Besson & Co
Besson instruments were sold in the UK from 1840-1855 by John Pask and after that from 1855 - 1858 by Louis Jullien from 1855 - 1858. Besson then opened their own London branch at 198 Euston Road London. Their instrument were stamped F.Besson with the monogramme FR from 1869 to 1885. From 1885 - 1895 the monogramme became FB . After 1895 the stamp became Besson & Co . The UK business was bought by Boosey & Hawkes in 1948 . I cannot date it accurately but as Boosey made their own hunting horns , i would assume that the one pictured dates between 1895 & 1948.
Roberts
William Roberts 1805-1843 was a bugle & hornmaker who operated from 53 London Wall from 1813-1817 , in 1817 he moved the business to Angel St , St.Martins-le-Grand till 1826 when they moved to 39 Wood St. Cheapside until 1836. Finally in 1836 the address was 10 Staining Lane , Wood St. till 1843.
J.Greenhill
Joseph Greenhill (1782-1836) known as 'Professor and Manufacturer of the Royal Kent Bugle' operated from 71 Little Britain , London 1824 till his death in 1836, his successor Mrs C.Greenhill continued from this address till 1846 when the business moved to 18 Little Britian till 1847 when it moved to 114 Ivy Lane , Newgate St, till 1850
Henry Distin
Henry Distin & Co was at 31 Cranbourne St , Leicester Square, London from 1849 to 1850 , then at 9 & 10 Gt Newport St London from 1851 until Boosey & Co bought out Henry Distin & Co in 1868. It would seem he then moved to the USA as his name appears as maker on instruments at various address's from 1876 onwards
Alfred Hays
Alfred hays arrived in London in 1835 , he was a woodwind & Brass instrument maker, He started his own business in 1869 at 4 Royal Exchange Buildings , London manufacturing & importing instruments. Horns with just the Royal Exchange Address date between 1869 & 1909. Horns with the additional 28 Old Bond St address date between 1881 & 1909. Royal Exchange buildings border Cornhill & occasionally this address was used too.
Joseph Higham / Mayers & Harrison
Joseph Higham , established in 1842 & were making instruments for the Army by 1852 & Navy 1863 . Known address stamps were 105 Chapel Street Salford (1844-1847) , 73 Chapel Street Salford (1847-1850), Victoria Bridge (1850 -1863), 2 Victoria Street (1863-1880) & 131 Gt Ducie St (1867-1880) Manchester . In 1880 they moved to bigger premises at 127 Great Ducie Street ,also known as 127 Strangeways Manchester. They became J.Higham Ltd in 1896 until 1923 when the business was bought by Mayers & Harrison & production was moved to 58 Erskine Street in July 1923 , then again in October 1927 to 213 & 215 Great Jackson Street. The Premier Drum Company became the new owners in 1934 before reverting back to Mayers & Harrison after WW2 , they remained at Great Jackson Street address till production ceased in the late 1960's
Shipley
Shipley of 179 & 181 Regent Street London Circa 1836 to 1886 ,the makers mark was engraved till 1872 & horns after that date were stamped
Garden & Son
Garden & Son , Army accoutrement makers & gun suppliers 200 Piccadilly London Circa 1852 to 1886
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T.Bull
Thomas Henry Bull - London 1834 -1869 - listed in the 1843 Post Office directory as a keybugle & trumpet maker. He also published instruction books for instruments .Engraved mark "T Bull -Maker - 34 Windmill Street - Finsbury Square - London". He was at this address until 1868 when the address changed to 23 Tabernacle Walk , Finsbury
Watts & Co (Calcutta)
Watts & Co operated from 15/6 Chowrighee Calcutta from 1877 to the 1930's . They had branches in Ootacamund , Simla , Rangoon & Lahore
McQueen's Manchester
McQueens Musical Instruments of 488 Pendlebury ,Manchester established in 1985 by Rick McQueeney , specializing in restoration of brass instruments but also manufactured a range of hunting horns with distinctive raised ribs/bands. The company moved several times as it grew and in 1997 bought the former Black Horse pub premises on Manchester Rd where they still continue to trade
Monzani & Co
Verona born Tebaldo Monzani (1762-1839) came to London in 1785. His firm Monzani & Co were flute makers from 1808 to 1829. They produced boxwood fox hunting horns with dark horn mouthpieces , stamped "Monzani & Co - 3 Old Bond St - London" . When Monzani retired his collaborator Henry Hill continued the business as "Hill, late Monzani & Co"
Known address's were -No1 Duke Street ,Grosvenor Square 1790 , No5 Hamilton Street Piccadilly 1797 ,No2 Pall Mall 1799 ,No24 Dover St 1817 (Monzani & Hill), No28 Regent St 1827 (Monzani & Hill) , No3 Old Bond Street until 1839 (Monzani & Hill)
