AUGER FISHING TACKLE - SUMMERHILL ROAD - TOTTENHAM

 

 

As a lad growing up in Summerhill Road, we had a family living opposite us named ‘Beckett’ and Mr Beckett operated his own fishing tackle company from these premises. The company was called ‘Auger’ and he had a small green Jowett van that had the slogan ‘Auger – Catches the Big Fighting Fish’ emblazoned on the side panels. Mr Beckett also employed locally a small number of part-time women to package hooks and floats for his business.

Following the death of my brother a few years ago, we had the task of clearing the house and among the many items found we discovered some Auger fishing tackle including a fishing reel that, at the time it was developed, had a revolutionary type of winding mechanism. The reel was called an ‘Augermatic’ which I gather became highly sought after.

The discovery of the ‘Auger’ tackle prompted us to conduct some further research on the company. It transpires that the owner, Mr Thomas Beckett, was a native of County Sligo in Ireland and he became the President of the ‘County Sligo Association’ based in Holborn, London. We also discovered a number of newspaper articles that featured this group including a photograph of Mr Beckett (Dark horn-rimmed spectacles).

But by far the most fascinating information we found was that Mr Beckett had attended ‘Summerhill College’ in County Sligo, and his company had sponsored a number of college events. A list of the college Alumni includes Albert Reynolds (Former Taoiseach) and 3 members of the Irish boyband ‘Westlife’. It begs the question was his decision to move to Summerhill Road, Tottenham influenced by his school background?

Totally by coincidence, my home address is in Beckett Close and our local church, just a short distance away, is called ‘St Thomas of Canterbury’.

 


 




 
         
'AUGER - Catches the Big Fighting Fish'

The AUGER company van was a Jowett Javelin almost identical to this vehicle. It was exactly the same colour  but had the Logo 'AUGER - Catches the Big Fighting Fish'  displayed on the side panels alongside a large fish similar to the above

 


NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS


Mr T.A BECKETT – PRESIDENT SLIGO ASSOCIATION -LONDON
AUGER SPONSORS THE FESTIVAL OF SLIGO

AUGERMATIC FISHING REEL IN SMALL ADDS
ARTICLE ABOUT AUGER IN FISHING MAGAZINE

 

 

 

The information regarding ‘Summerhill College’ was quite a revelation and surprising how many of their Alumni were relatively well known here in the UK. They include a former Prime Minister of Ireland (Taoiseach) Albert Reynolds, three members of the boyband ‘Westlife’  (Mr.Kian Egan, Mr. Mark Feehily & Mr. Shane Filan) Former Minister for Finance & E.U Commissioner (Ray MacSharry) and Former CEO of Aer Lingus and current Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (Mr. Dermot Mannion).    

 
SUMMERHILL COLLEGE  - Co SLIGO – ALUMNI 




 

 

TOBERCURRY Co SLIGO – BIRTHPLACE OF THOMAS ALEXANDER BECKETT 1911

When Thomas Alexander Beckett was born in March 1911 in Sligo, his father, Thomas, was 39 and his mother, Lillian (nee Clarke), was 23. His sister Lilian 'Lola' was born on 5 March 1915 in Sligo when Thomas Alexander was 4 years old.

His father Rev: Thomas Alexander passed away on 23 January 1925 in Sligo, at the age of 53.


TOBERCURRY, Co SLIGO  1920’s
THE SQUARE – TOBERCURRY Co SLIGO 1950’s

 

 

Origin of the trademark ‘AUGER’ Accessories.

Following further research, we were surprised to discover that the company name was simply his wife’s maiden name. Thomas Alexander Beckett married Gladys Violet Auger in Wokingham, Berkshire in the 4th Quarter of 1941. Prior to her marriage, and at the time of the 1939 Register, Gladys Auger lived with her parents at ‘Ye Old Cottage’ Crockhamwell Road, Woodley. Her father was a retired biscuit factory machinist (probably Huntley & Palmer in nearby Reading) and Gladys, age 32 had an occupation of Dressmaker. Here is a photograph of Thomas Alexander Beckett on his wedding day:

 

Following their marriage, they lived for a while at 47 Hilldrop Crescent, Tuffnell Park, N7. The Hilldrop Estate was built by the LCC in 1946 and presumably they were one of the first occupants. We believe they moved to number 10 Summerhill Road, Tottenham in the early 1950’s.

HILLDROP ESTATE -LONDON N.7 - UNDER CONSTRUCTION c1949

We know that Mr & Mrs Beckett had a son named Michael but have been unable to find any birth registration or indeed any information relating to him. To the best of our knowledge, he attended St Ignatius College at Stamford Hill.

Thomas Alexander Beckett apparently died in 1973, but once again we can find no death registration. There is of course the possibility that he may have died in his birthplace in Ireland, but we have not yet been able to establish that either.

 

The one thing we can confirm is that Gladys Violet Beckett (nee Auger) died in St Albans, Hertfordshire on the 16th December,1989 aged 82 years. Here is her probate record.


 

 

 

                                         

Article prepared by Alan Swain -July 2021