Hi Anthony I have connections with Birmingham gunmakers, and I know that it was a centre for this industry, as well as London. He could have worked in a gunmaker shop at the back, perhaps. My gunmakers were MURCOTTs and HARDINGs, although my line had moved to London well before the end of the 19th century. HTH Katy Southampton, UK Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 22:46:56 -0500 From: Anthony Hofstee <ahofstee@sympatico.ca> Subject: [B'ham] Rifle tester, gun finisher in 1870's, 1880's (PINNER/PENNER) To: ENG-WARKS-BIRMINGHAM@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.0.20061215223824.01df8a90@sympatico.ca> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Was there a factory producing guns and/or rifles in Birmingham during the 1870's and 1880's? William Pinner (or Penner) listed as gun finisher in 1871 census was born about 1839 in Lyons or Paris in France. He married for the first time about 1854 with an unknown to me woman. William remarried in 1877 with Caroline Tolley supposedly born in Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. William was also named as William Merrin Pinner. Any information on William or about gun finishers would be appreciated. Thanks.