Description
Egg of London Cased 14 Bore Shotgun
Egg of London Cased 14 Bore Shotgun. A very nice cased double shotgun by Egg of London. I am unsure as to which particular Egg produced this. I think that it is possibly Henry Egg as there is what looks like an “H” on the trigger guard. Approximately 14 bore with excellent bores and plenty of barrel thickness. Great condition Damascus barrels. Cased in its original case with accessories. The only blemish regarding this set is that the tip has broken off the ramrod as shown in the pictures.
Henry Egg (1815-1869) son of Joseph Egg, gunmakers (successor to Joseph Manton & Son), 6 Holles Street,Cavendish Square, 1839-1842; 1 Picadilly, 1842-1850; Henry Egg, s.a. 1851-1869; Henry William Egg, s.a. 1869-1880.
The name Joseph Egg & Sons may have been used after Joseph’s death in 1837 (and perhaps immediattely prior to it) when Charles and Henry took over the business. It may be of interest to note that Charles was the elder of the two brothers, probably born in 1811 or 1812, Henry was born in 1815 or 1816. Both Charles and Henry Egg started and finished their apprenticeships with the Reynolds firm of gunmakers at the same time. Charles would have been aged 21 in 1832 or 1833, Henry Egg would have been 21 only in 1836 or 1837.
In 1839 Charles and Henry took over the bankrupt business of Joseph Manton at 6 Holles Street, Cavendish Square. In 1842 these premises were closed but the business at 1 Piccadilly continued under the name of Charles & Henry Egg.
In 1850 Charles retired, he died in 1867; Henry Egg continued the business and in about 1860-1865 developed an under lever pin-fire gun (referred to as Henry Egg’s improvement).
In 1869 Henry died and was succeeded by his son, Henry William Egg (b.1845 in St James). Henry William changed the name of the firm to his own and traded until 1880. He was recorded in the 1871 census as a gunsmith employing 7 men, 2 boys and 1 woman. He was living at 1 Piccadilly with his wife, Mary A (b.1848 in Hanover Square, London; married possibly in 1866).
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