Richard Gallyon, of Hingham, was the sixth generation of his family to carry on the Gallyon & Sons gunmaking tradition.

His professional reputation saw him twice honoured to serve as Master of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers, and he also held the Freedom of the City of London.

Mr Gallyon was born in Cambridge in July 1943 and educated at St Faith’s Preparatory School and The Leys.

Although he had always been drawn to the countryside and initially hoped to become a farmer, his father had other plans. So, at the age of 17, he began working at the bench in the family workshop before travelling further afield to complete his apprenticeship as a gunmaker.

The Gallyon family business, founded in Cambridge by his great-great-great-grandfather William Gallyon in 1784, was renowned for making sporting guns and rifles and, over the generations, became one of the most respected names in the English gun trade.

In 1965, after meeting his future wife Vicky through Impington Young Farmers, Mr Gallyon moved to Norwich with his young family. He had acquired Rosson and Sons in Bedford Street and subsequently developed the business with shops in........

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