal appointments were given to the firm.
In May 1934 Sam Robertson died aged 70 years. For some reason, he left his shares in the company to his eldest and youngest sons, Jack and Tom, neither of whom had any interest in the business. His second son, Alec, who was employed by the company, replaced him on the board and 11 years later in 1945 took over these shares. Perhaps his father wanted to treat all his sons fairly, and considered that as Alec was employed by the firm he had already received his inheritance. In 1939 the lease on the workshops in Lexington Street terminated and new premises were found at 34 Osnaburg Street. During the Second World War the company sold a small number of sporting guns, put together by Bob Henderson, but most of their efforts were concerned with the production of parts for Enfield rifles, the assembly of machine guns and the reconditioning of P14 service rifles. For this work almost all the pre-war staff were retained. Other work included anodising, blacking and applying corrosion resistant surfaces to aeroplane parts. For this purpose additional workshops were taken at 143 1/2 Euston Road and, because the work was not skilled, a dozen or so women were employed. The post war situation with high taxation and inflation meant that the old days of gun making were gone for good. Gun production dropped to about 20 guns per annum. In 1951 Bob Robertson died aged 77 Years. His two daughters inherited his shares and his friend, and the company's accountant, Francis Harman, became a director in his place. Jack Rennie was also appointed a director. At this time Alec Robertson was chairman and managing director of the company.
In 1953 the lease on the workshops at 34 Osnaburgh Street terminated and new premises were found at Horse Shoe Alley, Southwark. In 1954 Alec Robertson died aged 60 years. Arthur Sanderson, the shop manager, was appointed a director in his place. In November 1956 John Gilbert Robertson was appointed a director. He was a sales manager for a chemical firm, but he at least provided continuity of the Robertson family in the business. In 1960 the lease on the shop at 41 Albemarle Street ended and the shop moved to 13-14 Cork Street. In 1965 Francis Harman died and in his place Fred Oliver was elected to the board of directors. Fred had been originally employed by the firm in 1922 to load cartridges. At about this time the company decided to cease production of their O/U gun. Many of the craftsmen had retired and, with only about 8 gun makers, the company no longer had sufficient skilled staff to make them.
In 1973 Arthur Sanderson resigned. Alastair Rennie, May Rennie's grandson, became a director but shortly afterwards emigrated to Australia. In 1981 a friend of the Robertson family, Tony Lokatis, became a director. In 1973 the workshops moved to 8 Holyrood Street in Southwark. In 1982 the lease on the Cork Street shop terminated, but coincidentally the lease on the 13 Dover Street shop that the business had occupied from 1908 to 1930 became available. The company moved there on 26 March 1982. At about this time the company employed only about 8 gun makers and produced only half a dozen guns per annum. In 1990 Tim Robertson, son of John Gilbert Robertson and great nephew of Alec Robertson, took up the mantle of managing director of the company and tried to revive it. Boss & Co's main competitors were Holland & Holland Ltd and James Purdey & Sons Ltd. Holland & Holland had been taken over in 1989 by the owners of Chanel perfumes who invested in new machinery and diversified into clothing and accessories; Purdey were taken over in 1994 by the Vendome Group (luxury brand names such as Cartier, Dunhill, Baume & Mercier, Montblanc, Chloe and Karl Lagerfeld) and similarly diversified. Boss & Co needed capital and diversification to survive, neither of which could the shareholders provide. In 1999 Boss & Co was sold to a property company, North West Estates Ltd, in the person of Ken Fincken. He appointed Andrew Cowan as managing director. In 2000 Andrew moved the shop to larger premises at 16 Mount Street where they would also be nearer the Purdey and Holland & Holland shops. The workshops moved to the basement at 16 Mount Street but these were too small and had no natural light.
In 2002 Ken Fincken sold the company to Keith Halsey. Keith, who lived abroad, had interests in shooting and was a shareholder in Heckler & Koch (formerly owned by British Aerospace). Keith appointed his UK resident brother, Graham Halsey, to the position of managing director. In July 2003 Garry Clark (formerly with Benjamin Wild, also the Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House, Parker-Hale Ltd, and his own firm in Birmingham) agreed to become factory manager for the company. In 2004 a new factory was opened at Kew Green, Chiswick, London, where the number of gun making staff rose to 10. Guns, mainly O/U rather than side by side, are currently being made there. No CNC machinery is used, the various parts being made elsewhere but assembled and finished by Boss & Co. Internet Gun Club has some details of serial numbers which we have not published. Please send details of your gun and its serial number by email to archives@internetgunclub.com and we will reply with what information we have. Members with a particular interest in Boss guns will find considerably more detail in Donald Dallas's book, "Boss & Co, Best Gunmakers".
Other Info
Most Boss guns were engraved by four generations of the Sumner family, who also worked for many other London gun makers. John Sumner (I) (b.1806) established the business in about 1837, working from 10 Queen Street (re-named Bateman Street in 1887). He probably engraved Boss guns until about 1880 (no date of death known).
John Thomas Sumner (II) (b.1835) his son, probably engraved guns from about 1849 to 1887 when he died.
John James Sumner (III) (b.1859), the grandson of the founder, probably engraved guns from 1880 to 1909 when he died aged 49. It was he who together with John Roberson designed the standard Boss "House" engraving used from 1891.
John (Jack) George Sumner (IV)(b.1886), the great grandson, probably engraved guns from 1897. He enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1915 and when he left the army in 1920 joined Boss & Co and worked for them until 1939. He died in 1959.
From 1939 the firm used a number of engravers.
The firm sold Eley shotgun cartridges under the names "Deep Brass" (post 1922), "Pegamoid", "High Velocity" (post 1927) and "Special", other cartridges were sold under the firm's name (these were catalogued and branded in various colours such as Green, Orange, Brown and Blue).
Just saying!
Tim
CZ is actually short for "Ceska Zbrojovka" a.s. Uhersky Brod, (CZUB) of the Czech Republic.
Ceska Zbrojovka is pronounced "Chess-ka So-Brrav-Ka" the "R's" should be rolled.
CZ manufactures the CZ-75B semi auto pistol which is used by more police and military than any other pistol in the world. It's their biggest mover because of the quality and reliability. They manufacture over and under shotguns also; however, they also import other models under contract with Huglu of Turkey.
Česká Zbrojovka a.s., Uherský Brod, (CZUB), is a firearms manufacturer established in 1936 in the small Moravian town in the Czech Republic. After World War II all the firearms manufacturers were managed by a single central agency which required that "Any firearm exported will bear the BRNO markings". This is why there are a great deal of CZ Uhersky Brod firearms with BRNO markings.
Throughout the Cold War, CZ manufactured a wide variety of military small arms including the CZ 52 pistol, the CZ 58 assault rifle, the vz. 61 Škorpion, various .22 caliber training and target rifles, and the CZ 75 family of pistols.
In 1991 the Czech weapons factories were "de-centralized" and began business as free market companies. CZUB was the first to move into the free world economy, establishing a small arms presence across the globe and dominating the market in over 60 countries.
In 1991 CZUB established a permanent presence in the United States with the founding of CZ-USA. CZUB and CZ-USA continue to expand and dominate the small arms market world wide, with military, police, defensive, sporting and recreational firearms of unparalleled design and quality.
The CZ factory employs some 2000+ highly trained engineers, craftsmen and business personnel, making it one of the largest firearms manufacturers in the world.
Barrels are forged chopper lumps with third upper bite (Purdey design) made of Poldi electro steel, silver brazed with solid concave rib 28.3” (720mm) in length choked modified and improved. Actual stamping on the bottom of barrels reads: 17.6 diameter on left and 17.8 on right, then both barrels have 18.35 diameter throats, obviously in millimeters. Czech required proof mark is stamped –95, which means gun was made in 1995. Production ceased in 1998. Chambers are 2. ¾” and fitted with selective ejectors (fired shell eject, unfired extract). Ejectors are operated by Anson & Deeley type splinter forend latch. Action is of true sidelock with etched game scenes finished in silver, complemented with cocking indicators and automatic safety on upper tang. Double triggers, oval cheekpiece, LOP 14.1/4”, Turkish walnut, recoil pad. In fact this model was the only gun, that Brno factory never made any profit on. Its production was staggeringly expensive and required a small group of craftsmen to hand fit all those machined pieces together. Interestingly, Brno Arms was the largest small arms production in the world in early 60s, having about 10000 employees. Yet, only a few hundred of SxS were produced yearly. They are history now, Brno production buildings are empty and turned into warehouses. For those who wonder what designation Brno ZP149 means, it goes like this: Brno – city and manufacturer place in Czech republic, Z – zbrojovka (weaponry/ armament), P – Pavlicek (name of designer), 149 – first introduced in 1949.
From another source:
A bit of the history of Ceska Zbrojovka and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka (and Ceska Zavody Motocyklove) for anyone interested.
Ceska Zbrojovka
The company we know as Ceska Zbrojovka was founded in 1919 in Pilsin, as the Jihoceska Zbrojovka (South Bohemian Arms Factory). It moved in 1921 to a new factory in Strakonice, and in 1922 it merged with the Hubertus Factory and changed its name to Ceska Zbrojovka (Bohemian Arms Factory). Its trademark is "CZ", where the "Z" is inside the loop of the "C" and the "C" is in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of handguns to the Czech military from 1926 to 1954 (and possibly beyond). Among the military pistols produced by Ceska Zbrojovka are the Vz-24, V-27, Vz-36/45, Vz-38, Vz-50 & Vz-70, and the Vz-52. (Note: "Vz" is the abbreviation for "Vzor", or "Model").
Ceska Zbrojovka was preparing to move from Strakonice to Uhersky Brod in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and seized the factory. During the Occupation, Ceska Zbrojovka was owned by (read "expropriated to”) the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was dedicated to the Third Reich. During WWII, Ceska Zbrojovka remained at in Strakonice and continued to make pistols for the Third Reich. Germany used a number of Czech Vz-24's, Vz-27's (as the "Pistole Modell 27") and Vz-38's (as the model "P.39(t)"). Pistols made during the Occupation can be found marked "Bohmische Waffenfabrik A. G. Prag". Ceska Zbrojovka also produced parts for the Walther P.38, and such parts will have the code "fnh" and the Waffenamt "WaA 76". Ceska Zbrojovka was considered for production of the P.38 during WWII, but whether they actually produced any complete pistols is a matter of dispute. This subject is clouded by the post-war (1946) production of some P.38’s by Ceska Zbrojovka using parts and salvaged pistols, and P.38’s marked “Vz-46” are known to exist.
In 1955 Ceska Zbrojovka finally moved to Uhersky Brod and the Strakonice factory was turned over to the Ceska Zavody Motocyklove to produce motorcycles. Today, Ceska Zbrojovka is still in operation and produces pistols such as the Vz-75, Vz-82, and Vz83 and sub-machineguns like the Vz-61 (Scorpion) and the Vz-83. It now also appears to produce sporting rifles, and has a net site at
http://www.czub.cz.Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was founded in 1918 in the city of Brno, acquired Mauser’s tooling to produce Model 98 rifles, and began production of M98 Mauser rifles. Its trademark was the letter "Z", inside a rifled bore. This trademark originally belonged to the Praga Zbrojovka whose assets were purchased by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka in 1926. As Ceska Zbrojovka had the "lock" on Czech military pistol contracts, so Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of long arms to the Czech military. Probably the most well known rifle produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka is the Vz-24. With Germany in general and Mauser in particular banned from producing military arms, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka moved into the void and became one of the major exporters of small arms during the inter-War years.
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was also occupied during WWII, and was expropriated to the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was also dedicated to the Third Reich. Rifles produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka for the Third Reich will be found with the manufacturer's codes “dot” (Brunn plant), “dou” (Bystrica plant), and “dov” (Vsetin plant). One often ignored fact is the British BREN light machinegun is a Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka design, and was produced by the Royal Arms factory in England under license from Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka.
Folks frequently confuse the trademarks of these companies - a situation not helped by the fact the country code for Czechoslovakia is also "CZ". The place name "Brno" is also frequently misused as a company identifier for Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, possibly because few non-Czech speakers want to attempt to pronounce "Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka". But be that as it may, the name "Brno" came into such common usage that it was utilized as a product name after the Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia. Speaking of which…
With the Communist take-over in the late 1940's both Ceska Zbrojovka and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka ceased to exist, at least as we think of them as companies. Rather they became State owned manufacturing facilities ("Narodni Podnik", or "National Enterprise"). At this point it becomes unclear the degree to which commercial firearm markings indicate what factory was involved in the production of the firearm. At some point the manufacturing facility in Brno was renamed to Zbrojovka Brno (Brno Arms). The manufacturing facility in Uhersky Brod became a member of the Zbrojovka Brno Narodni Podnik in 1965. At this point the firearms produced at Uhersky Brod were also marked (I won't say "used the trademark") “Brno".
I think it's important to note here that while these were still physically different manufacturing facilities, both were a part of the same National Enterprise. That's an important distinction since what we, in a capitalistic society, think of as "companies" and "trade marks" either do not exist or have different meanings in a Socialist State.
With the deterioration and eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union private enterprise again came to Czechoslovakia. The National Enterprise located at Uhersky Brod is once more "Ceska Zbrojovka", and appears to be well on the road to private ownership. It even has a new trademark; the outline of a pistol in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka has an Internet site at
http://www.czub.cz, and an office here in the States. The last address I have for their US office is:
CZ USA
Building B, Unit 119
1401 Fairfax Trafficway
Kansas City, KS 66115
800/955-4486
913/321-1811
913/321-2251 Fax
email: czusa@gvi.net
Following the Second World War, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka produced few arms - it began the manufacture of information and communications devices. In 1989, it was restructured and reorganized. The change reached a head in 1995 when it emerged as Zbrojovka Brno (a joint stock company) and resumed larger scale production of sporting rifles and shotguns. Which brings us to the second trademark of the reformed Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka - “ZB”.
As of 18 May 1995, Zbrojovka Brno/Brno Arms was still in operation and producing fine shotguns, rifles, pistols, and airguns. Individual shareholders held 50.43% of its stock, with the remainder of its capitalization provided by governmental entities. Reportedly, 40% of its production goes to 52 countries worldwide. Zbrojovka Brno uses “ZB”, the letter "Z" inside a rifled bore, “Brno Arms”, and “Arms Brno” among its trademarks. To the best of my knowledge, Zbrojovka Brno does not have a US office, but does have an internet site at
http://www.zbrojovka.com/auvod.htm
