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I would greatly appreciate any info someone might have on the Birmingham gun maker, John Neale.

Also, for those of you who are able to access the IGC website (to this day I still have not been able to create an account), could you please tell me if there is a photo of a trade label from this maker?

Thanks much.

Flintfan,
John Neale, gun rifle and pistol maker,3 Canal Street Court, Birmingham. 1861-2.In view of the short duration of listing for this maker it is very unlikely that a trade label exists, or in fact was ever published/printed.
One other gun maker named Neale is listed in Birmingham records, Edward 1855-1858 active in different locations. Highly likely that there was a family connection between Edward and John.

Thank you, that is very interesting information.

Sorry, I've been away so coming to this discussion late. In addition to the John Neale listed above by Roy, IGC lists another, who has a tie-in to Edward too:

John Neale was recorded as a gun finisher at Court, 3 Whittall Street, Birmingham in 1904 and 1905, Edward Neale was recorded at the same address from 1906 to 1911.

There was an earlier Edward recorded as a revolver maker at 22 1/2 Fisher Street in 1855 and 1856. In 1857 and 1858 he was recorded at Dean's Yard, Whittall Street.

I'm wondering if John & Edward of the 1850s were perhaps brothers and the John & Edward of the 1900s their descendants. It was not uncommon for the same first name to be repeated down the generations then.

Tim

Thank you for the additional information. I finally have my hands on the gun, which is a 12 bore pinfire. To confuse things, the top rib is engraved with a Bridge street address, which there doesn't seem to be any documentation for. My guess is that John had a very short working career (under his own name) and may have been at one or two address for a very brief time. If nothing else, it just adds to the intrigue of these old guns.