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Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
A
Brief
Introduction
to
the
Fish
Hook
Industry
in
Redditch
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
fishhook
had
been
used
for
thousands
of
years
by
man
for
acquiring
their
food
supplies.
The
earliest
known
fishhooks
were
from
the
Middle
East
in
about
7000
BC
and,
over
time,
man
has
crafted
fish
hooks
from
all
sorts
of
materials
including
bone,
horn,
shells,
stone,
bronze,
iron,
and
present
day
materials.
The
modern
concept
of
fishing
by
rod
and
line
as
a
sport
was
first
described
in
the
book
the
‘Compleat
Angler’,
by
Isaak
Walton,
published
in
1652,
which
propelled
the
interest
into
an
activity
for
the
nation.
Using
a
conversation
between
two
characters,
the
book
gives
an
informed
representation
of
how,
at
that
time,
fishing
with
a
rod
and
hook
was
done.
Left:
-
Early
Fish
Hooks
Right
-
Illustration
from
the
‘Compleat
Angler’
Far
Right
-
Isaak
Walton
(1594
-
1683)
The
Emergence
of
Fishing
as
a
Sport
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
manufacturing
of
fishhooks
in
Redditch
began
around
1770
and
the
first
notable
manufacturers
were
needle
makers.The
1898
catalogue
of
Henry
Millward
and
Sons
claimed
that
‘they
manufacture
fish
hooks
on
a
very
extensive
scale,
being
probably
the
largest
makers
in
the
world’.
However,
the
main
product
of
needle
manufacturers
was
not
the
fish
hook
and,
as
more
specialist
fish
hooks
were
demanded,
then
specialist
makers
began
to
appear.
Following
the
interest
of
fishing
as
a
leisure
sport,
quality
steel
hooks
began
to
make
their
appearance
in
Europe
in
the
1600’s.
Since
the
fish
hook
is
essentially
a
curved
needle
with
a
barb,
then
many
of
the
skills
required
for
needle
making
could
also
be
applied
to
fish
hooks
and
their
manufacture
became
a
task
for
professionals.
Fishhook
manufacture
at
Millward’s
Washford
Mills
Display
of
fishing
hooks
by
Henry
Millward
(courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum
-
Redditch)
The
Beginnings
of
Fishhook
Manufacture
in
Redditch
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
In
1803,
Polycarp
Allcock,
an
apprentice
in
hook
making,
began
his
own
business.
However,
it
was
his
son,
Samuel
Allcock,
who
really
expanded
and
created
the
business.
Samuel
was
an
entrepreneur,
and
salesman,
and
he
expanded
the
business
to
include
reels,
rods
and
other
fishing
tackle
accessories.
By
1880,
Allcocks
were
able
to
make
the
claim
that
they
were
‘The
Worlds
Oldest
and
Largest
Manufacturer
of
Fishing
Tackle’.
A
member
of
the
firm,
James
Young,
designed
a
reel
the
‘Aerial’
and
a
few
years
later
formed
his
own
company
Young
and
Sons
to
produce
reels.
At
the
end
of
the
19th
Century
Allcock
and
Company
had
become
the
largest
fishing
tackle
manufacturer
in
the
World
and
had
moved
to
its
site
in
Clive
Road.
It
employed
more
than
1000
people
in
Redditch
and
its
name
was
known
Worldwide
as
a
producer
of
quality
merchandise.
Left:
Samuel
Allcock
(photo
AG
courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum)
Right:
Aerial
View
of
Allcock
Factory
in
Clive
Road
(marketing
image)
Right:
Allcock
display
of
fish
hook
range
(photo
AG
courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum)
Allcock’s
Fishing
Tackle
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Allcocks
and
Young
continued
to
expand
and,
in
1963,
they
joined
forces
to
form
‘Top
Tackle’.
However,
the
owners
decided
to
sell
the
company
and
it
was
purchased
by
the
USA
company
‘Shakespeare’
in
1965.
In
1968
there
was
a
serious
fire
at
the
Clive
Road
factory
and
so
Shakespeare
relocated
the
company
first
to
a
site
at
Brook
Street,
and
finally,
in
1979,
to
a
site
at
the
Lakeside
Industrial
Estate.
During
this
period
the
famous
name
of
Allcocks
was
dropped
and
replaced
with
the
less
well
known
name
of
Shakespeare.
Knowing
the
history
of
USA
companies
purchasing
UK
manufacturers,
it
was
not
surprising
that
the
site
was
finally
closed
down
and
the
manufacture
moved
to
the
Far
East.
Left
-
Fish
Hook
manufacture
at
Allcocks
in
the
1950s
Right
-
View
of
the
Allcock
Factory
in
Clive
Road
after
fire
(photo
1970
by
Ian
Hayes)
Redditch
Fish
Hook
Manufacture
-
The
20th
Century
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Following
the
demise
of
the
Samuel
Allcock,
the
main
Redditch
manufacturer
of
fish
hooks
became
Partridge
and
Company.
This
had
been
formed
in
second
half
of
the
19th
Century.
However,
it
was
sold
to
the
Norwegian
manufacturer
Mustad
and,
after
a
short
time,
the
manufacture
in
Redditch
ceased
and
was
moved
to
the
Far
East.
The
factory
was
converted
into
apartments
in
2002.
However,
there
then
remained
one
manufacturer
in
the
town
producing
hooks.
Vince
Green
(my
brother)
became
involved
in
hook
manufacture
because
our
father,
Ted
Green,
was
responsible
for
hook
manufacture
at
Allcocks.
When
it
closed
down,
he
formed
his
own
company,
Sprite
Fishing
Tackle,
to
produce
Redditch
made
fish
hooks.
Vince,
a
qualified
design
engineer,
joined
him
and,
after
the
death
of
our
father,
continued
to
develop
the
company
using
his
experience
of
engineering
design.
He
continued
to
produce
Redditch
made
hooks
for
specialist
manufacturers
of
fishing
flies
etc,
until,
sadly,
he
died
in
2013.
Thus
ended
over
200
years
of
fishhook
making
in
Redditch
and
the
UK.
Fish
hook
making
started
in
Redditch
at
the
beginning
of
the
19th
Century
by
companies
such
as
Henry
Milward,
Samuel
Allcock
and
William
Bartleet
and
ended
at
the
beginning
of
the
21st
Century
with
the
death
of
Vincent
Green.
Above:
Example
from
Partridge
Catalogue
Below:
Sprite
Fish
Hooks
(Redditch
Manufacturing)
Photo
Vince
Green
Fish
Hook
Manufacture
Today
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Fish
Hooks
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
End
of
Presentation
A
Brief
Introduction
to
the
Fish
Hook
Industry
in
Redditch