A & D C S (Aberdare and District Co-operative Society Limited)

The Aberdare and District Co-operative Society was an amalgamation of several societies in the Aberdare Valley. These societies had originally been in competition with one another. Cwmbach Co-operative Society in 1860 was the first co-operative society to be set up in Wales; Trecynon Co-operative Soceity was established in 1865 followed by the Aberdare Co-operative Society in 1869.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was Cwmbach that was the dominant society in the valley; however, the larger societies in South Wales were particularly badly hit by the depression of 1921 and suffered huge reductions in trade and losses in member numbers. Cwmbach society was greatly affected and matters were made worse for it with the amalgamation of the Aberdare and Trecynon societies in 1924. The end result was the amalgamation of the Aberdare and Cwmbach societies in 1927. Annual sales for the amalgamated society later became higher than for any other Welsh co-operative society and in 1929 Aneurin Davies the Secretary and Executive Officer of the Aberdare and District Co-operative Society was elected as a Director of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, a national body.

The threat of the trend from the 1960s for out-of-town superstores led to the Aberdare and District Co-operative Society transfering its engagements to Co-operative Retail Services Limited in 1988. The CRS reduced the number of local autonomous societies and concentrated on forming large regional societies to cope with the threat.

by Paul Green

A. & H. Ltd. (Allen and Hanburys Ltd.)

Allen and Hanburys Ltd. was founded in 1715 in Old Plough Court, Lombard Street, London, by Silvanus Bevan, a Welshman, apothecary, and Quaker. Bevan and his brother, Timothy, who became his partner and later succeeded him, were known for their just dealings and the integrity and quality of their drugs. The company grew in to a respected pharmaceutical centre and had established a strong reputation with American doctors by the late 18th century. The West Indies was also an important destination for their products.

William Allen, FRS, also a Quaker, and a well known scientist, joined the firm in 1792 and rose quickly to become the dominant personality. His second wife was a member of the Hanbury family - who had produced several learned scientists. On Allen's death, the Hanbury family assumed control of the company.

Daniel Hanbury, FRS a pharmacologist, and also a partner, was instrumental in making the name of Allen and Hanburys still more well known due to his correspondence with scientists all over the world.

Growth of the company was continuous, but it was in the second part of the 19th century that developments on a large scale took place. Factories were built at Ware, Hertfordshire, and Bethnal Green in East London.

Allenburys claimed to be pioneers in Great Britain in the production of pastilles, and thus the Ware factory also produced Allenburys Glycerine and Black Currant Pastilles, amongst another 80 different kinds of medicated and crystallized pastilles.



Malt preparations and malt extract were also made at Ware, including "Byno" preparations, malt extract with cod liver oil. Some appeared under the name of Allenburys Bynol, Torch, Brand Malt and Oil, often specially packed for chemists and other dealers bearing their own name and address.

Allen and Hanburys was one of the first manufacturers of Cod Liver Oil in Great Britain, and owned factories in the Lofoten Islands (Norway) as well as at Hull and Aberdeen taking cod directly from the North Sea.

The Bethnal Green factory carried much of the administrative and scientific side of the business. This included research, analytical control, chemistry, pharmacy and pharmacology. The Bethnal Green plant also produced surgical instruments, mainly in stainless steel, and included "Barts" operating tables. The company had overseas branches in Lindsay, Ontario, Durban, India, Shanghai, Australia and Buenos Aires, and agencies in many other countries. The Company address was for many years at 37, Lombard Street, London EC.

Allen & Hanburys launched the first selective B2-receptor agonist, Ventolin (that is,  salbutamol), in 1968. The drug was an instant success, and has been used to treat asthma ever since.

by Paul Green

Hobday Brothers Ltd.

Hobday Brothers Ltd. was a wholesaler of bicycle, motorcycle and motor car accessories, established in Shoreditch, London in 1905. Hobdays' trade catologue of 1950 shows that the company's product range had expanded to include electrical equipment, domestic appliances, clocks, and lighting. The company also had branches in Manchester, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, and Southend at this time.

The business continued until at least the late 1950s, however the Shoreditch premises are now occupied by a cinema equipment supplier.

Advertisement, 1956

I have seen only the Hobday overprint on the stamp issue shown in the scan.

by Mark Matlach

Pocock Brothers Ltd.

Pocock Brothers Ltd. were boot and shoe manufacturers and retailers in London from 1890. The business was originally established by John Joseph Pocock. Pocock's son Philip joined the company in 1873. When Philip's brother John joined the firm in 1890, Pocock senior retired and the two brothers took control of the business. In 1892 Pocock Brothers had a contract to supply the Metropolitan Police with boots. The company also manufactured footwear for men, women and children, marching boots, mosquito boots for tropical countries and sports footwear including football boots and riding boots. In addition to their shops in London, Pocock Brothers had a number of retail outlets in south east England including shops in Brighton and Sutton. The company traded until at least the 1950s.

Advertisement, 1890

Pocock overprints also appear on George VI (SG 488) and Queen Elizabeth (SG 573) stamps.

by Mark Matlach

R. W. Kennard & Co.

R. W. Kennard & Co. was a manufacturer of cast iron goods such as fireplaces, stove grates, and boilers. The company was established in c.1840 by Robert William Kennard at 67 Upper Thames Street in London.

Robert William Kennard had access to large sums of money through his family's banking connections and he became a prominent figure in Victorian Britain's iron and steel industries. Having invested in the Falkirk Iron Co. in 1830, Kennard formed the Blaenavon Coal & Iron Co. in 1836. He became a significant financier during the railway boom of the 1830s and made his fortune as a director of one of the largest groups promoting railroads in Belgium and France. Kennard went into politics in the 1850s, becoming MP for Newport, Isle of Wight, in 1856. He died in 1870 at the age of seventy-three.

by Mark Matlach

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is an Anglican mission agency, founded in 1698 by an Anglican priest called Thomas Bray and a small group of friends. The SPCK is a registered charity in the UK. As a voluntary society, the SPCK has subscribing members who elect a Governing Body of trustees who determine and oversee the implementation of the Society's objectives and policies.

Thomas Bray

The primary concern of the Society's founders was to “counteract the growth of vice and immorality”, which they felt could be best tackled through encouraging education and the production and distribution of Christian literature. Over the years the SPCK has distributed over 30 million books and has provided the means for translating the Book of Common Prayer into more than 200 languages. Throughout the 18th century the SPCK was by far the largest producer of Christian literature in Britain. The range of its output was considerable – from pamphlets aimed at specific groups such as farmers, prisoners and soldiers, exhorting them to improve their way of life, to more general works on subjects such as baptism, Holy Communion and private devotion.

The SPCK currently produces around 80 titles a year. Books range from the academic to the popular, from devotional literature and works on spirituality to books addressing contemporary issues in the Church and society.

I have seen the SPCK overprint only on the 1d Lilac stamp issue, as shown in the scan.

by Mark Matlach

Spreckley, White & Lewis

Spreckley, White, & Lewis was a textiles manufacturer and wholesaler established in London by Thomas Freer Spreckley, Samuel White, and William Lewis. The company's main warehouse was at 13-15 Cannon Street and in the 1850's the business was described as being one of the best-known textile firms in the City.

Apart from the stamp shown (SG172), Spreckley overprints have  been noted on the George V 1d red (SG357), although both seem to be very scarce and hard to find.  

Thomas Freer Spreckley

by Mark Matlach