Harris Holland (1806 - 1896) founded 'H. Holland' in 1835, but it was not until 1867 that his nephew, Henry, was made a partner and the name 'Holland & Holland' came into being. Harris had started with a tobacco business in London's Holborn district but he became an experienced and enthusiastic shooter early in life and this stimulated his interest in gunmaking.

Until about 1850 most 'H. Holland' guns were probably built in the trade to Harris Holland's design. The arrival, however, of nephew Henry as an apprentice in 1860 heralded the leading role which the company was to take in the age of innovation which, from 1870 onwards, put London gunmakers on a pedestal.

The 'Field' Rifle Trials, held in London in 1883, established the Holland & Holland fame for very well made and highly accurate sporting rifles. This reputation for excellence soon spread with the Holland & Holland double barrelled rifle becoming the benchmark for reliability in hunting for large and dangerous game.

During his career, Henry Holland was renowned for invention and took out over forty patents ranging from the famous 'Royal' action of 1883 to the celebrated .375 H&H magnum belted cartridge in 1912, still the universal favourite for hunters worldwide.

The 'Royal' trademark rights, describing one of the most successful sidelock actions of all time, were granted in 1885 and have since denoted excellence in gunmaking for well over one hundred years. Usually identified with side-by-side shotguns and rifles, the name has more recently appeared on the new range of Holland & Holland over-and-under guns employing the same sidelock action principles.

Harris Holland died in 1896 and two years later Henry completed his purpose-built gun factory in Kensal Green, West London, which has remained in continuous use to the present day. Shooting grounds nearby were needed for all the work associated with factory testing, barrel regulation and rifle calibration, and for teaching shooting techniques to newcomers. Urban pressures forced a move to new shooting grounds at Wembley in 1913, and then again to the present grounds at Northwood, Middlesex, in 1930, but still within 18 miles of the central London gunroom and factory.

Following the Second World War (1939-1945) good craftsmen were scarce and wealthy clients were scarcer. Fortunately, Henry Holland's son, Jack, in charge since his uncle retired in 1930, insisted on rebuilding the quality and service for which the company was famous and, soon after his death in 1958, the company was acquired by a group of friendly and enthusiastic clients. They encouraged the new management to move into fine second-hand and antique gun trading, as well as into new 'commemorative' guns. This took Holland & Holland gunmaking into a new era of extraordinary engraving and embellishment.