Tilling Group

Last updated

Tilling Group
Thomas Tilling bus ST922 AEC Regent 1 Tilling bodywork GJ 2098 in Cobham Bus Museum, Surrey October 1997.jpg
Tilling Group bus at Cobham Bus Museum, 1997.
Founded1846
Headquarters London
Service typeRural and urban bus services

The Tilling Group was one of two conglomerates that controlled almost all of the major bus operators in the United Kingdom between World Wars I and II and until nationalisation in 1948.

Contents

Tilling, together with the other conglomerate, British Electric Traction (BET), became the main constituents of the country's nationalised bus industry in the late 1960s and was sufficiently well known to have entered popular culture as part of London's Cockney rhyming slang (Thomas Tilling = shilling). [1]

The company continued as an industrial conglomerate after nationalisation of its bus interests; it was acquired by BTR plc in 1983.

Origins

Ink sketch of Thomas Tilling, from an 1893 South London Press article. Thomas Tilling - Ink Sketch.png
Ink sketch of Thomas Tilling, from an 1893 South London Press article.

The company traces its origins to 1846, when Thomas Tilling started in business. Tilling was born in 1825 at Gutter's Hedge Farm, Hendon, Middlesex, of parents who had moved there from Gloucestershire. In 1846, at the age of 21, [2] he went into the transport business in London as a jobmaster in Walworth using a horse and carriage which cost him £30.

In January 1850, he purchased a horse bus together with the right to run four journeys a day between Peckham and Oxford Street. This bus he drove himself, and at the time had only one employee, a conductor named Joseph Eagle, who stayed with the firm until the end of his working life, well into the 1890s. [3] [4] [5] [6]

By 1856, Tilling owned 70 horses, which he used for bus and general carriage work. When the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was formed in 1866, Tilling was contracted to train and supply horses to haul the fire engines; the horses were trained to respond quickly and, prior to handover to the fire brigade, were employed on bus services (primarily the Peckham route) to gain experience with heavy traffic. Tilling soon became the biggest supplier of horsepower and vehicles in London, with a stable of 4,000 horses by the time of his death in 1893. Tilling is buried at Nunhead Cemetery, south London.

Tilling's horse buses stopped at predetermined points and ran to a fixed timetable, making them more punctual and orderly than the other operators' buses. [2] This was one of the reasons for his success with customers. Because his buses operated on time, they earned the nickname of "Times" buses, and this became the fleet name painted on the side.

One of Tilling's children was the actress Mabel Constanduros. [7]

Early history

Portrait of Tilling Mr. Thomas Tilling.jpg
Portrait of Tilling

The business passed to Tilling's sons, Richard and Edward, who, with Thomas's son-in-law Walter Wolsey, formed a limited company, Thomas Tilling Ltd, in 1897. In addition to bus work, the company hired carriages to individuals and to a range of public utilities. [8]

The company put three Milnes-Daimler 24 horsepower (18 kW) motor buses into service in 1904. These were open top double-deckers with 16 inside seats and 18 "outside" on the upper deck, and a speed of 12 mph (19 km/h). [9] These were the first double-decker motorbuses built for public service in London. By 1905, Tilling had 20 motor buses but still owned 7,000 horses, kept in 500 stables. The horses worked the company's 250 horsebuses were hired to companies and individuals for hauling goods vehicles, cabs, and carriages. In 1907, Tilling began the first long-distance motor bus service, running 13 buses between Oxford Circus and Sidcup in Kent. [2]

In 1909, Tilling entered into an agreement with the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), which pooled their resources (and allowed Tilling to remain independent when LGOC led an amalgamation of most of London's bus companies), but which restricted their expansion in the capital. [8] Then, LGOC and Tilling co-operated on a joint route from Peckham to Turnham Green, via Oxford Circus. The LGOC had introduced numbers on all its routes, and this was route number 12. This service between Peckham and Oxford Circus still operates and is still the number 12. It may be the oldest operating bus route in London. [2] In 1915, the first woman bus conductor in London worked on Tilling route number 37. [2] During World War I, women were recruited to replace men who had joined the Armed Forces.

In 1911, Tilling introduced the Tilling-Stevens TTA1 petrol-electric bus into its fleet; despite some drawbacks of the technology, this type formed the mainstay of the fleet for some years. [8] In 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I, the last horse-bus operated on the Tilling Honor Oak – Peckham Rye Station route, [8] after which the horses were requisitioned for war work.

National expansion

Tilling horse bus in use. 10 granddad Houghton in boater, date unknown (cropped).jpg
Tilling horse bus in use.

Starting in 1914, with the LGOC dominant in London, the company looked to the rest of Britain outside London for growth. Tilling started to seek new markets in the provinces. The company began operating in Folkestone in 1914, Brighton in 1916, and Ipswich in 1919.

BET had entered into a similar agreement with LGOC in London, and was also expanding outside London. Instead of destructive rivalry, the two companies agreed to work in close co-operation. By 1928, a BET subsidiary, British Automobile Traction Company (BAT), had interests in nineteen bus companies, with Tilling being a co-owner of eleven of them, and at the same time was partly owned by Tilling itself. To simplify the arrangement, BAT was reconstructed with a new title, Tilling & British Automobile Traction Ltd (TBAT), and Tilling exchanged its shares in the various operating companies for an increased shareholding in the new company. [2] [8]

The railways of Britain had grown significantly and many companies had developed bus services. In 1923, most of these "pre-grouping" companies merged to form four mainline companies: Great Western Railway; Southern Railway; London, Midland and Scottish Railway; and London and North Eastern Railway. During the 1920s, the "Big Four" divested themselves of much of the operations of their bus networks by transferring their interests to Tilling and BET in exchange for shares.

The Tilling family's association with the company ended in 1929 with the death of Richard Tilling. In 1931, Thomas Tilling Ltd acquired the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, along with the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company, whose bus construction activities were renamed the Eastern Coach Works Ltd (ECW) in 1936. [8]

In 1933, the new London Passenger Transport Board compulsorily acquired the 328 buses that made up Tilling's South London services. [2] In 1935, Tilling took over Royal Blue, which was the premier express coach company in the South and West of England, with a network of routes stretching from Penzance to Margate and Bournemouth to London, having developed tours and local services around Bournemouth and the New Forest in the horse-drawn era and express coach services after the First World War. [10]

Tilling and TBAT continued to trade successfully, but internal disagreements resulted in TBAT being wound up in 1942. [8] The companies in TBAT were split between Tilling and BET, and the two groups continued to operate independently until nationalisation began in the late 1940s. Tilling Motor Services Ltd was formed from the break-up. [8]

Nationalisation

As part of the government's moves toward nationalisation of the transport industry, the Transport Act 1947 resulted in formation of the British Transport Commission (BTC). The railway companies were nationalised from 1 January 1948 with the result that their major stake in the Tilling and BET bus companies passed into public ownership from that date. Tilling sold its remaining holdings to the BTC at the beginning of 1949, as did the Scottish Motor Traction group.

Thomas Tilling (BTC) Ltd. was set up as a BTC subsidiary to run Tilling's London private hire business, which continued under nationalisation. [8]

BET retained its independence but the BTC ultimately gained up to a 50% holding in 17 of its companies so, from 1949, there were still two major bus groups, the nationalised BTC (formerly Tilling) and BET (partly owned by the BTC). By 1955 the BTC and BET companies were often known as the "Associated Companies" since "the actual ownership of the buses [was] to a greater or less extent in the hands of one party". [11] The ex-Tilling companies continued to be commonly referred to as the "Tilling Group" long after nationalisation and normally carried one of two standard liveries – a crimson red or a deep green (often referred to as Tilling Red and Tilling Green), each with cream relief. These liveries remained the standard after formation of the National Bus Company until a new corporate livery of NBC Poppy Red/White or NBC Leaf Green/White was introduced from late 1972. The 1930s acquisition of Bristol and ECW resulted in Bristol chassis and ECW bodywork remaining standard amongst former Tilling Group fleets through the 1970s.

On 1 January 1963, a new body, the Transport Holding Company (THC), took over the bus assets of the BTC, and in 1967, BET sold its remaining bus interests to THC. The National Bus Company was formed a year later, mainly from former Tilling and BET subsidiaries.

The "Tilling Group" – Tilling subsidiary bus companies taken over by the BTC

  1. Brighton, Hove and District
  2. Bristol Tramways
  3. Caledonian
  4. Crosville
  5. Cumberland
  6. Eastern Counties
  7. Eastern National
  8. Hants and Dorset
  9. Lincolnshire Road Car
  10. Southern National
  11. Southern Vectis
  12. Thames Valley
  13. United Automobile Services
  14. United Counties
  15. Western National
  16. West Yorkshire
  17. Wilts & Dorset

After nationalisation, the group remained as a management unit within the BTC with the following changes:

Non-nationalised Tilling Group

Following nationalisation of Thomas Tilling Ltd's bus interests, a number of subsidiaries continued under separate ownership as the Tilling Group. Tilling Group was taken over by BTR plc in 1983.

Companies within the Tilling Group post-1948 included:

Related Research Articles

The British Transport Commission (BTC) was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain. Its general duty under the Transport Act 1947 was to provide an efficient, adequate, economical and properly integrated system of public inland transport and port facilities within Great Britain for passengers and goods, excluding transport by air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buses in London</span> Overview of usage in the English city

Buses have been used as a mode of public transport in London since 1829, when George Shillibeer started operating a horse-drawn omnibus service from Paddington to the City of London. In the decades since their introduction, the red London bus has become a symbol of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London General Omnibus Company</span> Principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933

The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Scottish</span> British bus operating company

Eastern Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. was a bus and coach operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland and a subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group. Eastern Scottish was formed in June 1985 from the main part of Scottish Omnibuses Ltd., which had itself traded as 'Eastern Scottish' since the 1960s. Following privatisation in 1990 the company traded as 'SMT' reviving the original name of the company. It operated until 1994, when it became part of GRT Bus Group plc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Electric Traction</span> Former British industrial conglomerate

British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midland Red</span> British bus company that operated from 1905 until 1981

Midland Red was a bus company that operated in The Midlands from 1905 until 1981. It was one of the largest English bus companies, operating over a large area between Gloucester in the south and Derbyshire in the north, and from Northampton to the Welsh border. The company also manufactured buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Bus Company (UK)</span> Bus operator in the United Kingdom between 1969 and 1988

The National Bus Company (NBC) was a nationalised bus company that operated in England and Wales between 1969 and 1988. NBC did not run buses itself, but was the owner of a number of regional subsidiary bus operating companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Eastern Counties</span> Bus operator in Norfolk and Suffolk, England

First Eastern Counties is a bus operator providing services in Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup and has five depots in operating areas spread out across East Anglia. These areas are Norwich, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and King's Lynn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldershot & District Traction</span> English bus company

Aldershot & District Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services in East Hampshire, West Surrey and parts of adjoining counties for sixty years during the 20th century, from 1912 until 1972 when it became part of Alder Valley.

The Transport Holding Company (THC) was a British Government-owned company created by the Transport Act 1962 to administer a range of state-owned transport, travel and engineering companies that were previously managed by the British Transport Commission (BTC). It came into existence on 1 September 1962, with certain assets of the BTC vested in it on 1 January 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AEC K-type</span> British Associated Equipment Company bus chassis

The AEC K-type was a type of bus chassis built by Associated Equipment Company (AEC) from 1919 until 1926, mainly for use in London by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hants & Dorset</span>

Hants & Dorset Motor Services Ltd was a stage carriage bus service operator in southern England between 1920 and 1983.

The "Big Four" was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923–1947. The name was coined by The Railway Magazine in its issue of February 1923: "The Big Four of the New Railway Era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Omnibus Company</span> Defunct public transportation company based in Bristol, UK (1887–1987)

The Bristol Omnibus Company was a dominant bus operator in Bristol, and was one of the oldest bus companies in the United Kingdom. It ran buses over a wide area of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and neighbouring counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames Valley Traction</span>

Thames Valley Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services to and from Reading, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Newbury, High Wycombe and Oxford and surrounding areas for 52 years in the 20th century. For many years it ran the "Reading A" and "Reading B" limited-stop services between London's Victoria Coach Station and Reading via two differing sets of intermediate stops.

Buses are the most widespread and most commonly used form of public transport in the United Kingdom. In Great Britain, bus transport is owned and governed by private sector companies, except in Greater Manchester with the Bee Network and Greater London. If a socially desirable service cannot be economically operated without a subsidy, then local councils can support bus companies to provide the service, often after an open competitive tendering exercise. In Northern Ireland, bus services are publicly owned, governed and delivered, as is the case in the Republic of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford to London coach route</span> Coach route in Southern England

The Oxford to London coach route is an express coach route between Oxford and London along the M40 motorway. Operated by Stagecoach West under the brand name Oxford Tube, there are up to five coaches an hour via Lewknor, High Wycombe Coachway, Hillingdon, Shepherd's Bush and Baker Street terminating on Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsebus</span> Horse-drawn passenger transport vehicle

A horse-bus or horse-drawn omnibus was a large, enclosed, and sprung horse-drawn vehicle used for passenger transport before the introduction of motor vehicles. It was mainly used in the late 19th century in both the United States and Europe, and was one of the most common means of transportation in cities. In a typical arrangement, two wooden benches along the sides of the passenger cabin held several sitting passengers facing each other. The driver sat on a separate, front-facing bench, typically in an elevated position outside the passengers' enclosed cabin. In the main age of horse buses, many of them were double-decker buses. On the upper deck, which was uncovered, the longitudinal benches were arranged back to back.

The Provincial Tramways Company was a holding company for horse tramway companies in various regional towns of England. It was floated in July 1872 by means of a prospectus inviting public subscription for shares in the new company. The published prospectus lists the towns where it was proposed to operate horse tramways as Plymouth. Cardiff, Dundee. Portsmouth. Southampton and Tynemouth. Initially those in Plymouth and Cardiff were constructed and in operation as reported to the half yearly meeting of the company in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Omnibuses</span> Defunct bus operator in Scotland

Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. (SOL) was a company set up by the British Transport Commission on 4 April 1949 to take over the bus and coach operations of Scottish Motor Traction (SMT) and its subsidiaries under the nationalisation provisions of the Transport Act 1947. SMT itself remained in private hands, continuing its motor sales, service and insurance businesses. SOL took over the holding of SMT's former subsidiary companies, while those buses and coaches it operated directly continued to use the SMT brand until the early 1960s, when, after a brief flirtation with "Scottish", the fleet name "Eastern Scottish" was adopted.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Tilling is Cockney Rhyming Slang for Shilling
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thomas Tilling Ltd – Exploring 20th Century London
  3. ↑ "Messrs. Tilling's Annual Excursion". South London Press. Streatham. 4 September 1880.
  4. ↑ "Mr. Thomas Tilling's Excursion". The South London Press. Streatham. 31 August 1878.
  5. ↑ "Mr. Tilling and his Men". The South London Press. Streatham. 9 September 1865.
  6. ↑ "The Funeral Yesterday". The South London Press. Streatham. 14 January 1893.
  7. ↑ Took, Barry (2004). "Constanduros, Mabel (1880–1957)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. online edn, January 2011. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Thomas Tilling Ltd: 1849–1969
  9. ↑ "Snapshot 308: 1904 Milnes-Daimler Omnibus". The Society of Automotive Historians. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  10. ↑ The West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust
  11. ↑ Townsin (A. A.), Ed. — Buses and trams Ian Allan, 1955, page 17
  12. ↑ Competition Report 1981
  13. ↑ Independent, 28 November 1995
  14. ↑ Selwood Pumps Company History

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.