The History of Thomas Turner

[Thomas Turner]

Introduction​

The more we research the history of Thomas Turner the more gems are unearthed. The latest information has kindly been forwarded to us by the legendary rod builder Edward Barder who has brought to our attention a very interesting article published in The Shooting Times in April 1997 by his father Richard Barder, a Great-great-Grandson of our founder Thomas Turner. The article gives a fascinating insight into the Turner family and the connection with the Barder family.

Shooting Times article about Thomas Turner

A Short History of Thomas Turner & Sons, Gunmakers of Reading – by the late Richard C R Barder, great-great grandson of Thomas Turner of Reading.​

Thomas Turner, 1811-1886, was born in Marlborough (Wiltshire). He was a son of Thomas Turner, 1770- 1843, also a gunmaker and engraver. The family were previously saddlers and their history in Marlborough has been traced back to the 17th Century.

In 1838 Thomas Turner established his own gunmaking business at 3 Middle Row, Reading. He was also a sword maker and engraver. His father continued as a gunmaker in Marlborough where he was succeeded by another son, Henry Arthur at 21 High Street until late in the 19th Century. In 1840 Thomas Turner married Emma Jane Jarvis (born Upavon 1812).

Thomas Turner’s business prospered. Two sons, Thomas Henry (1852-1939) and Edward (1868-1939) followed their father into the business. Thomas and Thomas Henry’s Wills both describe them as Gun Manufacturers. Branches were opened in Newbury, Basingstoke and Hungerford. In addition to being a gunmaker and engraver Thomas Henry was also a J.P. He lived in a large house in Henley Road, Caversham and grew his own walnut trees for gunstocks (so he claimed, although the age of Walnut required to make good stocks is considerable so this may have been imaginative marketing).

The last Turner to be involved in the business was Edward Bertram, son of Edward. He owned and ran the Newbury branch until about 1969, when it was sold to Cordings of Piccadilly. Thereafter, Newbury had its own branch of this famous shop without, in 99% of cases, being aware of the connection!

The Reading business was acquired on Thomas Henry’s death by John Hubert Stratton who was Thomas Henry’s last apprentice and had been his assistant. John Hubert Stratton married Thomas Henry’s nephew Thomas’s widow in 1933. John Hubert remarried and the business at the time of writing (1998) is owned by John Hubert’s sons Michael and Peter Stratton. Michael and Peter have split the business into two separate entities. Michael owns and runs a traditional fishing tackle business in the Whitley Street shop which had been the premises of the gunmaking business after a move from the Buttermarket in the 1960s (Thomas, father of Henry and Edward, had moved from the original premises at 3 Middle Row to 8 Buttermarket, a prestigious address in Reading, in the second half of the 19th Century). The gunmakers’ shop is now at Gosbrook Road, Caversham and is owned and run by Peter.

All the Strattons are noted sportsmen and shots. John Hubert had a shooting school on the Duke of Wellington’s estate at Stratfield Saye. He taught the Duke to shoot. In his sporting memoirs Colin Farnell, a noted Berkshire sportsman, tells the story of the day a picker-up approached John Hubert at the end of a drive: “How many birds are there for me to pick up Sir?” he asked. John Hubert replied politely, “If you count the spent cartridges at my peg that’s how many there are to pick. Thank you”. It comes as no surprise to learn that Peter Stratton shot for England for several years.

Thomas Turner had all but ceased making guns in the 1950s, although magnum boxlock number 6125 was completed in 1967. It now retails and services a wide range of sporting guns made by the better manufacturers. The branches in Newbury and Basingstoke were given up many years ago.

The guns of Thomas Turner​

Thomas Turner of Marlborough would have made flintlock guns and pistols. A flintlock pocket pistol by him was sold recently. In his Will he left his son Henry Arthur gun barrels to the value of £50 and all his gun making tools and equipment.

Thomas Turner of Reading employed four men in 1851 (Census records). During his lifetime (he died in 1886) he must have made flintlocks, percussion guns, pinfires and finally hammer and hammerless guns and rifles such as we know today.

Thomas Henry and Edward employed twelve men in their workshops. Here they made sporting guns and rifles. The rough castings and barrels would have been obtained from the trade in an unfinished state and the engraving, fitting, filing and stocking were then carried out in-house. The more expensive guns were sent to the London proof house as their clientele thought this had more cachet than Birmingham proofing.

In addition, orders would have been placed with a number of Birmingham manufacturers for finished guns bearing the Turner name. Howells were much favoured for their barrels and orders were placed with, among many others, Carr’s and William Baker and G & S Holloway.

Most of the guns sold by Turner’s were boxlocks and sidelocks in various grades. The guns were always strongly made with plenty of meat in the barrels. Their survival rate is high.

It should be remembered that Turner’s modus operandi was that of virtually every other provincial gunmaker of standing, that is to say there was a strong reliance on the often maligned Birmingham trade, the best of which was excellent. It is now known that many famous London firms had their guns made for them in Birmingham. Additionally, the Birmingham trade gave the provincial maker a flexibility of output, style, type and quality of gun that he could never have sustained on his own.



Turner’s business was by no means limited to making, selling and repairing serviceable boxlocks and hammer guns plus, if their trade labels and stationery are to be believed, rifles and revolvers – and why not? Berkshire may not be the centre of the universe but it must have sent a good share of its sons to the forces, Dominions and Colonies. Turners also sold a number of guns to the local gentry. The number may not have been a large percentage of the total, but I have seen a matched pair of sidelocks made, it is thought, for one of the Palmers of biscuit fame, that are the match of anything from London. The engraving, some of the best I have seen on any gun, was probably the work of Thomas Henry Turner. I have also handled two very acceptable non-ejector sidelocks and a well proportioned sidlelock ejector featuring coil spring locks and an unusual cocking system. It is signed Thomas Turner & Sons on a scroll among a profusion of crisp engraving. This gun has an unusual fore-end catch and horn tipped fore-end. The barrels are of Vickers steel. In fact, the gun was undoubtedly made for Turner’s by Baker of Birmingham as it bear’s Baker’s patent numbers, though no doubt Turner’s stocked, engraved and finished it. It was proved in London and is of middle quality by London standards, but London standards were exceptional in 1925. This gun was ordered by Granville Gore Skipwith, a landowner near Reading, as a twenty first birthday present for his son, Philip. John Hubert Stratton’s father was the Skipwith’s head keeper. No doubt there are other good old Turner sidlelocks to be found.

Copyright Richard C R Barder 1998.



Note: since this article was written, RCR Barder acquired a number of very nice Turner guns including a superb 12 bore db percussion gun, a 12 bore sidelock ejector ordered to make up a trio with a pair of Holland & Holland Royals, a 12 bore built for driven grouse shooting, two other 12 bore sidelocks and a 12 bore boxlock (now sold). These guns are now owned by Edward Barder (the fishing rod maker) and his younger brother Charles, great-great-great grandsons of Thomas Turner of Reading.



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