Benjamin DeLay Snr was the first member of the DeLay family to join the gun trade. Ben entered the trade with Cogswell and Harrison before joining James Purdey and Sons in 1914. Ben worked at Purdey’s for 50 years.
Ben had two sons, Benjamin and Harold. Ben Jnr joined his father at Purdey’s in 1928 and Harold in 1931. Ben trained as an action filer and Harold as a stocker. Ben Jnr worked as a gunsmith for 57 years, Harold for 50.
In 1960 Ben Jnr’s son Peter joined Purdey’s and was apprenticed to his father as an action filer. In 1962, Peter became an apprentice to the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers under Harry Lawrence.
Peter’s cousin David Josey joined Purdey’s in 1962 and trained as an action filer before retraining as a stocker.
Between them, three generations of the family have clocked up around 250 years service.
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