Gunsmiths & Apprenticeship 1820-1835

[gracem]

Does any one know of any Gunsmiths in Dublin at this time and whether any apprentice details survive?
Thomas Fray turned up in Leicester England. He married in 1834 and the subsequent censuses give his place of birth as Dublin, 1805-1815. Where did he train to be a gunsmith? Who were his parents? Was his father a gunsmith too? Was there a connection to the Military? Hoping apprentice papers might answer some of these questions.

Any help appreciated

Grace

[yoyo55]

hi grace my name is martin eales and im researching the frays as well. my grandmother was florence fray born in 1907 .william fray was her father. im on ancestry with some of our distant cousins in canada. more than welcome to shre what i have which is not a lot at moment. stories passed down to my mum was that thomas was a gunsmith in dublin when he came to uk . he had a shop near the town centre got the map and address somewhere whill post for you when i find it again . thanks martin (eales) family tree. by the way im in nuneaton near hinckley.

[gracem]

Hi Martin, my Frays are from Wiltshire but I have been collecting information on all other UK branches for 30+ years. I'm trying to help Debra at the moment who I believe you are already in touch with. I have got a John resident in Dublin at the appropriate time to be Thomas's father but thought to save trawlling every parish apprenticeship papers should give his fathers name and maybe fathers occupation. Thomas's first son was John so that fits with normal naming patterns but isn't conclusive. If John was part of the English in Dublin then he could be linked to one of the branches in Lancashire, Kent, London.... but if he was Irish then maybe Fray is the anglisation of an Irish name?

[iem]

Hi Grace,
I have a Christopher McClean/McLain, Gunsmith who appears in the report to the Fictitious Votes Committee in Dublin in 1837. He had the vote because he had been admitted to the Ancient Freedom of Dublin on the basis of 'service' (his smithing apprenticeship presumably?).  His father, a blacksmith, had also been admitted in 1802 on the basis of 'service'.  This doesn't tell you any more about the apprenticeship - but the Ancient Freedom Records may be another avenue for research?
iem

[gracem]

Thanks I will look into them. I now believe John father of Thomas was a silversmith and that the family went to Dublin from London. I think Thomas was then sent back to London - He probably started his career decorating guns before setting up his manufacturing business in Leicestershire. There may have been other brothers / cousins in Dublin too.

[Kerryman]

Dublin had many excellent gunsmiths at the dates you mention - possibly the most famous is John Rigby, started in business in the late 1700's, opened a shop in London c 1860 and eventually closed their Irish operations c 1900.  Rigby still trade in London. William Kavanagh was another well-known and highly regarded firm firm, closed about 100 years ago. These two are probably the best known, but there were many more smaller ones. I don't know if any records survive.

[gracem]

Thanks for the information. I still haven't got any Gunsmith apprenticeship details but went up to London last week and found the Grandfather (John) was a originally a carpenter apprentice who transferred into silversmithing and that his father was a David Fray (St Giles Cripplegate). David isn't a common name in the family and so we now think we can go back a further generation. John's Silversmithing partner was Dennis Wise which may be why he called his own son Dennis.