Description

Admin History:

The 1880s saw the development of life insurance schemes accessible for the majority of the UK population for the first time. This required the payment of premiums which were collected weekly by agents calling on customers. From this, a number of agents began to work with customers and local shops providing a service whereby goods could be obtained by customers through the agent who would then pay the shop, after subtracting an agreed discount. As this type of trading became more popular, so there would inevitably be some defaulters. As a consequence in 1890, 4 Hull insurance agents, S.T. Moore, J. Appleton, H. Selby and J. Dixon, met in a coffee shop on Story Street to pool information for their own protection against bad payers and to try and prevent debtors from over committing themselves. This would later develop into the Masters and Agents Protection Society as they were joined by other agents from Hull. In addition, they were joined by agents from Grimsby and other parts of Lincolnshire, until they went on to form their own association.

This type of trading became very successful. Shops would provide customers with a printed document, the 'credit token', which would later become known as the 'check', for an agreed maximum amount and could be used in an approved shop the customer wished to use. In 1902 the organisation changed it's name to the Hull and District Credit Traders Association (H&DCTA), and began to develop contacts with traders and similar associations across the country. In 1911 it was proposed the association should have it's own office and full time secretary. P.A Blow became the first secretary, although it took until 1928 for the H&DCTA to acquire their own premises, Walmsley House on Spring Bank, which it retained until the 1990s. 1942 saw the H&DCTA work with the National Check Traders Federation to oppose the move by Hugh Dalton, President of the Board of Trade, to introduce the Check Control Trading Order which, if implemented, would effect the livelihood of the H&DCTA's members. The end of World War 2 saw a boom in check trading but a dispute between members and some stores in Hull would cause some serious damage. In 1949, the association changed its name to the Hull and District Credit and Check Traders Association (H&DC&CTA).

The late 1960s saw a rise in demand for cash loans for customers which resulted in the formation of consortia, both local and national, to meet the demands. These included groups such as Polycheck and Multicheck, with a national consortium being formed, Keycheck. In addition the H&DC&CTA was able to support members as various Consumer Credit Acts would introduce new rules and regulations. However during this period membership of the association began to dwindle, from some 160-170 members in the 1960s to approximately 50 in 2013. As a result the decision was made to wind up the H&DC&CTA with many members opting to join the national trade organisation.

The H&DCTA also had close links with the National Check Traders Federation, later renamed the National Consumer Credit Federation, which was founded in Hull in 1927 before eventually moving to Sheffield.

Description:

Minutes, annual reports, accounts, credit agreements, campaign folders, letters, shopping guides and lists, programmes of events, photographs