James Champion Chichester

[carver 1641]

Need imfo on James Champion  gunmaker Chichester  1823-1845  census or mariage anything.  I own one of his shotguns,very curious about him and his shop.thanks  Randy.

[CaroleW]

If he was born 1823 - he will have married after 1837 - have you checked freebmd for a marriage for him  www.freebmd.org.uk

Chichester  1823-1845

 

As he was only 22 when he died - are you sure he did marry?

[lizdb]

1841 has a 45 year old James Champion, not bn in county, living in Chichester and desribed as a gunmaker.
That looks like him

There is also a 20 yr old James Champion elsewhere in Chichester, but he is described as a labourer

[suey]

I see you are in Canada.  If you google Chichester Armoury you will find contact details.

They are an old established company of gunsmiths and have been in Chichester for a long time,   Someone there may know something about James Champion given that he lived and worked in Chichester.

Suey

[carver 1641]

I see you are in Canada.  If you google Chichester Armoury you will find contact details.

They are an old established company of gunsmiths and have been in Chichester for a long time,   Someone there may know something about James Champion given that he lived and worked in Chichester.

Suey

[carver 1641]

Didnt mean to thow everybody off   he was a gunmaker  between 1823 to 1845  sorry on my part..looking fo birth and other imfo like address   somewhere on east st. Chichester.  thanks .

[suey]

 
   http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/advanced-search.aspx?tab=1

If you follow this link put James Champion in the box 'this exact wording or phrase' and the dates 1823 - 1845. Choose West Sussex Record Office from repository hit search and there are 6 results

1841 Census simply has him in East Street, no address.  Unless anyone knows anything about old Chi' - he seems to be a couple of doors up from the Bank wherever that was
doesn't seem to be an enumerators walk in the images

He did have a 15 year old female servant Jane Norkett who was born in the County.

Did he  die in 1845?

Suey

[suey]

Here's another thought - there is an expert on old firearms called Bill Harriman, you could write to him via a magazine called The Shooting Times,

Or an e.mail to them explaining what you're after and they may be able to put you in touch with him  http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/about/contact.

Suey

 

[artifis]

In the Pigot's Sussex Trade Directories of 1828/9, 1832/3/4 and 1840 he is listed as Gun Smith of East Street.  One of several in 1828/9 but he appears to have been the only gun smith in the later directories.

Possible death for him Q2 1846 Chichester.  Unfortunately no age given for him so without getting the death certificate it's not certain it's him.

He would have been an apprentice to a gun smith before setting up in business on his own account, probably in another town so as not to be taking business from his previous employers.  As he was born out of county he would likely have been apprenticed to a gun smith where or near to where he was born and brought up.  Might be worth trawling Google on that front.