doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Early E.J. Churchill info needed

Gents, Does anyone know how or where information on a 1910 era Churchill gun might be obtained. The current Churchill folks claim the early records were destroyed, and I can't locate Don Masters,author of the Churchill book,who I suspect may have them.Can anyone shed light on this topic?Thanks, Sandlapper

Did you look on Guntrader.uk?

No, I didn't,but I will. Thanks, Sandlapper

Hello sandlapper,
Sadly, Don Masters passed away some time ago.
He was a very polite and helpful gentleman.
Regards
mrwmartin

Try Internet Gun Club for information.
Or PM me with some details and I will have a search for you.

"The House of Churchill" by Don Masters, published by Safari Press, would be the logical place to look.

This is the considerable data that IGC has on the firm, which will be primer for you:



Given Names

First name/s: E J

Surname: Churchill


Location

First Address: 8 Agar Street, Strand

City/Town: London

Country: United Kingdom


Other Addresses:

39-42 Leicester Square

8 St Martin's Lane (re-named 32 Orange Street)

7 Bury Street, St James's

Crayford, Kent.


Trade: Gun makers

Dates: 1892-1981

Notes:

Edwin John Churchill was born in 1856 in Dorchester, Dorset. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Churchill (nee Cox) who were recorded in the 1861 census living in Pease Lane (later re-named Colliton Street), Dorchester. Their children were Edwin John, who by then was aged 5 years, another son named as W G (William G, aged 2 years, who became a print compositor), and a daughter named Emily (aged 1 year). John was described in the census as a journeyman brightsmith.

In 1870, when he was 14 years old, Edwin was apprenticed to William Jeffery (the son) of William Jeffery & Son of Dorchester. At the time, William the father (William (I)) was running the Plymouth shop and William the son (William II) was running the Dorchester shop. In about 1875 Charles Jeffery took over at Dorchester and the business was re-named Charles Jeffery. In the 1871 census William (II) was recorded aged 26 and living at the shop at 29 High East Street; Charles was recorded aged 23 living at the shop at 12 George Street, Plymouth.

Edwin Churchill, aged 15, was also recorded in the 1871 census (as a gun smith rather than as an apprentice; he was living at Lester Court, Pease Lane, Dorchester, with his father, John (now described as a blacksmith), his mother, Elizabeth, and his brothers and sisters.

In 1876 Edwin moved to London where, in 1877, went to work for F T Baker at 88 Fleet Street, he soon became the manager of the firm.

In the 1881 census Edwin was recorded living at 131 and 135 Kimberley Road, Peckham, with his wife Mary Jane (nee Wills b.1856 in Dorset), and their children, Henry (Harry) Edwin John (b.1879 d. 1902), and Kate (b.1880 d.1958) and Edwin's mother, Elizabeth who was described as a nurse.

In 1887 Frederick Thomas Baker died, and his son, Frederick Thomas Kerslake Baker, inherited the business. By this time, Edwin Churchill was an accomplished live pigeon shooter, well-known both nationally and internationally for his shooting skill and his ability as an instructor and gun fitter.

In 1892, at the age of 35, he established his own business at 8 Agar Street, Strand (this had been John Probin's address from 1844 to 1847). Edwin's reputation at competitive live pigeon shooting led to him attracting many of his friends and contacts to his shop. The shop occupied the ground floor of the building, the workshops were on the second floor, and the top floor was where the family lived. At this time Edwin is believed to have had a shooting ground near central London at Burnt Ash Farm, Lee, in Kent, but he soon moved it to Crown Estates land between Chapel Farm and Eltham station (from 1927 this was later re-named Mottingham station).

Like F T Baker and other small and medium sized London gun makers, Churchill used outworkers to produce gun parts and complete guns to his preferred designs. Barrel makers included J & P Wheeler, Kilby, Charles Field, and Dougall. Lock makers and action makers included Stanton, Perkes, Jesse Hill (and later his son Hadyn), Charles Hill (Jesse's brother who died about 1925), Stanley, J and T Southgate, Charles Osborne (some guns by this actioner were mistakenly engraved Churchill & Co), Ross, W Rogers, Wallace, J Saunders, Hill & Smith, J Carr, C Dryden and R Ellis. Stockers included E & H Holliman, P Hodges, and Harry Winter.

Gradually, Edwin recruited his own skilled staff, amongst them was George Dabinett who was apprenticed as a stripper and finisher and later became foreman, but the firm always relied heavily on outworkers. As one would expect of a gun maker in the early 1890s, and with the exception of a number of pigeon guns for which the firm was famous, E J Churchill did not sell many hammer guns, nor did he sell many guns with damascus barrels as steel barrels by Whitworth and Vickers were becoming popular. A majority of his guns were sidelocks but the number of boxlocks gradually increased. Most early guns bore the intertwined EJC monogram on the underside of the action bar. For many years Churchill guns were engraved in a style very similar to that used by F T Baker, and later "Premiere" model guns often had a "sunburst" engraved on the breech end panel of the barrels, as did earlier Baker guns.

The firm first started to acquire a reputation for its guns in 1893 when a gun and cartridges made by Edwin won a live pigeon competition. In this year Edwin's son, Henry, joined the firm as an apprentice.

In 1899 Churchill's nephew, Robert Frederick George Churchill (born 23 October 1886), joined the firm. It has been reported that he did not serve a formal apprenticeship but this is not true. He had several patents and was recorded in the 1901 census as a gun maker�s apprentice aged 14. His mother was Elizabeth (Bessie) J Wills and she was married to Henry Elton Churchill, Edwin's brother. At about this time the firm sold guns to Hollingsworth & Matthews of 8-9 The Barbican, London, for export to Australia. Most of these guns were plain and inexpensive.

In 1900 Edwin numbered the Duke of Alba amongst his customers. This association resulted in many orders from Spain and culminated in 1905 with the firm being appointed gunmaker to the King, Alfonso XIII.

In 1900 E J Churchill was called in by police to shoot an elephant belonging to Lord George Sanger's travelling circus. The elephant had been taunted by a circus employee and, after killing him, had rampaged through the Crystal Palace. The elephant had been sedated by the time Edwin arrived with three friends, all were armed with .450 express rifles and the unfortunate animal was despatched by a simultaneous volley. Two years later another elephant escaped from the circus and had to be shot. It is incidental, but this time a .500 express was used.

It is worth noting that Edwin Churchill never filed any patents. He referred to, for example, "EJC patent ejectors" and E J Churchill's "new single trigger", but these were other gun maker's patents or variations of them. F T K Baker took out a patent (No. 6141) in 1897 for a single trigger, it may be that Edwin worked on this before he left the firm and developed his own version; Southgate patented a single trigger in 1900 (No. 5687), a version of this was modified by Jim Badcock and used in the 1930s.

In 1902 Harry and Robert went on safari to East Africa, Harry returned with an infection which developed into pneumonia, and he died in 1902 aged 24 years. In 1900 he had married Clara and in 1901 they had had a son, Harry Edwin William.

Edwin's wife, Mary, died in January 1904 having taken to drink, probably in part because of her son's death, but probably also because she knew that Edwin was having an affair with Daisy Vinkeles Houssart. Daisy had a son by Edwin in 1900 (Ted Cecil Churchill) and another in 1903 (Victor Henry Houssart Churchill). Edwin and Daisy were secretly married in April 1904, very few family members knew about it at the time and when they did, it caused considerable and long lasting resentment. Edwin and Daisy had a daughter (Ivy) in December 1904, and another son, Gerald, in 1906 (died of diptheria 1908). In the same year Robert Churchill married Rosina (Rose) Cloud, they never had any children. Robert competed at Monte Carlo every year up to the Second World War. After accompanying Robert to many live pigeon shooting competitions, Rose became a very good shot and she shot at Monte Carlo and elsewhere.

Increasingly at about this time, Robert took over the running of the shop and workshop and Edwin, who had moved to live at Eltham spent more time at the shooting ground. In 1906 at the age of 12, James (Jim) John Chewter became a trapper at Eltham. For many years there were rumours that he was Edwin Churchill's illegitimate son. He later became the company's general manager and stayed with the firm until 1962; Harry Winter was foreman and stocker, and his son, Alf, was his apprentice.

At about this time, Edwin started to be called by Scotland Yard to give expert ballistic evidence in court cases. After Edwin's death Robert continued in this capacity until he died in 1958; Jim Chewter also became an expert in the field.

From the time the firm was founded, they had advertised and promoted their guns in a variety of ways, but it was only in 1906 that the first catalogue was produced. Edwin never named any of the guns he sold, he simply referred to them as "Best quality hammergun", "Best quality hammerless sidelock ejector", and "Best quality hammerless Anson & Deeley ejector".

Edwin died at �The Farm� in Lewisham on 16 November 1910 of congestion of the lungs and bronchitis. His will was proved by Frederick Lucius Porter, builder, and his estate was valued at �2755.3s.10d. The will stipulated that the business was left in trust to Daisy, but if she remarried ownership was to be split between Daisy and her three remaining children. The will also stipulated that Robert Churchill was to be manager of the firm. Robert was given a contract of employment dated 15 February 1911, and reportedly he wrote on the contract the words "Expires 15 February, 1921.

In 1911 Daisy appears to have sold the business for �1987.7.9d. to Ernest Midas, a wine and spirit merchant who was a friend of the family. Daisy married him in 1911, possibly because she had little income but also because, under the terms of Edwin's will, the lease on the house where she and Edwin had been living was to be sold, so she had nowhere to live.

In 1911 Robert introduced his improvement on the Churchill single trigger mechanism. This now had a single swinging arm so that it was no longer possible to fire both barrels at once, as had occasionally happened, and the trigger pulls could be adjusted from 1 pound up to almost any weight.

In 1913 Robert decided to print a new catalogue with hard covers, in which he named the various models of gun that were offered. The "Premier" sidelock hammerless ejector and the "Hercules" boxlock hammerless ejector were best quality guns which sold for 60 guineas and 50 guineas respectively including oak and leather cases and accessories. The "Hercules" at that time had a straight back action, but from the early 1920s it had a scroll back action. Unlike most gun makers, the charge for a pair of guns was twice the price of a single gun rather than a little more than twice the price. It was at about this time that the "Premier" sidelocks were made with slightly thicker lock plates than was usual in the trade, so that there were only two holes that fully pierced the lock plates, one for the tumbler and one for the back securing pin, the remaining pins lodged in blind holes. This allowed a clear space for engraving. The Monte Carlo hammer pigeon gun was available at 50 guineas. The "Field" sidelock was a second quality hammerless ejector that sold for 40 guineas, and the "Utility" boxlock was a second quality hammerless ejector that sold for 30 guineas. From 1914 to the mid 1920s the boxlock "Prodigy" model was available from 10 guineas as a plain hammer gun to 25 guineas as an engraved hammerless ejector; this model was made by outworkers in London and Birmingham using Anson & Deeley actions and Greener lever work, they were discontinued in the mid-1920s. Also offered in the catalogue was the "Imperial" best quality double rifle and "Featherweight" versions of most of the shotgun range.

It has been widely reported that Robert Churchill popularised short barrelled shotguns in 1909/1910 after snow burst the barrels of his own pigeon gun and he had them shortened and recess choked by his barrel filer, John Harper. This is not true. All gun makers knew that nitro powders were faster burning than black powder, and almost all of them offered short lightweight guns particularly for American quail shooters who hunted in thick bush where long heavy barrels were a problem. Edwin Churchill had made several short barrelled guns. Robert became associated with 25 inch barrelled guns more than any other maker because of his live pigeon shooting success and because he developed a style of shooting to suit short barrelled guns. Robert Churchill's first 25 inch barrelled gun was No. 640 which the firm bought back from a customer. In 1914 he had another one made, No. 2098, and during the First World War several were made for customers.

The lease on the Eltham shooting ground terminated in late 1913 or early 1914, and perhaps because of the prospect of World War I, rather than find a new shooting ground, the firm started to use the West London Shooting Ground. Robert was a supporter of Try guns having at least a dozen different ones at his disposal, one with six different lengths of barrel from 15" to 32".


In about 1917 when he was 17 years old Edwin Joseph Watkin Churchill (Joe) Churchill, Robert's half-brother, joined the firm as a jobber.

During World War I the firm were official contractors to the War Department testing and supplying arms and ammunition. The firm was also an agent of the Featherweight Shield Company who made a bullet proof steel shield which could be worn under a uniform. This was effective against lightweight bullets, shrapnel and bayonets.

In 1915 the shop suffered some damage in a Zeppelin bombing raid, but the damage was mainly external.

It appears that Ernest Midas died in about 1916, because on 21 February 1917 a limited company was formed, E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, which took over the business. The directors were C Midas (son of Ernest?) and Robert Churchill.

After World War I, the company introduced its lightweight VC (very compact) motor case, and in the early 1920s they started to build an under-and-over trapshooting gun, mainly for the USA market. This gun was something of a cross between the Boss and the Woodward over-and-under, probably due to the fact that Charles Hill, who was working for Churchills as an actioner at the time, previously worked for Woodward.

In 1921 the company exhibited a high grade "Field" model gun at a trade exhibition in Japan; Nippon Fire Arms Company were their agents. This resulted in several orders and the "Field" model was re-named the "Imperial" for the Japanese market. It was described as "first quality" and had the Japanese Imperial crown inlaid in gold on the bottom of the action.

In the early 1920s, Webley & Scott objected to Churchill using the name "Premier", which they had used for about 30 years. Churchill changed the name of his "Premier" model to "Premiere". At this time the company bought barrelled actions from businesses such as John Harper (and son Norman in Birmingham), Osborne, Wilkinson and Bayliss. These firms were allocated blocks of serial numbers but their own serial numbers were often engraved on the fore-end loop. Worthy of note is the fact that some Churchill guns were copied by the company's outworkers and sold by them to provincial retailers; Churchill never sold guns to provincial gun makers. At about this time, D & W Chandler of Melbourne, Australia, were appointed agents of the company.

In November 1924 Robert was offered the business of Joseph Lang & Sons Ltd, but he declined (it was sold on 1 April 1925 to William Robson).

The early 1920s saw most of the English gun trade in a sorry state, but Robert Churchill's 25 inch barrelled guns were becoming well known and because of this the company was doing quite well. In early 1925 he published his first book, "How to Shoot" (revised in 1927, 1930 and 1938), which detailed his technique and promoted sales of the Churchill XXV. This entailed delayed mounting which, together with a light barrelled gun, resulted in a faster than usual swing. The weight saved by shortening the barrels meant a lighter and, he claimed, a better balanced gun. He also claimed that the gun was stronger because about 1 oz could be added to the weight of the action. Another advantage of the 25" barrelled gun was that it shot a little higher than a 30" gun, which meant that all birds except a driven bird could be kept in sight, and birds were seldom missed behind.

The early XXVs had broad ribs on which XXV was engraved across the breech end of the top rib. In the early 1920s, Robert introduced his narrow raised file cut top rib on which XXV was engraved along the rib parallel with the bore. The idea behind this "Quick Sighting" rib was partly that it reduced glare, and partly that on mounting stocked Churchill guns as an outworker from the early 1920s. At this time in New York, Griffin & Howe, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Von Lengerke & Detmold of New York were agents for the gun with the eyes on the bird, the shooter was immediately and more acutely aware of the relationship between bird and rib. The rib was tapered from breech to muzzle so that, to the conservative shooter of the day, the barrels looked as if they were about 30 inches long when viewed from the breech. In 1926, the name Hercules XXV was registered as a trade mark.

In early 1925 the firm moved to 39-42 Leicester Square, where the shop and offices occupied the ground floor and the basement was used as workshops. In 1923 Robert had bought part of the Jackson collection of firearms which had been sold by auction at Sothebys. From July to October 1925 he exhibited these guns at the new Leicester Square shop, together with his own collection, and guns on loan from others including those of Dr Charles J Heath who was president of the Wildfowlers Association and a champion of chamberless guns.

In 1926, when George Dabinett was foreman, Bill Ilsley moved from Birmingham and joined the firm, he had Churchill as were Von Lengerke & Antoine of Chicago and Francis Sporting Goods of Boston.

In 1926/8 Robert and Arnold Louis Chevalier patented an over/under shotgun (the Chevalier-Churchill patent No. 278087) which used a recoiling breech block or breech face to cock the firing mechanism and used a side-lever to avoid the angled strikers necessary when a top lever and spindle were employed. Only one was ever made, it was sold as a curiosity only in 1982.

In 1929 Robert's customer and friend, William Frederick Blay, bought the shares belonging to the Midas family and introduced some necessary new capital into the business. At the time, the Leicester Square premises were about to be demolished so in March 1929 the company moved a short distance away to a four storey building on the corner of St Martin's Lane and Orange Street, the entrance in St Martin's Lane being No. 8 and in Orange Street No. 32. These entrances were replaced by a door at the corner of the shop, and the premises were named the Orange Street Gunworks. Interestingly, the leather case label below (dated 1931 approx) bears the 39-42 Leicester Square address and the Prince of Wales crest, both of which cannot be correct; the Prince's guns were ordered and delivered in January 1931, the forthcoming appointment was probably made known to Robert at that time, but the warrant was not issued until 1 January 1933.

Blay was a building contractor, he was chairman of Dartford Council and a Kent County councillor (member of the sites and building sub-committee). Almost certainly, he suggested new shooting grounds should be built on 65 acres of waste ground adjoining Crayford railway station where the company could give lessons and fittings, and where a gun club (The Gun Club) could be established, and where a house could be built for Robert and Rose. From 1929 to 1931 whilst Crayford was being developed, the company used the Worcester Park Shooting Grounds near Malden (formerly the Wimbledon Shooting Ground run by William Watson then the Albemarle Shooting Ground run by Harrison & Hussey). The manufacture of all "Premiere" shotguns was moved to the workshops at Crayford. Henry (Harry) Kell engraved many of the guns, Charles Meadows and C M Crick engraved for the firm too. In about 1933 Arthur Hearn, who had worked as an instructor at West London, moved to work for the company at Crayford. He was later joined by Norman (Nobby) Clarke.

From about 1930 the company fitted easy-opening / assisted-opening mechanisms to all their "Premiere" guns, and other finest or first quality models on request. The company used either the Smith easy-opening patent (recognised by cocking dogs in the knuckle) or the William Baker patent. The Baker patent has a lever in the back slot of the action which is depressed on closing the gun. The lack of cocking dog slots in the action allows for a narrower and slimmer action similar to a 20 bore action (hence the Lancaster "Twelve/Twenty" and the "Grant Lightweight").

Edwin Churchill had fitted single triggers to some of his guns as early as 1909, in this case he used the Southgate non-selective single trigger, but this was later modified by his actioner, Horace (Jimmy) Badcock. On 4 June 1931 Robert Churchill was granted his second patent. This covered a selective single trigger mechanism in which two triggers could be set to fire normally or the front trigger could fire right then left barrels, and the rear trigger could fire left then right barrels. A further patent was granted on 11 August 1932, but it differed only in the numbering of parts on the drawings and corrections to the spelling errors. This single trigger was known variously as the "compound selective trigger", the "selective double trigger", the "single trigger: double trigger", the "repeating trigger", and the "twin trigger".

On 1 January 1933 the company was appointed gunmaker to the Prince of Wales, but this appointment changed in 1936 when George V died and Edward VIII abdicated in 1937.

The 1933 catalogue described the "Premiere" sidelock and the "Hercules" boxlock as "first quality", both were available with easy-opening mechanisms, the "Hercules" being fitted with the Smith type. The catalogue described the "Imperial" as second quality (formerly "first quality) and, effectively, the "Field" sidelock as third quality. The "Utility" was a high quality boxlock comparable with the former "Field" model, but it had high grade wood and engraving, and used the Scott spindle. The "Crown" model had been introduced as a lower priced gun in the early 1920s and had been sold alongside the "Prodigy" model, but the latter was discontinued in the late 1920s. The Crown became available in four qualities. The "Featherweight" was a XXV boxlock weighing about 5-5 1/2 lbs.

In 1936 Robert Churchill and his actioner, Jim Badcock, patented a breechloading locking mechanism which obviated the need for a forward extension to the bolt and a slot in the forward lump to receive it. Instead, to hold the bolt back when the gun was open, a spring loaded catch rose up through the floor of the action and engaged the bolt beneath it. When the gun was closed the catch was depressed by the barrels and the bolt was released. This patent, later known as the "Jumping Jack System", was used on all the Smith easy-opening "Premiere" shotguns made at Crayford.

In 1937 a new model shotgun, initially named the "Coronation" was introduced. Very few were made. This was a lightweight "Utility" XXV boxlock with 2 1/2" chamber, sideplates and an easy-opening mechanism. It weighed 6lbs 2oz and was re-named The "De Luxe" about a year later.

In 1937 Robert Churchill's collection of firearms was put up for auction at Sotheby's. War was looming so the prices obtained were minimal, and not all the items were sold.

At the outbreak of the Second World War The company's actioner, Jim Badcock, and stocker, Bill Holland, were seconded to the War Department and became inspectors at the Vickers factory at Crayford. Nobby Clarke joined the Royal Air Force as an instructor in aerial gunnery. The Crayford grounds and workshops were used to train RAF gunners, test weapons and make parts. Cartridges for agricultural pest control were loaded. Robert Churchill became a colonel in the Home Guard, and he continued his role as ballistics expert to the police, but also to the War Office and US armed forces. He established a new company, Hercules Armament Co Ltd at 8 St Martin's Street to buy and supply the military and Special Operations Executive (SOE) with revolvers, automatic pistols and other hand-held weapons. All the war work appears to have been channelled through this company including the sale of surplus weapons after the war for which a warehouse in Cutler Street was leased.

In 1942 Arthur Hearn retired as an instructor, and in August 1942 Joe Churchill's son, Eddie, joined the company as an apprentice. He learned stripping and finishing with Bill Carver at the Orange Street Gun Works. Bill retired in 1951.

During the war Robert had an affair with a Rumanian refugee and Red Cross worker, Sabine Ghingold. Robert and Rose separated after the war, she went to live in Westerham, Kent and died in Luddesdown near Meopham in Kent on 27 March 1949 leaving an estate valued at �3424. 6s. 4d. Robert and Sabine bought a property in Baron's Court Road, south west London, where they lived together.


At this time most boxlocks and some "Imperials" were made by S Wright & Sons, William Baker was a substantial supplier and, shortly thereafter, A A Brown & Sons supplied boxlocks. Jesse Hill supplied actions and William Howell repaired, renovated and serviced guns. The shortage of materials, particularly barrels, dictated that the company used them to make their more expensive models. The "Premiere" was available with standard finish or as a de luxe presentation version with special engraving, the "Imperial" was still available, but the Utility model was renamed the "Regal". This model was made to customer's order and varied from a lightweight with 2" chambers and XXV barrels, to a medium weight gun for game and wildfowl with barrels from 25" to 30". From 1965, the "Regal" had a scroll back action and beaded fences. The "Crown" was discontinued but it was re-introduced in the 1960s.

One of Robert Churchill's friends was Leo Lippe of the American Weapons Corporation, Burbank, California, who employed an ex-armourer sergeant named Sam Cummins. As surplus arms could not be sold to foreigners, the Hercules Armament Co Ltd bought quantities of surplus arms on the direction of Sam Cummings and then sold them to American Weapons Corp. Sam Cummings also bought arms on his own account and these were sold to his own company, Interarmco (UK) Ltd, which opened a factory at Acton to convert service rifles to sporting rifles. This factory moved to Manchester in the early 1870s where it had its own proof house.

On 23 December 1952 Robert Churchill, Abbas Celal and Alan Alfred Victor Judge (Robert's actioner) filed patent No. 731093 for the breech locking and easy-opening mechanisms of their "Zenith" over and under, trigger plate action, easy-opening side lever shotgun. The gun was not perfect and, probably because Alan Judge left the company, and indeed the gun trade, the problems were given to Jesse Hill to solve. This he did, but only five Zeniths were made and it appears that all were slightly different. In fact, the fifth "Zenith" was never completed.

In 1953 Eddie Churchill was fired for disloyalty, because he went to Holland & Holland for an interview for a job with them. He joined Holland & Holland but in about 1957 moved to Cogswell & Harrison. At about this time Joe Churchill became workshop foreman.

In 1955 Robert wrote his second book, "Game Shooting", but afterwards his health progressively declined and on 30 June 1958 he died of lung cancer at Old Orchard Farm, Bexley, Kent. His will was proved by Sabine and valued at �92,678.1s.7d. On 8 September 1958 his Royal Warrant was cancelled.

In July 1958 Don Masters had joined the company as assistant to the general manager, Jim Chewter. His brother, Leslie Masters, had been previously employed as a trainee gun maker.

In November 1959 Sabine Churchill sold the business to Sam Cummings of Interarmco (UK) Ltd (International Armament Corporation of America and Canada) who by this time owned Cogswell & Harrison. The company's stock (�23,500), plant and equipment (�1,500), premises (�20,000) and van (�361), total �45,361, was sold to a new company Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, and the old E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd was put into liquidation. The new company's managing director was Stuart Murray (also managing director of Cogswell & Harrison Ltd), other directors were H C (Tom) Littlewood (financial director), and John A Hurlstone Hortin (a solicitor). They traded from the Orange Street Gunworks, the building being re-named Interarmco House. Hercules Armament Co Ltd was also put into liquidation and replaced by Hercules Arms Co Ltd, and the Gun Club Ltd was replaced by Churchill Gun Club Ltd. Hercules Arms Co Ltd was 96% owned by Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, 2% by Churchill Gun Club Ltd, and 2% by Hercules Arms Co. Its purpose was to "carry on the business of manufacturers, repairers, importers, exporters, and dealers in guns, rifles, pistols, revolvers, ammunition, and explosive containers". It dealt solely in ex-military weapons. The directors were Stuart Murray, Peggie Murray and Tom Littlewood.

In 1960 Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd took over S Wright & Sons of Birmingham, from that date second quality sidelock and boxlock Churchill guns were made there; these guns had a 2 prefix to the serial number).

In 1960 Joe Churchill died.

In 1961 Leonard Pearce, formerly of Holland & Holland and managing director of Cogswells, joined the board as joint managing director.

In 1962 Jim Chewter died and Don Masters was promoted to the position of general manager. Norman Clarke left the company to go to Holland & Holland as their chief instructor, but he died in 1970 aged 59.

In March 1963 Sam Cummings and Stuart Murray sold the retail side of Cogswell & Harrison to John Peskett and Ted Holden, and they established their own repair workshops. Employees who remained at Acton included Eddie Churchill (foreman). Harry Ware was production director, he dealt with sporting guns and S Wright & Sons.

In the same year, after the break-up of Cogswell & Harrison, Sam Cummings, Stuart Murray and Leslie Pearce of Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd suggested to Arthur Hodges of Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd that a merger would be beneficial to both companies. The Churchill directors knew that their premises were due to be demolished by the enlargement of Leicester Square, and that they needed new retail and workshop premises. Their chairman, Sam Cummings, did not want to invest in retail sporting gun sales, he wanted to pull out of the retail side of Cogswell & Harrison, and he wanted to concentrate on his Interarms manufacturing business. The directors of Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd needed access to a reliable and inexpensive trade maker who could make their inexpensive guns, and S Wright & Sons seemed to be the ideal choice. The merger took place but the companies continued to trade separately. Arthur Hodges and W R H Robson were joint managing directors. However, in December 1964 Arthur Hodges retired (he died in 1983) and Colonel Stone and his wife resigned from the board of Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd. The board of Atkin Grant & Lang then comprised Roy Robson, Betty Brown, Alan Lawrie, Stuart Murray, Leonard Pearce, Tom Littlewood, and J A H Hortin. Murray, Pearce, Littlewood and Hortin were also directors of Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd.

In 1963 a new medium priced boxlock gun was introduced to replace the Crown model that had been discontinued during the war. The new Crowns, most made by Webley & Scott, were numbered 8010 to 8150 and 8175 to 8179; other better finished models of the new Crown had serial numbers between 8236 and 8445.

Churchills had not been well known for their rifles but had always been able to supply them to customers who asked. In the 1960s and up to about 1975 when they ceased making them, they offered five bolt action models. The Regal was a plain inexpensive rifle, the Imperial had good engraving and wood, and the de Luxe had extensive engraving and the best French walnut. From 1969 a limited edition of the Imperial was offered for sale, it was named the "One in One Thousand"; very few were sold.

In 1964 the lease at Crayford expired and, in a decision later regretted, it was not renewed. The decision also meant that cartridge loading and production of Premiere shotguns at Crayford ceased. It appears that from about this time a number of Premieres were made by A A Brown.

In 1966 Roy Robson retired.

In 1967 Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd moved to Atkin, Grant & Lang's premises at 7 Bury Street, St James's, and the workshops of both companies moved to the Acton factory (Cannon Works, Bollo Lane) occupied by Interarmco (United Kingdom) Ltd where they traded as Churchill (Gun Works) Ltd. Peggie Murray resigned as a director of Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd and was replaced by P C Beer of Interarmco (UK) Ltd. Sam Cummings bought �10,000 worth of shares from Stuart Murray and became a director.

In 1968 Betty Brown retired. Roy Robson died in 1969, Leonard Pearce died in 1970.

In about 1970 the company offered for sale a Webley & Scott made gun, the "Viscount", which Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd finished. Less than 10 were produced.

In May 1971 Sam Cummins agreed to sell Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd and Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd to Thomas Poole & Gladstone China Clay Ltd, but the sale did not take place until April 1972. Thomas Poole & Gladstone China Clay Ltd were a large company quoted on the London Stock Exchange who already owned Firearms Co of Somerset (later re-named Sedgmore Engineering Ltd), restorers of military weapons and makers of rifles and single barrelled shotguns.

In preparation for the sale, on 1 October 1971 Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd changed its name to Churchill, Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd, and took over the businesses and assets of Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd, Henry Atkin Ltd, Churchill (Gun Works) Ltd, S Wright & Sons, and Hercules Arms Co Ltd. The directors at the time were Stuart Murray (chairman & managing director), Tom Littlewood (secretary), Sam Cummings, P C Beer, Alan Lawrie (sales director) and Don Masters (production director). Sam Cummings was the majority shareholder. S Wright & Sons ceased trading under that name and traded, as did the Acton workshop, as Churchill (Gun Works) Ltd. Apparently, Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd was not liquidated, it became a non-trading company.

On 23 May 1972 the sale to Thomas Poole took place, Sam Cummings and Peter Beer resigned and A S Erskine-Murray became chairman and K R Pointon became deputy chairman. Stuart Murray remained a director for 3 months and then retired. Bob Leonard, a management consultant, became a director a few months later. Shortly after buying Churchill, Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd, Thomas Poole bought 25% of I M Crudgington Ltd. The purchase of shares in Crudgingtons took place so that Churchills could get Crudgington's expertise in modernising the Churchill workshops.

In late 1972 S Wright & Sons Ltd moved to Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham, because the old premises were too dilapidated, and Churchill (Gunworks) Ltd moved to another building on the Acton site. The latter move became necessary because Sam Cummings wanted to move the Interarms factory to Worsley Street, Manchester where he could establish his own branch of the London Proof House because of the number of rifles needing to be proved was so large.

For some unknown reason the new owners of Churchills decided to transfer the business of Churchills to a newly registered company. On 20 March 1973 they registered the new company with the name Churchill Gunmakers Ltd instead of Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, but the company never traded.


Thomas Poole had intended to buy Webley & Scott Ltd, but were beaten to it by the Harris & Sheldon Group of Meriden. Thomas Poole's failure denied them the decisive market share they wanted so on 14 December 1973 they sold all their gun making interests to the Harris & Sheldon Group, who also owned Hardy Brothers (Alnwick) Ltd.

In February 1976 in a attempt to save costs, Churchill, Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd moved to Hardy Brothers premises at 61 Pall Mall. The move resulted in a fall in sales due to lack of space and qualified staff.

By late 1977, increased costs and continued poor sales led to Harris & Sheldon wanting to abandon the manufacture of guns. In the event, the Churchill staff formed a worker's co-operative which operated under the name Churchill (Gun Works) Ltd. The directors were Alan Lawrie and Don Masters. The retail side of the business was in the hands of Hardy directors who all lived in Alnwick and had no experience of gun making. In early 1980 they all resigned and were replaced by L J L Hill, a director of W & C Scott, and R D Blakeley. The situation did not improve and no buyers for the manufacturing or the retail businesses could be found. The businesses effectively ceased trading in December 1980. The remaining stock was sold at auction in Dallas, Texas, in March 1981 by Abercrombie & Fitch.

In August 1981 the former production director of Churchills, Don Masters, bought the plant and machinery, tools, furniture and work in progress. On 1 September he was given sole rights under a 5 year agreement to repair alter and renovate Churchill Atkin Grant & Lang guns, subject to termination by either party on 12 months notice. He registered a new company, Masters (from Churchill) Ltd and traded from his home in Surrey, where he had a fully equipped workshop, later named the Cannon Works, Beare Green, Dorking.

In early 1982 the Harris & Sheldon staff who had been involved in the gun business left the group, and customer referrals from Harris & Sheldon almost ceased. It also transpired that W & C Scott were happily repairing Churchill guns in direct breach of the agreement, of which they had full knowledge. The agreement was terminated in May 1983 and it appears that part of the settlement was the transfer by Pat Whatley of W & C Scott to Don Masters of the serial number books of all companies in the Churchill stable. At about the same time, Kassnar was advertising in the USA the re-establishment of the name of Churchill. Harris & Sheldon declined to take any action and in March 1984 in an effort to protect the Churchill name and reputation, Don Masters registered a new company with the old name of E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, this company does not appear to have traded and in 1993 Masters Gunmakers (from Churchill) Ltd changed its name to E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd.

In 1985 Harris & Sheldon sold W & C Scott Gunmakers Ltd to Holland & Holland.

In the mid 1980s Harris & Sheldon sold the rights to the name of Atkin Grant & Lang Ltd to Cyril S Adams who owned First Quality Doubles in Houston, Texas. In 1998 Adams sold the name to Ken Duglan, Staffan Svenby and Chris Batha of Broomhills Shooting Ground in Hertfordshire. The rights to the names of Charles Hellis & Sons, Watson Brothers and Frederick Beesley were sold to Fred Buller of Chubbs of Edgeware Ltd, he sold the rights to the name of Watson Brothers to Michael Louca in 1989. The rights to the name of Charles Lancaster were sold to Joseph Brazier but in 1996 it was re-sold to David Perkins and in 2009 to Ron Wharton. In 1996 Harris & Sheldon sold the rights to the name of Churchill Gunmakers Ltd, which had never traded, to Edward Dashwood of West Wycombe Shooting Grounds Ltd, Park Lane, Lane End, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

In 1993 Bryant (Gun cases) Ltd of 35 Astbury Road, Peckham, London, ceased production and Don Masters bought the raw materials and some of the work in progress and equipment, but plans to establish a new company never came to fruition. At that time the company was partly owned by Holland & Holland Ltd and James Purdey & Sons Ltd.

In 1998 Sam Cummings died at the age of 71.

On 5 December 2002, the name, goodwill, and company seal of Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd were bought at auction from the Harris & Sheldon Group by E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd. The price was �26,000. The records of the company were sold to the same buyer for �36,000. Also on 5 December 2002, Churchill, Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd (the name, goodwill and company seal) was sold by the Harris & Sheldon Group at auction to an unknown buyer. Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd trades from Windmill Lane, Markyate, Hertfordshire.

Members with a particular interest in Churchill guns will find more details of the history of the business in Don Masters' book "The House of Churchill" (Safari Press Inc ISBN 1-57157-218-X) which is highly recommended.

The club is able to give some information on serial numbers and dates, email archives@internetgunclub.com with details of your gun. Churchill serial numbers were allocated in blocks to outworkers and to models, and numbers were reserved for customers; in some cases it took years for these numbers to be used, so dating purely by serial number is usually not very accurate.


Other:

The firm sold cartridges under the names "Imperial", "Pheasant", the "Prodigy", "Gem", "Special", "Special Trapshooting Cartridge", "Utility" (post 1920 and 1930), "Waterproof Metal Lined", "8 Star", "28 Star", "Star Sixteen", "A. G. (Accuracy Guaranteed)", "Express Cartridge XXV", "Field" and "Premier".

Have you communicated with Bruce A. Owen about your gun? He was or still is the production manager for Churchill. He was very helpful in providing useful information regarding my Churchill gun.

Dustin

"...on 5 December 2002, Churchill, Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd (the name, goodwill and company seal) was sold by the Harris & Sheldon Group at auction to an unknown buyer. Atkin, Grant & Lang Ltd trades from Windmill Lane, Markyate, Hertfordshire."...

A Ken (?) Duglan owned AGL for some time. The current owner of Atkin, Grant, and Lang is Francis Lovel, a well known gun dealer in Oxfordshire. He maintains the shooting grounds and AGL facility in Hertfordshire.

Gentlemen, Thanks to all of you for your input on this Churchill. I contacted Churchill and was told that records were not available for this old of a gun.It is S/N 1856, a 20 gauge boxlock, full coverage scroll by Sumner, Southgate ejectors,splinter forend with straight grip stock to a checkered butt. It has 26 inch steel barrels Cyl/cyl,no choke stamps on either barrel ahead of flats, Rib extension third bite, 7/8 oz. NP, 8 Agar St. address, wgt 5'6",cased in best brass cornered case with cleaning implements.

As an addendum, the only boxlock sold by Churchill before 1910 was a best grade model with no particular model name,and the selling price was 60 pounds vs. 80 pounds for their best grade sidelock,so it was not an economy model by any means.