Please note that these assessments of the Reilly's are my own, formed after reading every word of their advertisements, articles, letters, etc. and noting what little personal information is available about them, etc. This chapter is not footnoted except for the photos for that reason

========= *85 Characterizing the Reilly's: TEXT =========

*85 Characterizing the Reilly's:

This study has not looked at the Reilly family except where it effects the business; however, here are some possible characterizations of the Reilly's based on very limited information, much from Sally Nestor, family researcher.

-- J.C. Reilly comes across as something of an early 19th century, self-absorbed narcissist (this from one possibly extremely prejudiced source) . Yet, he registered a silver mark - not something one can just do without true expertise and apprenticeship, and per John Campbell, not independently confirmed, he was a clock-maker and a member of the "Clockmakers" guild. JC apparently had some serious mechanical skills. He appears to have been rebellious, snarky, egotistical and independent, and probably was a difficult and demanding boss, husband, father. His wife left him, and a couple of his children apparently wanted nothing to do with him. But, he had allies in the gun world, i.e. a relationship with John Blanch from pretty much the time when he first began to build his own guns (a deduction from very limited evidence. Blanch kept Reilly advertisements from the 1840’s era in his private scrap book. In 1855 EM and Blanch's son Williams seem to have encouraged each other to tackle pin fire breech loaders.

-- E.M. Reilly appears to have been an imaginative, far-sighted, organized, ambitious businessman (based on his business record). He also worked with his father from an early age in the gun making business and had extensive hands-on experience in making guns and air guns.
-- He rationalized the Reilly serial numbers, created new trade labels, and advanced new and risky products.
-- He had some excellent political connections in the gun trade - the same group of gun makers appear repeatedly together in the late 1850-early 1860 time period - Prince, Green, Deane, Reilly, Blanche, Manton and a couple of others - and given that he manufactured well in excess of 6,000 Comblain breech loaders (presumably in Birmingham) in the 1860's, he had connections there as well. He had to have had some people skills.
-- He had a talent for recognizing promising new patents and was not afraid to build them to suit or to take technological business risks trying to anticipate market demand.
-- He was definitely a Francophile in an English world where France conjured up the image of a 1000 year old structural enemy. One must wonder if he got his dander up after being snubbed by the Royal Family; he seemed to turn mockingly towards anti-gun-making establishment; giving the proverbial finger to Purdey doesn't win friends.
-- He also at least early on was a practicing Catholic and may have had a chip on his shoulder about this. As late as the 1960's John Le Carre commented in a "Murder with Quality" about this lingering English phenomenon of religious persecution. He dreamed big dreams and the biggest was snagging a contract with Arsenal. One must wonder whether his religion played a part in his inability to obtain this.
-- He was probably not regarded as a "gentleman" by the English class conscious society. And definitely so when he took up with Mary Ann, a 20 year old and had four children out of wedlock. He was a businessman and a trader and though he tried to be royalty respected, he was insulted. He returned the insult by being successful.
-- He was perhaps a bit of a control freak and probably not easy to be around - especially if you were his son. (The Victorian age was not a "huggy-feely" one) (this only from interpreting the wording in his will).

. . . . .The only two known photos of E.M Reilly (from Sally Nestor's posting on ancestry.com) are attached.*85a

[b]-- Edward Montague Reilly his first "son b.1867 probably was the pre-marriage offspring of then 50 year old EM and his then 21 year old future wife Mary. Four sons were born to EM and Mary, all technically out of wedlock; However, only Edward Montague was called a "reputed" son by his father. Edward Montague was an "engineer" and "gun maker" following somewhat in his father's footsteps. He was designated as an executor of EM's will (along with Mary). He apparently later worked on locomotives. He did not seem to have advanced education and one wonders if he were a bit "slow." His father's sneering references to him cannot have improved his psyche. In about 1893 he came down with tuberculosis and ultimately fell from an upper window at 277 Oxford Street in July 1895.

-- Mary Ann Reilly, E.M.'s wife, was a woman operating in a "man's world" after his death. The fact that she apparently ran the company for 9 years from 1890-99 is a testament to her pluckiness. There is not much known about her except by analysis. She was born in 1845. No-one knows who were her parents or her background; family historians speculate that she was E.M.'s cousin. Even her maiden name is not clear - it is either Curtis or "C-o-x." At the age of 20 she seduced a 50 year old successful businessman, ignoring convention. She had 4 sons out of "wedlock" one of which may not have been his; something or someone kept them from formally marrying until the late 1870’s. After EM’S death, in spite of very specifically not being left the "trade books," she apparently took over and ran a large company in Victorian, England. This is something movies are made for - sex, guns, money and power. Her offspring included later Members of Parliament. She died 12 January 1899. She deserves more attention. Yet, under her guidance the company began steadily to contract. She had neither the insight into the gun business nor the connections to keep the company afloat.

. . . . .A photo is attached which possibly shows EM and Mary walking on Oxford Street near 277.*85b

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Last edited by Argo44; 06/05/22 11:03 AM.
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