Although the Red Hand of Allsopp’s resembles the gauntleted and couped hand of the O’Neills coat of Arms or the “Red Hand of Ulster”, it has nothing to do with this symbol. The Hand Device was registered as Trade Mark for Samuel Allsopp & Sons on February 29th, 1876, although it was used by the company a long time before that. 

Red hand at night. Drinker’s delight.

A Hand was also a common sign at coffee houses and inns during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and was very often used by sign painters to draw attention to the wares of various tradesmen. There is an old story that inn­keepers sometimes displayed an open hand to indicate that their ale was in good condition and ready for sale, and this is where we believe that our Red Hand derives from.

Hands up who knew that already?