West Ham Gutta Percha Co was established in 1850 by Charles and Walter Hancock as a competitor to the Gutta Percha Company, run by Henry Bewley, where Charles had previously worked. The company manufactured a wide variety of products made from gutta percha, a latex thermoplastic derived from the gum of the gutta percha tree. Gutta percha is a durable electrical insulator that can be moulded or extruded to make products for a range of applications. The West Ham Gutta Percha Co's products ranged from household items such as candlesticks and bedpans to more industrial items such as valves and tubing. In 1864, the company merged with S. W. Silver and Co, india rubber manufacturers.