David Gray has been researching the Carrier Carts from Spalding. It shows a rich infrastructure of transport from Spalding to the local towns and villages and how it changed over the years. Can you help with more information and photos.
Click on the link to view the list. AOS D 0277 Carrier Carts From Spalding
2 Responses
The Bailey mentioned as carrier from Whaplode Drove in 1885 would be my Great Grandfather William Morton Bailey. Per White’s Trade Directory 1882, he did Spalding on Tuesdays, Holbeach on Thursdays, and Peterborough on Saturdays. The 1885 reference presumably came from Kelly’s Trade Directory. I do not have any photo of his cart.
By 1891 he had moved to Peterborough where he became Auctioneer, Hay Merchant and landlord of the Black Swan on Midgate and eventually founded the Peterborough Omnibus & Carriage Company in 1895 which incorporated as a Ltd Company on 8 June 1896. The company had 35 horses (all named), 8 horsebuses, a Fly Wagonnette various carts, harnesses and implements individually listed in the document that transferred ownership from Bailey personally to the Ltd Company. Bailey was majority shareholder and Managing Director. The Company continued trading until 1905 by which time the tram system was established in the city.
A fellow director Ald. Daniel Redhead did set up a Motorbus Company in 1905 with the aim of having buses built by Werner, Pffeiderer and Perkins known at the “Mercial” chassis in Peterborough but this seemingly never went beyond a drawing. Later in 1913 Redhead was involved in the formation of “United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd” in the Wellingborough, Northants area. This company eventually through various mergers and take-overs became the United Counties Company covering Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire which traded under private and state ownership until eventually becoming part of the Stagecoach empire.
I therefore like to think that some of the seeds for the United Counties Company were sown in Whaplode Drove!
Thanks John, it would be good to meet up sometime.