Some more info on John Harper, mostly from IGC but also other sources:

John Harper
Address 1 124 1/2 Steelhouse Lane; Address 2 28 Whittall Street; Address 3 Tiger Works, 3 Price Street; Address4 Tiger Works, 3 Price Street, 2 & 4 Price Street, 28 Whittall Street; Address 5 63 Price Street all in Birmingham, trading as a gunmaker from 1902-1976.

Harper's built guns for the provincial and London trade. They built a few of their own-name guns too.

John Harper may have been the brother of Albert J Harper. He established his business in 1902 at 124 1/2 Steelhouse Lane. In 1912 the firm was recorded at 28 Whittall Street, and in about 1940 they had additional premises at 2 & 4 Price Street. In 1940 the firm moved to the Tiger Works, 3 Price Street. Between 1954 and 1976 the firm occupied 63 Price Street.

Doug Tate wrote he had seen a catalogue for John Harper, Tiger Works, Whittall Street showing a handwritten inscription, May 8th 1976, John Harper, indicating he was still in business then and as has been mentioned, was Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House Guardian in 1980. Doug writes: 'Typical for a maker who specialized in building guns for others, the catalogue is filled with guns covering the spectrum of qualities and all but one of them have vacant banners or cartouches in which the eventual provincial retailer could engrave his own name. The exception is Model 110, a single-barrel "Anson & Deeley pattern trap gun" with "Beaver-tail fore-end" and "Made for 2 3/4 and 3 inch cases." Because of its design and specifications, this particular gun may have been intended for the American market and is consequently engraved with the maker's name on both the barrel and the action.'

A story recounted in Don Master's book on Churchill alleges that just before WWI Robert Churchill was about to depart to Monte Carlo for the live pigeon shooting championships, when he fell in the snow and damaged the end of his 28" barrels. There being no suitable other gun for him he is supposed to have asked John Harper to cut his barrels down to 25". Masters' says these seems most unlikely as Harper's were in Birmingham, so why use them when Churchill had his own barrel makers in London. Apparently Robert Churchill knew of this rumour and he always denied it; he continued to use John Harper and later his son Norman Harper up until around 1955.

Harpers probably made the E J Churchill "Utility" and "Prodigy" models and supplied barrelled actions to them; they supplied John Robertson of Boss & Co, some of their own later guns were made by A A Brown & Sons. L Jones engraved some guns for the firm. They also supplied most of the F Beesley boxlocks from 1918 to 1939. Harpers also supplied John Wilkes with some guns, as well as WR Pape.

The Bristol-based George Gibbs gun and rifle manufacturing company was bought, in 1918, by the then manager H Stevens, a Dr Cates and John Harper. In 1927 the company filed for bankruptcy, though creditors were paid off and business resumed. It is not known if John Harper was still involved with the business at this time. In 1964 the Gibbs business was acquired by Bath gunmaker and author Ian M Crudgington and John Harpers son, Norman. Gibbs continues to trade, now owned by Mark Crudginton. Again, it is not known when the Harper connection was lost.

From records built up by me the serial numbers of Harper named guns run in the 14, 15, 16 & 17 hundred series, indicating a production of around 400 guns. These include single barrel hammer guns, SLEs, BLEs and BLNEs in gauges 12, 16, 20 and .410.

Tim

Last edited by trw999; 05/02/14 04:38 AM.