HORSLEY, THOMAS

Thomas Horsley began his business circa 1830 in his hometown of Doncaster, but returned to York circa 1834. York had a large army base, which offered great commercial opportunity for the company. By the 1860s, Horsley was making best long guns with distinctive patented features. By the 1880s, due to the advent of the hammerless gun and social changes, the guns became less distinctive, but there was production of an unusual hammerless gun. Thomas, who died in 1882, handed the business off to his son, also named Thomas, who ran the business until his death in 1915. Continuing economic pressures had the firm retailing bicycles in the 1890s, and at the turn-of-the-century, a brief flirtation with a motor car of their own design. After WWI, fewer guns were sold, and the ones that were made were no longer custom best guns. The company moved again before World War II, and moved to another location in York in 1933. Thomas Jr., who continued running the business almost until his death, also had a son named Thomas. Thomas III and three of his four brothers continued running the business between them until Thomas III's death in 1954. Tony Horsley briefly ran the business until it finally closed down in 1959. Records for the company have survived, but unfortunately, the quality of the ledger descriptions is not good and somewhat sparse.
Thomas Horsely guns, like many guns made by formerly bespoke manufacturers, should be evaluated individually for desirability, features/options, eye appeal, and collectibility. Most guns were bought by active sportsmen and women to be used in the field. Values of pre-WWI guns will be more than post-WWI manufacture.
Some information appears courtesy of David J. Baker, author of Thomas Horsley - Gunmaker of York, Boothroyd's Directory of British Gunmakers 1850-Present Day by Geoffrey Boothroyd & Susan M. Boothroyd, and British Gunmakers Volume Two by Nigel Brown.