Joseph Manton - Artillery - Lost Sale

Lost Sale

The army provided him a cannon and funding, and in return expected a greatly improved weapon. Whilst there is little doubt Manton's design was superior, an argument over payment was to cause the army to declare it of small benefit. The row erupted over how Manton was to be paid; he believed the agreement was to a £30,000 lump sum. The army argued that since they had already invested sunk costs into research and development, they did not want to give away such a huge amount of money to a man whose design had not been tested in the field. Manton, angered, patented his design, twisting the army's hand into making him a deal. The army offered him one farthing for each shell the produced, but Manton refused this offer. Surprisingly for Manton, the army stood their ground and did not make him a new offer. Joseph Manton was frightened at the prospect of having spent a great deal of time and money (including some for his own money) into developing a weapon that the army would not use. He returned a new offer to the army, whereby the army could make the shells without paying royalties, but Manton would make the wooden cups. They refused.

Having spent more than a decade in unsuccessful legal battles against the Board of Ordnance, Joseph lost his vast fortunes and was declared bankrupt in 1826. His entire Oxford Street workshop was seized and his stock of guns sold by Joseph Lang, an aspiring gunsmith who would form Atkin, Grant and Lang. Lang is credited with opening one of the first shooting schools in the premises adjoining Manton's property.