Tinsley & Hull
Tinsley & Hull was a Savannah, Georgia cotton brokerage that exported cotton and phosphate rock before becoming insolvent in 1913.
Last updated August 25, 2026
Overview
Tinsley & Hull was a historical cotton-brokerage business based in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Its principal activity was the commercial handling and export of cotton, placing it within the port-centered commodity trade that was important to Savannah and the wider American South in the early twentieth century. The firm also exported phosphate rock, indicating that its operations extended beyond a single agricultural commodity and included another bulk product associated with the region's industrial and export economy. The company is chiefly documented because of its insolvency in 1913 and the legal proceedings that followed its failure. Fleming Davies Tinsley, a Milledgeville, Georgia native and an executive associated with the firm, was accused of stealing 275 bales of cotton from the Savannah Trust Company. The cotton was reported to have been worth $22,000 at the time. Tinsley was tried on a charge of larceny and found not guilty. The acquittal did not prevent the episode from becoming part of the surviving historical record of the firm's collapse, but the available reference material does not establish that Tinsley & Hull itself was convicted of wrongdoing. Daniel B. Hull was another important figure connected with the business. In May 1909, he purchased a membership in the New York Cotton Exchange from Alan Bond, who was also a member of the New York Stock Exchange. The transaction illustrates the firm's connection to organized cotton-market institutions beyond Savannah and suggests that its principals participated in the formal brokerage and exchange infrastructure of the period. Tinsley & Hull is no longer operating. Its documented business history is limited, and available sources do not identify a precise founding date, a formal successor, a parent company, a surviving website, or detailed information about its organizational structure. The company should therefore be understood as a defunct historical commodity brokerage rather than a contemporary consumer brand or talent agency.
History
Tinsley & Hull was a cotton brokerage located in Savannah, Georgia. The firm operated in the commercial environment created by the region's cotton production, port logistics, and international commodity trade. Its recorded business included exporting cotton and phosphate rock, making it a merchant and brokerage enterprise with interests in more than one bulk commodity. The surviving historical account does not provide a founding year or a complete chronology of the firm's formation, ownership, capitalization, or daily operations. It does, however, identify Daniel B. Hull as a principal figure and records a connection with the New York Cotton Exchange. In May 1909, Hull purchased a membership in that exchange from Alan Bond, who was also a member of the New York Stock Exchange. Exchange membership would have connected the firm's leadership with a major institutional center for cotton trading and price discovery. Fleming Davies Tinsley, a native of Milledgeville, Georgia, was an executive associated with the company. The firm's history became particularly notable after it failed financially. Tinsley & Hull became insolvent in 1913, although the available source does not state the precise cause of insolvency, the amount of its liabilities, or whether its assets were liquidated or transferred to another business. The collapse also led to criminal proceedings involving Tinsley. He was accused of stealing 275 bales of cotton from the Savannah Trust Company; the cotton was valued at $22,000. Tinsley was tried for larceny and found not guilty. The record therefore supports describing the case as an accusation followed by acquittal, not as a proven theft or corporate misconduct finding. No evidence in the available material indicates that Tinsley & Hull continued after its 1913 insolvency. There is also no documented modern successor, parent organization, public listing, or active website. Its historical significance rests on its place in Savannah's cotton-export economy, its links to the New York Cotton Exchange, and the legal and financial events surrounding its failure.
- 1913The firm becomes insolvent
Tinsley & Hull became insolvent after conducting cotton and phosphate-rock export activities.
- 1909Daniel B. Hull acquires a New York Cotton Exchange membership
In May, Daniel B. Hull purchased a membership in the New York Cotton Exchange from Alan Bond, linking a principal figure in the Savannah firm with a major organized cotton-trading institution.
- Fleming Davies Tinsley is acquitted
Following the firm's failure, executive Fleming Davies Tinsley was tried for allegedly taking 275 bales of cotton from the Savannah Trust Company and was found not guilty.
Products and positioning
A historical Savannah-based commodity brokerage focused primarily on cotton export, with additional activity in phosphate rock.
Cotton brokerage and exportCommodity brokerage
Cotton was the firm's principal documented business. Tinsley & Hull operated from Savannah, a significant southeastern port, and exported cotton as part of the regional and international commodity trade. The available source does not specify the firm's customer base, geographic destinations, contract volumes, or exact brokerage model.
Phosphate rock exportBulk commodity export
In addition to cotton, Tinsley & Hull exported phosphate rock. This activity indicates that the firm handled another bulk commodity connected to the agricultural and industrial economy of the period. Detailed information about volumes, destinations, or the duration of this line is not available in the cited material.
Flagship businesses
- Cotton trading and export
- Phosphate rock export
Brand decisions
- 1913InsolvencyOther
The cotton brokerage's documented operating history ended in insolvency.
What changed. Tinsley & Hull became insolvent.
Aftermath. The failure was followed by a larceny trial involving executive Fleming Davies Tinsley, who was acquitted. No successor or restructuring is identified in the available source.
- 1909Connection to the New York Cotton ExchangeStrategy
Daniel B. Hull was a principal figure associated with the firm and participated in the organized cotton market through an exchange membership.
What changed. Hull purchased a New York Cotton Exchange membership from Alan Bond in May 1909.
Aftermath. The available source does not describe the commercial effect of the membership purchase on Tinsley & Hull.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel B. Hull | Principal figure associated with Tinsley & Hullformer | — |
| Fleming Davies Tinsley | Executive associated with Tinsley & Hullformer | — |
Controversies
- Larceny accusation involving cottonControversy
Fleming Davies Tinsley, an executive associated with Tinsley & Hull, was accused of taking 275 bales of cotton valued at $22,000 from the Savannah Trust Company after the firm's failure. He was tried and found not guilty.
Recent events
- 1913Tinsley & Hull becomes insolvent
The Savannah cotton brokerage became insolvent after operating in cotton and phosphate-rock export.
Bankruptcy - 1909Daniel B. Hull purchases New York Cotton Exchange membership
Daniel B. Hull purchased a membership in the New York Cotton Exchange from Alan Bond in May 1909.
Other
Sources
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