'Fraid this is what IGC have, nothing on serial numbers though:
Name John Ingram
Other Names Charles Ingram; Charles & James Ingram; Charles Ingram
Address1 13 Eglington Street
Address2 43 Jamaica Street
Address3 93 Union Street
Address4 100 Union Street
Address5 96 Union Street
Address6 100 Union Street
Address7 18b Renfield Street
City/Town Glasgow
State/Region/Province Scotland
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun & lock maker; rifle maker, barrel maker
Other Address 10 Waterloo Street, Glasgow; unknown address in Edinburgh.
Dates 1830-1946
Notes
John Ingram was an armourer Sergeant in the 2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons (the Scots Greys). He was born in England in 1786, and married Maria (nee Earl born in England in 1791). They had two sons, Charles (Charles (I)), who was born in Wiltshire, England in 1816, and James who was born in Ireland in 1821. A daughter, Mary, was born in Glasgow in 1827. Reportedly, John established his business at 13 Eglington Street, Glasgow in 1830, and died in 1835. However, in the 1841 census he was recorded as an "Sp deal". What this abbreviation means is not known, it is possible that it means "sporting goods dealer" (i.e. guns and fishing tackle). This might explain how Charles (I) came to be recorded as a gun maker (aged 25) at the family's address of 13 Eglington Street in 1835. It would appear that Charles (I) established his own separate gun making business at that address. At some time, probably in about 1837, Charles (I) married Agnes Wallace (a famous name in Scottish gunmaking which may provide a clue as to where Charles (I) served his apprenticeship). In 1836 Charles (I) moved to 43 Jamaica Street where he traded as a gun and lock maker. In the 1841 census his brother, James (then aged 20) was described as a lock maker. In 1841 James became a partner in the firm which moved to 93 Union Street.
James appears to have left the partnership or died in 1843, and in 1846 Charles (I) moved to 100 Union Street where he traded as the sole proprietor of the business. In 1847 he moved to 91 Union Street, and in 1848 he was at 96 Union Street. In 1852 he was back at 100 Union Street where he described himself as a gun maker and gun barrel rifler. Charles later claimed to be the inventor of "the ratchet system of rifleing". In 1855 he described himself as a gun maker and cast steel rifle barrel manufacturer. He claimed to be the first gunmaker to make steel barrels for sporting guns. In the 1861 census Charles (I) and Agnes were living at 98 Union Street with Charles' mother, Maria, and Maria Annan, Charles' niece. In 1869 Charles (I) described himself as a gunmaker and manufacturer of match rifles. He was a Sergeant in the Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifles and this was probably the main reason why he specialised in military target rifles. In 1870 the firm moved to 18b Renfield Street. In the 1871 census Charles (I) and Agnes were recorded living at 16 Hope Street with Charles' mother (now aged 86). Also recorded at 58 North Hanora Street was a gun maker named Charles Ingram (Charles (II)) who was born in England in 1840 (and his wife Hellen who was born in 1841 in Paisley). This would appear to have been Charles (I) and Agnes' son, previously unrecorded, and he would seem to been employed in the business. It was probably for a short time in the late 1870s that the firm had a shop in Edinburgh.
By the time of the 1881 census Charles' wife, Agnes, appears to have died, and Charles (II) may have died too. Charles (I) was recorded as a master gun maker employing 3 men, and living at 13 Montgomerie Street with his sister, Mary Annan (mentioned above), and her children Charles Annan (b.1857), James Annan (b.1862 a warehouseman), Agnes (b.1865), and George (b.1867 still at school). In 1885 Charles Ingram died and Charles Annan took over the business. Julius and George Coster worked for Charles Annan from 1898 (when Julius died is not known), George left the firm in 1920. When Charles Annan died, and who took over the business from him, is not known. In 1925 the firm moved to 10 Waterloo Street; they closed in 1946.
Other Info
The firm sold cartridges under the name "The Ingram".
I note Graham Mackinley & Co have four Ingram's for sale with date information, at
http://www.glasgowgunmakers.co.uk/gunroom/index.aspx?type=1263 If you contact them they could give you serial numbers for the guns to give you a better idea of dates and types.
Tim
