Alcock bros

John Alcock came from a family of at least 9 children (6 girls and 3 boys). His 2 brothers Ralph and William were important characters in late 19th Century and early 20th Century Cheadle.

Ralph Alcock at his daughter Dora's wedding

   

Ralph and Fanny Alcock were responsible for at least 17 children. Poor Fanny must have been constantly pregnant. They lived at and had a hardware store at 25-29 High Street Cheadle, which Ralph called Stafford House.

Here are some of the things that Ralph Alcock was involved in:

- furniture sales, upholstery, ironmonger, auctioneer, valuer, certified bailiff

- Lid Lane Nurseries

- secretary of Cheadle Rifle Club

- vice-president of Cheadle Pigeon Racing Association

- member of 1914-18 Home Defence Corps

- helped to form a dvision of the Cheadle St. John's Ambulance

- took part in creating a Free Library in the Town Hall

- emigration office and booking agent for Canadian Pacific Railway

- organising talks on life in Canada

Their children Alfred (Fred) and Frances moved to Canada. Edward also moved to North America. The children who emigrated to Orlando Florida named the street they lived Alcock Road.

Their son Willy Alcock (William Ryder Alcock) carried on the furniture business in Cheadle High Street. 

John's brother William had no children but was an important builder in Cheadle. In 1905 he bought 6 plots of land in the Charles Street area. In 1910, he owned 22 houses or shops in the town, including 5 in the High Street. In 1911 he obtained permission for building a smart new street called The Avenue and also sold the land to the council which became Cheadle County Primary School. Charles Street and The Avenue must have been at the edge of the town in those days. After William Alcock died in 1924, 37 lots were sold according to an article in the Cheadle and Tean Times dated 18th July 1924.

The 1896 Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire pages 112-113 lists the following: 
Alcock Wm. builder, contractor & timber mer. 3 Bank st
Alcock John, auctioneer, valuer & estate agent (established 1863), Queen street
Alcock Ralph, ironmonger, cabinet maker, hardware & furniture dealer ; manufacturer of every description of household furniture; house completely furnished, furniture removed with safety & dispatch ; orders receive prompt attention, Stafford house, High street

Thanks to Paula Mott for the photos and also to the fascinating book Edwardian and Great War Cheadle for a lot of this information and the Ralph Alcock advert.

 

Stafford House now