William Greener
of Birmingham
c.1807 Born in Felling, Co. Durham
William Greener was the first generation of the Greener family of gun makers
He started his career as an apprentice to John Gardner in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Later, as a journeyman gun maker he worked for Joe Manton in London before marrying.
1828 Married Ann Thorne in Lambeth[1]
1829 He returned to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and set up his own gun making business as William Greener
1841 William Greener 35, gunsmith, lived in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with Ann Greener 30, Joseph Greener 9, William Greener 7, Sarah Greener 5, Mary Greener 3, Ann Greener 1 Day[2]
1841 William Greener of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a manufacturer of Fire Arms and inventor, became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers.[3]
1844 He experienced difficulties in obtaining materials so in 1844 he moved to Birmingham and in, or near that city, the business has remained ever since.
1849 Directory: Listed as makers of guns and / or gun components.[4]
William Greener was a prolific inventor and over his lifetime he invented: the expansive bullet (1835); an electric light (1846 - this was long before the modern 'Ediswan' lamp was patented in 1879); a device to open the four gates of a railway level crossing simultaneously; a self-righting lifeboat (1851) and modifications to the Miners Safety Lamp. But first and foremost he was a gun maker and the quality of his guns soon attracted the rich and famous; amongst these was Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria.
1851 William Greener 45, gun maker, employing 9 men, lived in Aston with Anna Greener 41, Jos Henry Greener 18, gun maker, William Greener 16, Mary Greener 12, Anna Maria Greener 9, Albert John Greener 5, Arthur Paul Greener 7 Mo[5]
1851 At The Great Exhibition he won two gold medals and a diploma "for guns and barrels, perfectly forged and finished" - the highest honour obtainable. His model of a lifeboat was also exhibited.
1855 He went on to win two silver medals at the Paris Exposition, but throughout his life he made percussion muzzle loaders and was sceptical of the new breech loaders, then in their infancy.
William wrote three books, The Gun in 1834, The Science of Gunnery in 1846 and Gunnery in 1858 published in that year. He was instrumental in reforming the Gun Barrel Proof House in the Act of 1855 after a pamphlet, he produced in 1846, 'The Proof House - the Bane of the Trade' influenced politicians and the public to stamp out corruption and bad practices.
1861 William Greener 54, gun manufacturer, employing 42 men and 8 boys, lived in Aston with William W Greener 26, gun maker, Sarah Ann Greener 24, Mary E Greener 22, Albert J Greener 15, gun stacker, Arthur E Greener 10[6]
1869 of Rifle Hill works, Birmingham, and Stratford on Avon, died in Stratford; his 2 daughters were the executors[7]