Remembering the Edinburgh gunmaker who armed the British Empire

This Wednesday, 6 June 2018, is the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Edinburgh’s most illustrious sons… but many may not have heard of him. Alexander Henry was respected the world over as a manufacturer of top class sporting rifles and shotguns in the second half of the 19th century, and all were made in Edinburgh. He also invented “Henry rifling” which at the time made rifles much more accurate, and he gave his name – and barrel – to the famous Martini Henry rifle – the iconic weapon of the British Empire.