Guardian of the Proof House

[Geordie daughter]

I'm hoping that someone with a bit of expertise in the gun trade can help me to establish exactly what the Guardian of a Proof House does, please. I've tried Googling it but as my internet provider's security system blocks many of the websites dealing with weaponry, it's proving to be a frustrating exercise. The ancestor I'm researching was a Guardian of the Birmingham Proof House from around 1940 to 1945 at least (possibly longer), but also seems to have been running a hotel at Hockley Heath with his wife, so I would like to know what his duties at the Proof House would entail. Many thanks.

[Marmalady]

From this article, it would seem that the Guardians were some sort of managing committee:

"In 1873 the nucleus of the collection was formed when the Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House purchased a collection of arms & armour from the former collection of Claudio Calandra, a keen Italian firearms collector, who had spent a great deal of time amassing a vast and exquisite collection of small arms and associated memorabilia. In August 1876 the collection was gifted, with conditions, by the Guardians to Birmingham Borough Council so that members of the public may enjoy the collection."

from: https://www.gunproof.com/museum-and-pattern-rooms

[Geordie daughter]

Thanks, Marmalady, it does sound like it. Presumably they were involved with the accounts and auditing side of things.

[hanes teulu]

Names of some Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House, named in Birmingham Daily Post, 8 May 1940 -
Charles Gardner, Charles E Greener, A H Marsh, M S Marson, J Leek, C A Phillipson

Plenty of articles in newspapers online

[Geordie daughter]

Thanks, Hanes. That's the article that piqued my interest. M.S. Marson is the fella I'm interested in, and I think he's Malcolm Stuart/Stewart Marson who is a second cousin three times removed, of mine. I know very little about this line of the family, so it would be great to find out more. I found another mention of him as Guardian in a newspaper article dated 1945, but thereafter, nothing.

[hanes teulu]

Evening Despatch, 7 May 1940
"The possibility of the Government transferring or taking over much of the gun-testing work that would normally be done by the 127 year old Birmingham Proof House ..."

[hanes teulu]

Couple of mentions of an M S Marson in the early 1930s Birmingham papers playing bowls and footy.

[Geordie daughter]

That's interesting. There are a LOT of Marsons in the Midlands area, but the initials M.S. are less common. The family lived in Villa Street, Aston, for years - not too far from the football ground, I've learned. The eldest son who was killed in WW I was also very sporty, so the involvement in that sort of thing would fit.

[Rena]

I see I come too late to the thread.  However, here's confirmation of what a "Proof House" is and does

https://www.gunmakers.org.uk/the-proof-house/

A "Guardian" of a premises is a person whose accommodation is attached to the premises. or in the grounds of the premises.

So the "Guardian of the Proof House" means there must have been a dwelling with bedrooms, etc. for somebody to live in.