JAMES PURDEY & SONS - Established 1814

JAMES PURDEY & SONS - The history of arguably the world's finest and most revered gunmakers!

In our quest to deliver an online magazine of real quality to our visitors, we at Lymington Dot Com were delighted to be able to cover one of the greatest gunmakers in the world. In this article we delve into the history of this revered company, but keep coming back as apart from some new fine pieces, the company is branching out. To find out where, you'll have to keep popping back for an imminent announcement. In the meantime here's some background!

Purdey is one of the world’s oldest sporting brands, internationally renowned for quality, innovation and excellence for almost two hundred years.

James Purdey, the founder, completed his seven year gunmaking apprenticeship in 1805, working for London’s top gunmaker Joseph Manton before establishing his own business in 1814.  Right from the start Purdey was determined to build guns only of the very best quality.  Queen Victoria became a Purdey customer in 1838.  Her son, The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, conferred his Royal Warrant on the firm in 1868, as have all four subsequent British monarchs, for each of whom Purdey has built guns and rifles.

James Purdey had taken over Manton’s premises at 315 Oxford Street in 1826, where his business was to stay for the next 56 years, until James the Younger, who succeeded his father in 1858, needed more space and built a new factory, offices and showrooms in nearby Mayfair.  These opened in 1882, on the corner of South Audley Street and Mount Street, and remain the headquarters of James Purdey & Sons to this day.

The gunmaking operations moved again in 1900, to new premises two miles away in Paddington.  They remained there until 1975 when the buildings were acquired for redevelopment.  Purdey’s gunmakers then moved out to Hammersmith, West London, where the factory is today, housing thirty traditionally trained craftsmen building between 70 and 80 bespoke guns and rifles a year. Over the past ten years Purdey has invested heavily in the latest CNC and digital technology.  This has enabled significant improvements to be made in quality, and productivity, without compromising the skills and artistry of the traditional craftsman gunmaker.

The business was sold by the Purdey family in 1946 when, in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the prospects for London gunmakers looked impossibly difficult.  It was bought by brothers Hugh and Victor Seely, who then gave it to their nephew Richard Beaumont in 1949. He owned and ran the company until 1994, when he sold it to the Richemont Group. 

Richard Beaumont brought his younger cousin Nigel Beaumont in to the business as a post graduate apprentice gunmaker in 1978.  Nigel was appointed factory manager in 1987, and Managing Director in 1994, and he continues to be in charge of all Purdey’s gunmaking operations.

At the invitation of the Richemont Group, Richard Purdey, sixth generation of the family directly descended from the founder, became Chairman in 1995.  He was at the time CEO of a drinks manufacturing business, and joined James Purdey & Sons full time in 1998.

For more information please visit the website HERE!