J. Conroy Reels - New York, NY -

J. Conroy Reels were the first in a long line of reels that would span almost 100 years. John Conroy founded his company around 1830. This makes him one of the earliest and longest running reel companies. The name Conroy was associated with quality reels and rods and this was responsible for the company’s longevity. The company name went through a series of changes through the years. J Conroy reels can be found with various markings. The first change was from “J. Conroy, Maker” to “Conroys, Makers” in 1846 when John’s son joined the business. Then, in 1864, the company was run by Conroy’s son when John retired. The name of the company was changed to “J.C. Conroy & Co”. In 1875, the name was changed once again this time to “Conroy, Bissett & Malleson”. In 1881, Frederick Malleson withdrew and took over the manufacture of reels for Conroy at 136 1st Street in Brooklyn. Conroy ran the showroom at 65 Fulton St. The name of the company was then changed to just “Conroy & Bissett”. This company named lasted for only a couple of years until 1883 when Bissett withdrew. The final name of the company was “Thomas J. Conroy”. The first reels marked Thomas J. Conroy were made by Malleson. After 1890, his reels were also made using the Julius vom Hofe patents and were sold in his store. The “Silver King” was one of the earliest Julius vom Hofe models. It is not uncommon to find both Thomas J. Conroy and Julius vom Hofe names on the same reel. John Conroy Is considered one of the great New York reel makers.

The CONROY Company Name History in Their Catalog