Tallyman

[Bournvilleboy]

Hi all, I have just found out that My Grandfather was a Tallyman in Birmingham. Does anyone know what a tallyman would have done?
Thanks for any help.

 

[Virginia Brummie]

I know Tally is to collect money or count money.

 

[pjmburns]

One who sold goods door to door on installments - hence he kept a tally of the payments

 

[Covroad]

We use to have the Tallyman, but we called him the clubman I think he worked for Provident?? they had an office by the Custard House in Bordesley Green.

 

[Astoness]

We use to have the Tallyman, but we called him the clubman I think he worked for Provident?? they had an office by the Custard House in Bordesley Green.

same here....where would a lot of families been without the good old provi man

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

Yep we had the Provident man. It was used to buy our school uniforms. Viv.

 

[Radiorails]

There was John Blundell and S&U. amogst others, who had tally men, clubmen or in Devon known as Pack Men. They are recorded in other threads here on BHF.

 

[Astoness]

There was John Blundell and S&U. amogst others, who had tally men, clubmen or in Devon known as Pack Men. They are recorded in other threads here on BHF.

yes alan mom certainly used blundells and s and u


lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

This is what my mum used. I remember the logo. I think it suited her as she was never one for bank accounts. In her later years she reluctantly set up a post office account only because her pension was paid into it. Viv

 

[Tinpot]

As well as a debt collector I also thought a Tallyman was some one who counted things. An example might be loading and unloading deliveries or counting work done for piece work rates.

 

[Eric Gibson]

Remember "Come Mr Tallyman tally me bananas." Harry Belafonte?

 

[AnnS]

The late Jeff Beck had a hit with 'Tallyman' around 1967 or thereabouts...

 

[A Sparks]

Yes, on seeing the title of this thread, both those songs came to mind!

 

[Bournvilleboy]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I reckon he might have collected the money for the provident cheques.
I forgot about the provident cheques. I now remember my mom buying me shoes with one of them in the 1950's. We went to a Clarks shoe shop where they measured your feet on a machine.

 

[Covroad]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I reckon he might have collected the money for the provident cheques.
I forgot about the provident cheques. I now remember my mom buying me shoes with one of them in the 1950's. We went to a Clarks shoe shop where they measured your feet on a machine.

The very machine from the 60s Source https://alfredgilletttrust.org/history-of-clarks/

 

[Mark Tooze]

yes alan mom certainly used blundells and s and u


lyn

We had at various times the Provident, the Practical, the Co-op and Solly Rose clothing company. Practical had an office on Six Ways Aston I think.

 

[izzy eckerslike]

It was sung by Jamaican dockworkers loading ships and who typically worked at night to avoid the heat of the daytime sun. When daylight arrived, they knew that their boss would arrive to tally the bananas so they could go home.

 

[SCD1875]

We use to have the Tallyman, but we called him the clubman I think he worked for Provident?? they had an office by the Custard House in Bordesley Green.

I think that company was Called Blundells.