It is sad to have to say that throughout the long history of machine guns in the British service there has never been on of British design actually adopted.
The development of the Vickers MMG was a long, drawn-out process that started with the designs by Sir Hiram Maxim in the 19th Century and the Maxim Machine Gun.
The advent of the development of the Maxim gun and the formation of the Maxim Gun Company in 1884 with Albert Vickers as Chairman, introduced the first true machine gun to the British service.
The Maxim MG was first purchased in 1887 and one instructional gun was issued, per Battalion, from 1890; however, the training courses for the obsolete Gardner and Nordenfelt Machine Guns continued until 1894. Even so, it was still the case that not all Infantry Battalions had received their Maxim MG by 1897 (Hobart, 1971).
Hobart (1971) identifies that, in 1909, the scale of issue was increased to two guns per Battalion. The Regular Battalions were provided with Mk. IV Tripods, while Territorial Force Battalions were issued with the Infantry Carriage, Mk. III.