H Adkin & Sons

H

howardbjr

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I am looking for info on a gunmaker H Adkin and Sons you have inherited a double barrel 12 gauge and want to know more about the history of the gun Thx HBJ?
 
I found a reference to:

"H.Adkin and Sons 57 High Street Bedford"

Bedford is north of London.

I also found a mention of a later 1900 address in Guildford, sw of London.

That's it so far.
 
Just to make sure, it is "Adkin" and not "Atkin". Henry Atkin was a famous London gun maker, but at a quick look I don't see any info on H Adkin.
 
I was indeed able to find "Henry Atkins;" however, I'm certain that the gunmaker for this side-by-side, double 12 is "H Adkin and Sons" and it was made in Bedford, England.

Can't seem to find much else regarding this gunmaker however. Thx
 
Johnbt:

You're on to something. The barrel has an inscription, "H Adkin and Sons Beford." I also find the number 1333 on various components of the gun, which I assume means that there are at least 1332 other versions of this gun out in the world.

I've googled to H Adkin and Sons Bedford, don't find much other than auction sights with little to no info.

Thank you for you good work,
hj
 
H Adkin of Bedford was my great,great grandfather. The family business survived about 100 years in Bedford I believe, finally closing down in the 1950's when my great uncle died. :)
 
H Adkin 12 gauge side by side shotgun

I have a H Adkin serial number 1104. This must be an earlier shotgun because of the low serial number and on the barrel it just has H Adkin 57 High Street Bedford without the "& Sons"

I know nothing about the shotgun and would like to know more about it.

It is a hammered back action lock with the nice piece of wood I have ever seen on a shotgun
 
"H Adkin of Bedford was my great,great grandfather. The family business survived about 100 years in Bedford I believe, finally closing down in the 1950's when my great uncle died. "

You sound like a pretty good primary source
 
I've also recently bought a H.Adkin & sons, 57 high street Bedford, shotgun. Its a best quality box lock ejector with damscus barrels serial number 2007.

I've been trying to do some research with little success, I have found a little information here:

http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/C41B76D4-3918-47D3-ACE3-FD740E905F1A/FinalDownload/DownloadId-CF785052B13A14E5940152E29778AD6A/C41B76D4-3918-47D3-ACE3-FD740E905F1A/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.local_studies/high_street_history_booklet.pdf

I have tried PM to "englishrose" but sadly it hasn't been read yet.

When I spoke to some people in the trade they thought it was most likely that H.adkin bought Birmingham guns and sold them as their own.

I also found a leather case on ebay by the maker, which I think had gun serial number 1211 on the trade label. I bought this for my gun and will probably restore it as its not in very good condition. If anyone knows a good restorer of leather goods, it needs a new strap and a handle as well as a repair to the ends.

Please post any more information you manage to find on the maker and I'll do the same as I find it.

Thanks

Simon
 
Guys, I know im reviving thread here, but I need info on H.Adkin as well. I just aquired an old sxs shotgun from him as well. Its a double hammer, double trigger damascus barreled .12ga with "H.Adkin Maker Bedford" on it, the ser# is 938! Its got 30" barrels, and is in good condition. what would something like this be worth?
 
With my last name being Akins, I've seen through the years how there are many variations on the same basic name. Sometimes it was done over time in the same country by people misspelling it and just keeping the misspelling, and sometimes it was done at Ellis Island when people immigrated to the U.S. My grandfather (Laddie Akins) who was born in 1898 once did a family search and traced his ancestry back to two brothers that jumped off a British ship in America during the revolutionary war. My wife has gone back even further than that doing her ancestory.com thing she is into.

It can be "Akins", "Akens", "Atkins", "Atkens", "Adkins", "Adkens", "Aikins", "Aikens", or any of the above with the "s" left off the end. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone misspelled my name. It couldn't just be simple like "Jones" or something that doesn't easily change or get misspelled. So when you are looking up the name "Akins" or anything that sounds close to it, you can often find many variations on the same name. It is basically an English (British) name though.

Ginnz, sorry I can't help you with any info on your shotgun though. Somewhere along the line all us versions of the "Akins" name are related, but I have no knowledge of the info you need on your shotgun.


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englishrose said:
H Adkin of Bedford was my great,great grandfather.

The family business survived about 100 years in Bedford I believe, finally closing down in the 1950's when my great uncle died.
Click to expand...

Welcome to TFL, englishrose !

Could you please expand upon your intimate/family knowledge about your great,great gandfather's firm ?

Especially about when he started in business, when & why the firm name changed to "& Son" (and the additional nemaes), and maybe an approximation on how many guns (and of what quality) were produced ?



.
 
I wouldn't expect a response Petah. She only made the one post on the same day she joined, July 31 2010.
 
well, since my initial post, ive found no further information, except mine was built in and around 1870-1879, judging by the proofmarks I found when I removed the forearm. Im still amazed at the low serial # and the fact mine is missing the " and sons" to the name on the piece itself. I wish there was some more info out there..... I'd like to think it was worth something?:rolleyes:
 
Apologies for my very long absence. :eek: I can't tell you very much about the guns you are interested in, only that my family were the owners of H Adkin and sons in Bedford. My knowledge is very limited as my grandfather and his brother were the last owners and my grandfather died very young, leaving his brother running the business, until his death in, I believe, 1953.

The business was then sold but the stone engraving of the shop's name still remains above the premises in Bedford High St. My father has memories of the shop when he was a boy.

The family were originally from Bungay in Suffolk, and were gunmakers. One son moved to Bedford in the middle of the 1800s and opened the gunshop, and the business passed down each generation. The business was long lived but I don't have any info about the weaponry sold. My father recalls they got into some trouble once when there was explosion but no one was hurt lol.

This gives you some history of the business which may help your research.....that's if any of you are still on this forum.

http://virtual-library.culturalserv...tised_resources/high_street_history_adkin.htm

My father is the military author, Mark Adkin...whose books are quite well known if you read that type of non fiction, who is referred to in the link above.
 
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