doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E.M. Reilly; History; Chronology; Serial Numbers

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*5 August 1835: Move to 316 High Holborn-Street:

In August 1835 JC Reilly with 17 year old EM as an apprentice moved to 316 High Holborn Street.*5a The building no longer exists but from the size of the current building on the plot, it was probably quite substantial.*5b The average house in the area from lithograph prints at the time indicate it was probably a four or five story walk-up.*5c

J.C. owned several houses and may have lived at a different address than 316 High Holborn per his will*5d So the entire building may have been workshops and offices. (The 1841 census, however, recorded the entire family including E.M. as present at 316 High Holborn*5e.

The first serial numbered extant gun with the High Holborn address is SN 1024, an 8.5mm pocket pistol, Reilly, 316 High Holborn, London on the gun.*5f

Advertisements from the 1840’s show the shop had a small shooting gallery where air guns and hand guns could be tested.*5g

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======== *5 - Move to 316 High Holborn FOOTNOTES/ANNOTATION==========

. . . . .*5a - 316 High Holborn:
. . . . . . . . . .24 Aug 1835, "Morning Chronicle"

. . . . . . . . . .Map


. . . . .*5b – Present 316 High Holborn Building


Henekey's Olde Wine House on the right is just east of the intersection of High Holborn and Chancery Lane...Chancery Lane is to the left...meaning 316 High Holborn should be back behind the photograph.


. . . . .*5c – Print of the High Holborn area in 1835 looking east from the area of 12 Middle Row.


. . . . .*5d – J.C. Reilly home address: Unclear…still to be researched; there is information that J.C. Reilly maintained a separate house from 316 ... however the 1841 census records him (and EM) living at 316.
Some of the properties owned by JC Reilly at his death per his will:


. . . . .*5e - SN 1024 - 8.5mm pocket pistol, Reilly, 316 High Holborn, London


. . . . .*5f – 14 Jan 43, “Illustrated London News“ - Per this advertisement, Reilly had a small shooting gallery at 316 High Holborn.


This is confirmed by this Blissett advertisement. Blissett occupied 316 High Holborn when Reilly moved to 502 New Oxford street at the end of March 1847:
. . . . .13 Apr 1847 London Daily News


======== *5 - Move to 316 High Holborn END FOOTNOTES ==========

Great research skills as usual.

Alan

=============== *6 - End of pistol making TEXT===================

*6 1837: End of Serial Numbered Pistols:

By circa 1837 pistols were no longer numbered in the Reilly chronological numbering system although in the 1839 edition of "Pigot’s London Directory" J.C. Reilly is still listed as “Gun and Pistol Maker.”*6a His serial numbered guns seemed to be limited to bespoke long-guns made to order.

The last serial numbered pistol so far found is SN 1292, a 120 bore (.32 Cal.), pocket pistol with a steel barrel.*6b (This style of Reilly pocket pistol is almost ubiquitous - dozens are extant including the most ornate cased in mahogany and silver encrusted to the mundane - it was obviously a best seller. However, none after SN 1292 are serial numbered).*6c.

J.C. Reilly continued to "make" big-bore percussion pistols at 316 High Holborn, at least one of them remarkably similar to SN 88 and SN 174.*6d However, none of these have serial numbers.*6e

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=============== *6 - pistol making FOOTNOTES==================

*6 1837: End of Serial Numbered Pistols:

. . . . .*6a - 1839 edition of "Pigot’s London Directory":


. . . . .*6b - SN 1292, a 120 bore (.32 Cal.), pocket pistol with a steel barrel


. . . . .*6c – Collage of early Reilly pocket pistols.


Some of Reilly's non-serial numbered pistols from 1840-1860:


. . . . .*6d J.C. Reilly big-bore pistols from 316 High Holborn, non-serial numbered:


=============== *6 - End of pistol making END FOOTNOTES==================

And interesting even then during that period, folks were procuring pocket pistol to fend off roving bands of marauders. No different than today, just an earlier platform.

Raimey
rse

I wouldn't mind have a brace of those dueling pistols for my occupation. Until yet, not a feuding party has taking up my offer of matched dueling pistols to solve their issue.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

=============== *7 - Name change to "Reilly" TEXT===================

*7 August 1840: Company Name Changes to "Reilly":

In August 1840 the firm's name in advertisements changed from J.C. Reilly to just "Reilly," which may mark the advent of 23 year old EM as a full partner in the company.*7a EM is listed in the 1841 census as living with J.C. and his occupation, like that of J.C. is "Gun maker."*7b

The names on the gun ribs continued to be "J.C. Reilly" or "Joseph Charles Reilly."*7c

Case/Trade labels were styled like an embossed business card with the following inscription:
. . . . . . . . . ._____________________
. . . . . . . . . | Joseph Charles Reilly .|
. . . . . . . . . | . . . . Gun Maker . . . . |
. . . . . . . . . |. . .316 High Holborn. . |
. . . . . . . . . | . near Chancery Lane . |
. . . . . . . . . |____________________ | *7d



Several guns from this period survive including the following:
. . . . .SN 1174 - 8 bore. Fowling piece; Percussion single shot*7e
. . . . .SN 1869 - 10 bore Shotgun; SxS; hammer gun, muzzle loader*7f
. . . . .SN 3329 - Joseph Charles Reilly 316 High Holburn London; 10 bore Shotgun; SxS; hammer gun, muzzle loader*7g
. . . . .SN xxxx - J.C. Reilly, 316, High Holborn, London. 10 bore. Shotgun; SxS; hammer gun*7h
. . . . .SN yyyy - J.C. Reilly, 316, High Holborn, London. 16 bore. Shotgun; SxS; hammer gun*7i

Reilly apparently had been boring his own barrels using his own system since 1837 (discussed further below in the "Reilly barrels" chapter 35).*7j

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Where might Reilly have been sourcing his >>rough bored tubes<<??

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Raimey, you could have bought Terry Buffum's duelers 5 years ago on Amoskeog.
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/108/283.html

Re barrel blanks, here is a sentence from Chapter 35 - Reilly barrels:

"It is well known that after 1844 with the closure of the London barrel forger Fullerd, London barrel blanks came from Birmingham (and by 1890 from Liège). However, these were bored in London."

To go into this subject further would be extremely interesting. Perhaps that will be a next project.