Hall Pycroft was a young man who worked as a financial clerk. After being let go by a stockbroking house, he managed to acquire a position at Mawson and Williams', one of the most prestigious brokerage firms in London. Shortly afterwards he was approached by the Pinner brothers, who offered him a job at his hardware export company in Birmingham for over twice his annual salary on the condition he start immediately. However, Pycroft became suspicious his situation, and so asked Sherlock Holmes to investigate his employers, the results of which are revealed in "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk.