1831 - William Rochester Pape was born in Amble.
1858 - W.R.Pape wins the Field Trials.
1859 - W.R.Pape wins the Field Trials.
1859 - W.R.Pape organises the first dog show in Great Britain and the prizes are Pape shotguns.
1866 - W.R.Pape wins the Field Trials.
1866 - Invented choke boring in Shotguns (British Patent No. 1501)
1867 - W.R.Pape provisionally patents a system of mechanically retracting firing pins (#594[p] 2/3/1867). Later in the same year Pape improves upon this system (#2488 3/9/1867). This patent also includes a description of an extractor.
1870 - W.R.Pape patents yet another improvement of mechanically retracting firing pins (#752 15/3/1870).
1875 - W.R.Pape wins a prize of ten guineas awarded to "the original inventor" of choke boring. The prize is the idea of a Mr. Lane, and is awarded to settle a dispute taking place inthe correspondence column of "The Field" newspaper over the origins of choke boring. THE FIELD organises a trial to compare the merits of the new choke bored guns over the traditional cylinder bores. Pape finishes 2nd and 3rd in class 1 for choke border guns and 1st in class 2 for cylinders (Pape has entered three guns in his own name and three in the name of Davison of Morpeth). The trials leave no doubt as to the superior patterns and penetration of choke bored guns.
1887 - W.R.Pape wins a prize medal at the royal mining engineering and industrial exhibition.
1889 - W.R.Pape retires, leaving the business to his son, Victor.
1889 - W.R.Pape guns win a diploma of merit at the Glasgow exhibition.
1902 - W.R.Pape moves his business from 29 Collingwood St. and 36 Westgate Rd. to 21 Collingwood St.
1923 - W.R.Pape dies following a road accident.
1935 - W.RPape business was bought and name-changed to Bagnall & Kirkwood (Late of W.R.Pape).
1944 - Sidney Guthrie was employed by Mr. Kirkwood as a junior assistant.
1954 - Mr. Kirkwood died and Mr. Guthrie took over the business.
1969 - Bagnall & Kirkwood moved to 52 Grey Street.
1973 - Mr. Guthrie's wife Mrs. E. Guthrie joined the business and became joint owner.
1981 - Mr and Mrs Guthrie's son Alan joined the business.
1993 - Sidney Guthrie died in April of this year and his widow moved the business to 28 Grey Street in October of this year.
W.R.Pape Gun Serial Numbers:
| 1857 - 100 | 1884 - 4061 | 1911 - 11721 |
| 1858 - 140 | 1885 - 4094 | 1912 - 11872 |
| 1859 - 159 | 1886 - 4152 | 1913 - 12072 |
| 1860 - 500 | 1887 - 4236 | 1914 - 12260 |
| 1861 - 586 | 1888 - 5515 | 1915 - 12394 |
| 1862 - 803 | 1889 - 6010 | 1916 - 12495 |
| 1863 - 994 | 1890 - 6543 | 1917 - 12568 |
| 1864 - 1042 | 1891 - 6738 | 1918 - 12630 |
| 1865 - 1087 | 1892 - 7122 | 1919 - 12658 |
| 1866 - 1200 | 1893 - 7434 | 1920 - 12687 |
| 1867 - 1380 | 1894 - 7564 | 1921 - 12829 |
| 1868 - 1454 | 1895 - 8135 | 1922 - 12940 |
| 1869 - 1511 | 1896 - 8324 | 1923 - 12944 |
| 1870 - 1680 | 1897 - 8448 | 1924 - 13085 |
| 1871 - 1771 | 1898 - 8607 | 1925 - 13149 |
| 1872 - 2025 | 1899 - 8783 | 1926 - 13231 |
| 1873 - 2091 | 1900 - 8949 | 1927 - 13359 |
| 1874 - 2350 | 1901 - 10119 | 1928 - 13389 |
| 1875 - 2477 | 1902 - 10326 | 1929 - 13408 |
| 1876 - 2658 | 1903 - 10524 | 1930 - 13419 |
| 1877 - 2726 | 1904 - 10656 | 1931 - 13446 |
| 1878 - 2879 | 1905 - 10785 | 1932 - 13487 |
| 1879 - 3103 | 1906 - 10881 | 1933 - 13509 |
| 1880 - 3488 | 1907 - 11117 | 1934 - 13522 |
| 1881 - 3553 | 1908 - 11245 | 1935 - 13528 |
| 1882 - 3586 | 1909 - 11456 | 1936 - 13541 |
| 1883 - 3639 | 1910 - 11621 | 1937 - 13546 |