Welcome

Welcome to Gallyon & Sons Ltd online. With over two centuries of craftsmanship and service, we now move forward into the 21st Century.

Gunmaking or Gunsmithing is one of the few surviving handcrafts, the main centres of the trade are to be found in London and Birmingham Whilst some provincial towns support one, sometimes, two gunmakers, it is a craft which is usually handed on from father to son and most firms are old and well established.

Gallyon & Sons, gunmakers, Cambridge, was founded in the year 1784, but according to our records some gun parts were being purchased from Birmingham by Gallyons as early as 1781.

The founder, William Gallyon, succeeded to the business of John Henshaw in the year 1796, and Gallyons were already established at 14, Green Street, at the corner of Gifford Place, Cambridge, and the business was moved to 66, Bridge Street, in 1866. William John Gallyon, who was the son of the founder, took over the business and then his son William and later Theopholis P.Gallyon, who died in 1930. The business was carried on at Cambridge by his son Frederick Theodore N. Gallyon and under his management acquired the gunmaking business of Thomas Clough & Son, 52, High Street, Kings Lynn, in 1940. This was an old established business and records show that the premises had been used as a gunmakers workshop and retail premises since 1810.

In 1951, Gallyons purchased the gunmaking business of Charles Francis & Son at 3, Cumbergate, Peterborough, who had been gunmakers in the City of Peterborough for a century, serving the squires and gentlemen of Northamptonshire, as well as Fenmen, with guns for shooting game and wildfowl.

In 1978, Richard T. Gallyon, son of F.T.N. Gallyon and great, great, great grandson of William Gallyon, who commenced the business, became Managing Director and was the sixth generation to join the family business. He commenced his training at the bench of Cambridge Workshops, attending the Cambridge Technical School after leaving Leys School. A valuable part of his experience was gained by attending a six months course in the Birmingham gun and ammunition trade After his marriage at the Round Church, Cambridge, on 12th June, 1965, he took up residence in Norwich to manage the well known gun and cartridge business of C.S. Rosson & Co., 7 Bedford Street, Norwich, which was acquired by Gallyons on 1st May, 1965.

All records and sales are now handled by Richard Gallyon in Norfolk, or in London by appointment

The company has trained gunsmiths who work to the highest standards expected from one of the oldest family gunmakers in the country.

We are proud to have been granted the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as gunsmiths.

We specialise in work on all shotguns and our work is of the highest quality, no job is too large or too small for us to undertake.

Gallyons are also Firearms Valuers and Valuation Certificates are issued to Insurance Companies requirements