In 1851 Reubin was a gun percussioner. A gun percussioner received the gun with the gunlocks inletted in place, but without hammers. He then chose and fitted suitable hammers with the correct "throw" so that the hammer nose fell neatly and squarely onto the nipple (Percussion) or striker (Centre fire). He then passed the gun back for engraving. The hammers could not be fitted to the gunlock by the gunlock maker, as he would not know what the "throw" was going to be. The "throw" is the distance from the centre of the pivot of the hammer to the centre of the nipple or striker.
He married Mary Ann NEWEY in March 1859 at Saint George, Birmingham (Mar 1859 B'Ham 6d/38) and they had at least four children: John, Henry, Eliza and Reuben.
In 1861 he and Mary Ann were living in Kimberworth in Yorkshire. He was working as a chandalier maker. It appears that Mary Ann died between 1865 and 1866.
In 1866 Reuben married Emma WILCOX at Saint George, Birmingham (Jun 1866 B'Ham 6d/67) and had a further three children (Ellen, Walter C and Arthur). Emma also had an earlier child named Thomas.
By 1881 he had either died or divorced, as his wife appears to have remarried to William Hill and is living with Ellen, Walter C and Ralph E Edwards. There is a Reuben Edwards recorded in 1881 as being a widower and working as a manufacturer's clerk in Birmingham.
Thye most likely record is the civil registration of Reuben EDWARD is Aston in Q3 1879 aged 40.