Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company
Encyclopedia
The Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company was incorporated in 1880, the result of a merger of the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company
and the Manchester Carriage Company
, to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester
and Salford, England, and surrounding districts. Although the 1870 Tramways Act
authorised local authorities to construct tramways, it prevented them from operating tram services, so the tramways were leased out to private companies who operated them on their behalf. Those companies also had the right to construct their own tramways.
At its greatest extent, in 1900, the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company operated services over 140 route miles, using 515 trams and 5,244 horses housed in 19 depots across the region. The company continued to operate tram services until the end of March 1903, shortly after which it went into liquidation
.
and Salford
can be traced back to John Greenwood (I)
(1788–1851), who, in 1824, began what is believed to be the first omnibus service in the country, running between Pendleton
, in Salford, to Manchester. It was such a success that within 25 years there were over 60 similar omnibuses vying for passengers on the main road into Manchester.
Greenwood's son, John Greenwood (II) (1818–1886), inherited the business on his father's death in 1851, by which time the business owned almost 200 horses. Mounting competition, led to negotiations between the main rivals and on 1 March 1865, the Manchester Carriage Company
was formed, with John Greenwood (II) as its first managing director. The company brought together a number of coach and omnibus proprietors, of which the Greenwood family were the largest.
When the Tramways Act 1870
became law, the neighbouring councils of Manchester and Salford entered into negotiations for the provision of a tramway connecting the two towns. In 1875 powers were granted for construction to begin and, on Friday 18 May 1877 public services commenced. As the 1870 Act precluded operation of tramways by local authorities, the services were operated on behalf of the two town councils by the Manchester Carriage Company. This restriction was later removed by the 1886 Tramways Act, and both authorities made plans to seek powers to operate the tramways themselves. The Manchester Carriage Company's lease of the Salford lines expired in 1898, but they were granted an extension so that the lease expired at the same time as that of neighbouring Manchester, on 27 April 1901.
In 1880, a further consolidation took place, creating the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company from a merger of the Manchester Carriage Company
and the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company
. Both companies had largely the same directors, so the merger allowed them to regularise their position. The enabling Act of Parliament
allowed the new company to construct new tramways in and around Manchester and Salford, and to operate the tramways built by the local authorities on their behalf. The Company's first directors were the directors of the old Manchester Carriage Company: John Greenwood, Charles Sydney Grundy, Robert Neill, Benjamin Whitworth, James Holden, John Haworth, and Daniel Busby. Each was required to have a personal stake in the new company of at least £1,000 (about £ as of ).
John Eades (designer of L53) was manager of the Manchester Carriage Company's coachbuilding works at Ford Lane, Pendleton, Salford from 1867 until 1903.
By 1882 the company was offering services on more than 75 miles (120.7 km) of track, 25 miles (40.2 km) of which it had built itself, 28 miles (45.1 km) leased from Manchester Corporation, 13 miles (20.9 km) from Salford, and 8 miles (12.9 km) from Oldham. For the lease of the Manchester tramways alone, the Company paid Manchester Corporation £16,000 per annum (about £ as of ). At its greatest extent in 1900, the company operated services over 140 route miles in Manchester, Salford, Patricroft
, Oldham
, Stalybridge
and Stockport
, using 515 trams, 5,244 horses, and 19 depots organised into 8 operating divisions.
As the 19th century drew to a close, many corporations obtained permission to take over local tramways and run them as Corporation transport. This coincided with the introduction of electricity, and the possibility of replacement of the horse-powered tramways.
In the event, due to a misunderstanding in the valuation of the company's assets, Salford Corporation was unable to conclude its takeover of services in its area, until 1 May 1901. The following day, the corporation acquired 94 of the company's horse-tramcars, along with 906 horses; the first Salford Corporation operated tramcar service left Pendleton at 4:30 am that morning.
The company continued to operate horse tram services from Manchester to Hollinwood, Ashton, and Stalybridge until 31 March 1903, the last horse-drawn tramcars in Manchester. The company was liquidated in 1903, and its assets, amounting to £1,167,965 (about £ as of ) were distributed to its shareholders. That same year a private vehicle hire operation, The Manchester Carriage Company (1903) was formed, led by John Greenwod (III). This company survived into the 1970s, based at one time in Middleton
, and later in Rusholme
.
- Ford Lane Works & Head Office, Pendleton
- Church St, Pendleton
- Higher Broughton
- Bradford, Manchester
- Harpurhey, Manchester
- Newton Heath, Manchester
- Lower Broughton Road
- Crumpsall, Manchester
- Rusholme, Manchester
- Hollinwood, Oldham
- Cowhill La, Ashton
- Stockport Road, Longsight
- Openshaw, Manchester
- Grey Street, Longsight
- Weaste, Salford
- Chorlton Road, Manchester
- Stretford, Manchester
- All Saints, Manchester
- Withington Road, Manchester
- Collyhurst (Queens Park), Manchester
L53 is the only surviving complete horse tram, from over 500 designed by John Eades in 1877 and built by the Company to operate in and around the city until 1903. Built to the Eades patent Reversible type, the tram is unique among all surviving trams in that it uses the horses' own power to turn the body of the tram round on its underframe when reaching the end of the tracks. Rescued from a retirement near Glossop Derbyshire, that included use as a hairdresser's and a fish and chip shop, the tram was restored over a 25 year period by a team of skilled volunteers which included most of the side frames being made by one of the team as part of an 'A' Level woodwork exam.
to the pattern of a prototype car constructed by the Company, as part of a series of prototypes built by a number of different manufacturers to find the most suitable types for Manchester use.
Manchester Suburban Tramways Company
The Manchester Suburban Tramways Company was set up in 1877 to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England. The company's, and Manchester's, first tram service ran on 17 May 1877. The MSTC was merged with the Manchester Carriage Company in 1880 to form the...
and the Manchester Carriage Company
Manchester Carriage Company
The Manchester Carriage Company was established on 1 March 1865 to provide horse-drawn bus services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England. The company was the result of a merger between the competing transport interests of local rivals John Greenwood, Robert and James Turner, and...
, to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Salford, England, and surrounding districts. Although the 1870 Tramways Act
Tramways Act 1870
The Tramways Act 1870 was an important step in the development of urban transport in Britain. Street tramways had originated in the United States, and were introduced to Britain by George Francis Train in the 1860s, the first recorded installation being a short line from Woodside Ferry to...
authorised local authorities to construct tramways, it prevented them from operating tram services, so the tramways were leased out to private companies who operated them on their behalf. Those companies also had the right to construct their own tramways.
At its greatest extent, in 1900, the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company operated services over 140 route miles, using 515 trams and 5,244 horses housed in 19 depots across the region. The company continued to operate tram services until the end of March 1903, shortly after which it went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
.
History
The origins of local transport in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
can be traced back to John Greenwood (I)
John Greenwood (bus operator)
John Greenwood , transport entrepreneur, was the keeper of a toll-gate in Pendleton on the Manchester to Liverpool turnpike. In 1824 he purchased a horse and a cart with several seats and began an omnibus service, probably the first one in the United Kingdom, between Pendleton and Manchester...
(1788–1851), who, in 1824, began what is believed to be the first omnibus service in the country, running between Pendleton
Pendleton, Greater Manchester
Pendleton is an inner city area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is about from Manchester city centre. The A6 dual carriageway skirts the east of the district....
, in Salford, to Manchester. It was such a success that within 25 years there were over 60 similar omnibuses vying for passengers on the main road into Manchester.
Greenwood's son, John Greenwood (II) (1818–1886), inherited the business on his father's death in 1851, by which time the business owned almost 200 horses. Mounting competition, led to negotiations between the main rivals and on 1 March 1865, the Manchester Carriage Company
Manchester Carriage Company
The Manchester Carriage Company was established on 1 March 1865 to provide horse-drawn bus services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England. The company was the result of a merger between the competing transport interests of local rivals John Greenwood, Robert and James Turner, and...
was formed, with John Greenwood (II) as its first managing director. The company brought together a number of coach and omnibus proprietors, of which the Greenwood family were the largest.
When the Tramways Act 1870
Tramways Act 1870
The Tramways Act 1870 was an important step in the development of urban transport in Britain. Street tramways had originated in the United States, and were introduced to Britain by George Francis Train in the 1860s, the first recorded installation being a short line from Woodside Ferry to...
became law, the neighbouring councils of Manchester and Salford entered into negotiations for the provision of a tramway connecting the two towns. In 1875 powers were granted for construction to begin and, on Friday 18 May 1877 public services commenced. As the 1870 Act precluded operation of tramways by local authorities, the services were operated on behalf of the two town councils by the Manchester Carriage Company. This restriction was later removed by the 1886 Tramways Act, and both authorities made plans to seek powers to operate the tramways themselves. The Manchester Carriage Company's lease of the Salford lines expired in 1898, but they were granted an extension so that the lease expired at the same time as that of neighbouring Manchester, on 27 April 1901.
In 1880, a further consolidation took place, creating the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company from a merger of the Manchester Carriage Company
Manchester Carriage Company
The Manchester Carriage Company was established on 1 March 1865 to provide horse-drawn bus services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England. The company was the result of a merger between the competing transport interests of local rivals John Greenwood, Robert and James Turner, and...
and the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company
Manchester Suburban Tramways Company
The Manchester Suburban Tramways Company was set up in 1877 to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester and Salford, in England. The company's, and Manchester's, first tram service ran on 17 May 1877. The MSTC was merged with the Manchester Carriage Company in 1880 to form the...
. Both companies had largely the same directors, so the merger allowed them to regularise their position. The enabling Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
allowed the new company to construct new tramways in and around Manchester and Salford, and to operate the tramways built by the local authorities on their behalf. The Company's first directors were the directors of the old Manchester Carriage Company: John Greenwood, Charles Sydney Grundy, Robert Neill, Benjamin Whitworth, James Holden, John Haworth, and Daniel Busby. Each was required to have a personal stake in the new company of at least £1,000 (about £ as of ).
John Eades (designer of L53) was manager of the Manchester Carriage Company's coachbuilding works at Ford Lane, Pendleton, Salford from 1867 until 1903.
By 1882 the company was offering services on more than 75 miles (120.7 km) of track, 25 miles (40.2 km) of which it had built itself, 28 miles (45.1 km) leased from Manchester Corporation, 13 miles (20.9 km) from Salford, and 8 miles (12.9 km) from Oldham. For the lease of the Manchester tramways alone, the Company paid Manchester Corporation £16,000 per annum (about £ as of ). At its greatest extent in 1900, the company operated services over 140 route miles in Manchester, Salford, Patricroft
Patricroft
Patricroft is a district of Eccles, England, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.-History:Patricroft may derive its name from 'Pear-tree croft', or more likely, 'Patrick's Croft'. In 1836, James Nasmyth, in partnership with Holbrook Gaskell, built the Bridgewater Foundry in...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
and Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, using 515 trams, 5,244 horses, and 19 depots organised into 8 operating divisions.
As the 19th century drew to a close, many corporations obtained permission to take over local tramways and run them as Corporation transport. This coincided with the introduction of electricity, and the possibility of replacement of the horse-powered tramways.
In the event, due to a misunderstanding in the valuation of the company's assets, Salford Corporation was unable to conclude its takeover of services in its area, until 1 May 1901. The following day, the corporation acquired 94 of the company's horse-tramcars, along with 906 horses; the first Salford Corporation operated tramcar service left Pendleton at 4:30 am that morning.
The company continued to operate horse tram services from Manchester to Hollinwood, Ashton, and Stalybridge until 31 March 1903, the last horse-drawn tramcars in Manchester. The company was liquidated in 1903, and its assets, amounting to £1,167,965 (about £ as of ) were distributed to its shareholders. That same year a private vehicle hire operation, The Manchester Carriage Company (1903) was formed, led by John Greenwod (III). This company survived into the 1970s, based at one time in Middleton
Middleton, Greater Manchester
Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...
, and later in Rusholme
Rusholme
-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
.
Depots and works
The Company had 19 depots:- Ford Lane Works & Head Office, Pendleton
- Church St, Pendleton
- Higher Broughton
- Bradford, Manchester
- Harpurhey, Manchester
- Newton Heath, Manchester
- Lower Broughton Road
- Crumpsall, Manchester
- Rusholme, Manchester
- Hollinwood, Oldham
- Cowhill La, Ashton
- Stockport Road, Longsight
- Openshaw, Manchester
- Grey Street, Longsight
- Weaste, Salford
- Chorlton Road, Manchester
- Stretford, Manchester
- All Saints, Manchester
- Withington Road, Manchester
- Collyhurst (Queens Park), Manchester
L2
The only surviving horse bus of the company, now to be found in the collection of the Manchester Museum of Transport. This particular example is believed to have been built in 1890, and finally withdrawn from service in 1914. It has undergone a number of refurbishments.L53
- For more information see Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company L53Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company L53Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company L53 is the only surviving complete Eades horse tram. It was built in 1877 for the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company.-Design:...
L53 is the only surviving complete horse tram, from over 500 designed by John Eades in 1877 and built by the Company to operate in and around the city until 1903. Built to the Eades patent Reversible type, the tram is unique among all surviving trams in that it uses the horses' own power to turn the body of the tram round on its underframe when reaching the end of the tracks. Rescued from a retirement near Glossop Derbyshire, that included use as a hairdresser's and a fish and chip shop, the tram was restored over a 25 year period by a team of skilled volunteers which included most of the side frames being made by one of the team as part of an 'A' Level woodwork exam.
173
Although not constructed by the company, this vehicle was built by BrushBrush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
to the pattern of a prototype car constructed by the Company, as part of a series of prototypes built by a number of different manufacturers to find the most suitable types for Manchester use.
See also
- History of public transport authorities in ManchesterHistory of public transport authorities in ManchesterThe history of public transport authorities in Manchester details the various organisations that have been responsible for the public transport network in and around Manchester, England, since 1824.- Timeline :...
- Manchester Corporation TramwaysManchester Corporation TramwaysBetween 1901 and 1949 Manchester Corporation Tramways was the municipal operator of electric tram services in Manchester, England...
External links
- Manchester Museum of Transport Key Dates
- General Background
- L53 Background
- The Cowhill Lane building The only building that still stands in 2010
- L53 in 2008
- L2 in 1930
- Manchester 173 in 2008
