page_title: Wilkinson Sword
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Wilkinson Sword / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Nock volley gun in the Charleston Museum. These guns were made 1779-1780 for the British Royal Navy
context_page_description: Wilkinson Sword is a brand for razors and other personal care products sold in Europe, owned by Edgewell Personal Care. The company was founded as a manufacturer of guns made in Shotley Bridge in County Durham, by Henry Nock in London in 1772.
  Besides guns, the company has also produced swords, bayonets and products such as typewriters, garden shears, scissors and motorcycles. Gardening equipment is still made under the Wilkinson Sword name by E.P. Barrus under a licensing arrangement. Wilkinson Sword has manufactured its products in three UK locations over the years: in London, Cramlington in Northumberland, and Bridgend in Wales, where it made gardening tools. In 2000, the company closed its razor plant in the UK and consolidated production in Germany. In 2014, the company further moved most of its production to Czech Republic.
context_section_description: Henry Nock began trading as a gunlock smith out of Mount Pleasant in London in 1772.  In 1775, he formed Nock, Jover & Co. with William Jover and John Green.  The American Revolutionary War led to strong sales for the new company.  In 1776, the Board of Ordnance granted Nock, Jover & Co. an advance of £200 to start producing bayonets and in 1779 the company won a contract to produce 500 seven-barreled volley guns for the Royal Navy.  Although designed by James Wilson, these would become known as Nock volley guns or Nock guns.
  When Henry Nock died in 1804, he left the company to his foreman and adopted son-in-law, James Wilkinson.  When James's son Henry Wilkinson joined the company it was renamed James Wilkinson & Son (also known as simply Wilkinson & Son).  It became the Wilkinson Sword Company in 1891.
caption: A Nock Volley Gun (1779-1780)
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