Page 15 - Redditch People

Redditch People

Fish hook manufacture at Allcocks in 1950s

Allcock Factory in Clive Road The Cedars - the home of Samuel Allcock

Life and Times of Samuel Allcock

Fish hooks were initially made by needle makers as a side-line but after the publication
of Izaak Walton’s ‘The Compleat Angler’ there was an increasing interest in fishing as a
leisure pursuit. With this increasing interest in this market, Polycarp Allcock founded the
Allcock Company to manufacture fish hooks.

On September 19th. 1829 a son Samuel was born, the youngest child from his third
marriage. By the age of ten, Samuel worked at home for half a day and attended school
for the remainder of the day and, at thirteen he was accompanying his father on his
selling trips travelling the country selling not only his hooks but other fishing tackle.

By fifteen he undertook the selling trips on his own and, at the age of nineteen, he took
over the business which had a stock valuation of £17. Ten years later he married the
daughter of James Baylis of Redditch, who also worked in the fishing tackle trade.

In 1851 he decided to take part in the Great Exhibition, spending about £5 on a small
exhibition case of tackle. Although he did not win any prizes he did receive an honourable
mention. Following the 1851 exhibition success, further shows took place in 1862 in
Toronto and Bergen in 1865 and this was a trend which continued in the future with the
emphasis on overseas exhibitions.

The business was carried out on a site between Unicorn Hill and Bates Hill but with the
expansion of the company in 1866 a site was purchased in Clive Road and the company

© RLHS 2015 Page: 15