Alexander Henry was a Scottish gun maker, based in Edinburgh, and designer of the Henry rifling and barrel used in the Martini–Henry rifle. He submitted a rifle to the competition organised by the British government for a replacement for their existing Snider–Enfieldservice weapon. His breech action and barrel were both judged to be the best. The War Office did not adopt its action, preferring that of von Martini, but did adopt its seven-grooved barrel rifling scheme. The resulting Martini-Henry rifle is named after von Martini and himself. Henry is a fascinating character – from a number of personal tragedies in his family, to some disastrous other business ventures, but he also was the "First Volunteer" – the first signatory to the creation of the Queen’s Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers, Moderator of the High Constables of Edinburgh, a Justice of the Peace, a Freemason and an Edinburgh town councillor. He was admitted to The Royal Scottish Society Of Arts in March 1856. In 1872 he was appointed "gun and rifle manufacturer to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales". In 1873, one of his double rifles was specially made by Henry for Queen Victoria in 1873 and presented it to her personal servant John Brown for Christmas that year. The "extremely rare" Royal.450 double-barrelled hammer rifle was on public displayfor the first time from June to November 2019 in the 's Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland exhibition. He and his wife Isabella had nine children : Eliza Mackay Henry, Jemima Janet Henry, James AlexanderHenry, William Orchardson Henry, Isabella Henry, a stillborn child, Alexander Henry, Alice Mills Henry and John Chave Luxmoore Henry. When Alexander Henry died, he left the business to Alick and John, but they sold it within a couple of months, beginning the slow decline of the "brand". The first comprehensive biography of Alexander Henry "Alexander Henry, Rifle Maker" was published on 23 November 2017, by gunmaking history author Donald Dallas, with considerable input from Henry's great great grandson, Richard Brown. His grave is in Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh.
