Leicester Tramways

From World of Tokens
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Leicester Corporation were approached by parties from Leeds and Nottingham to operate trams in Leicester[1]. After negotiations the Leeds "company" was accepted by the Corporation with the stipulations. These included that for every mile of street used by the tramline the company was to pay the Corporation £500 per mile and to deposit £100 to cover any Corporation liabilities. It was also included that the company had to pay the Corporation 50% of any profits over 12%. The Leicester Tramways Company was incorporated by the Leicester Tramways Order 1873[2]. The original directors were Leicester businessmen with others associated with the Leeds Tramways Company - Daniel Busby and William Bulmer. The Leeds connection included the engineer, Joseph Kincaid and the contractor, William Turton, was installing the system and supplying the equipment for £32,500. Although the Corporation payment clauses had been removed from the Bill, the company decided to honour them.

The share capital for the company was £40,000. However only £5000 to £6000 was subscribed. It was claimed that this was due to the cost of the contract with William Turton, so the contract was cancelled. A further appeal for local subscriptions led to the claim that the money being paid to the Corporation was an issue. In March 1874 the company decided to commence laying the track while it awaited a decision from the Corporation. The Corporation agreed to delay the £500 charge for two years if the tramlines were completed by September[3]. To ensure completion of the system, the company sold the remaining shares out with Leicester. By July 1874 the company was inviting tenders for the paving[4].

The tramline to Belgrave was completed first. The company received delivery of three single deck cars with accommodation for 16 passengers[5]. This allowed them to carry out a trial run on the 23rd December with the tramline opening on the 24th. The tram fare was 2d. The line to Humberstone was opened on 22 March 1875 and the London Road tramline was opened on 13 August 1875[6], completing the 7.5km network that the company was authorised to construct.

By July 1875 it was claimed that the Belgrave trams, built to carry 16, were carrying up to 40 passengers when they were busy[7]. In October the Corporation published regulations for the trams[8]. The regulations specified speed, tram spacing and that the trams were not to be overcrowded, with summary fines of 40/-. The regulations also specified that trams, drivers and conductors were to be licensed. In November 1876 the company started the process of obtaining authority to extend the tramlines. The new tramlines were opened by the end of August in 1878. They were an extension of the Victoria Park to Knighton Lane, a new tramline to Grace Road and a new tramline to Gorby Road.

In February 1883 the company was declaring a dividend of 10%[9]. In 1889 the drivers and conductors presented a petition to have their standard day set at 12 hours[10]. They were told that this was not possible, so requested a standard day of 13 hours with one full day off every two weeks. They also wanted paid for being made to work on their off time. This was agreed to by the company, which it was said would cost the company £1,100. By 1891 the employees were working 16.5 hours again and many of the men had joined a union to try to get the hours reduced, the London and Counties Labour League[11].

In late 1898 the Corporation entered into a provisional agreement with the company to purchase the tram operations for £129,500[12]. The Corporation also agreed to take over and pay off the company debenture of £24,000. In June 1901 the company provisionally agreed to sell the tram operations to the Corporation for £134,000, which was approved by the shareholders in August[13]. The handover took place on 31 December 1901[14]. At this time Leicester Corporation was in the process of getting a bill passed to considerably extend the system and to electrify it.


ADVERTISERS ON TOKENS

HeringtonStore.jpg

Fredrick Herington, the son of John Herington and Elizabeth Durrant, was born in Kirdford, Sussex in 1854. He opened a draper's store at 9 Market Street, Leicester around 1882[15]. In 1887 he moved to 18 Market Street and was advertising as a draper. He is listed in Wright's 1889-90 Directory of Leicester and Twelve Miles Round as a draper, milliner and ladies' and children's outfitter. At one time the company also sold toys. The company survived until 1958, when it was taken over by Morgan Squires, with all the stock being sold off and the store converted to Morgan Squires' furniture store[16].

The photograph opposite is the store at 18 Market Street in the early 1900s.

TOKENS

The cost of a journey was 2d until at least 1883, when a local person was urging the adoption of a 1d stage[17]. In 1885 it was announced that the company was running the trams to Belgrave only with a 1d fare [18]. This indicates that the token was manufactured no earlier than 1885.

Leicester Tramways
LEI.001.jpg
Source (Smith)
Filename LEI.001
Value 1d
Add Desc. Heringtons Milliner's Drapers Ltd
Size (mm) 31
Manufacture 0 Brass
Notes Earliest issue 1885
  1. Leicester Chronicle, 21 Mar 1874, page 4
  2. Leicester Daily Post, 06 Sep 1873, page 4
  3. Leicester Chronicle, 30 May 1874, page 12
  4. Leicester Chronicle - Saturday 25 July 1874, page 9
  5. Leicester Daily Post, 24 Dec 1874, page 3
  6. Leicester Chronicle, 21 Aug 1875, page 5
  7. Leicester Journal, 16 Jul 1875, page 8
  8. Leicester Journal, 08 Oct 1875, page 3
  9. Leicester Journal, 16 Feb 1883, page 6
  10. Nottingham Evening Post, 17 Aug 1889, page 4
  11. Leicester Daily Post, 15 Jul 1891, page 5
  12. Eastern Evening News, 04 Oct 1898, page 4
  13. Nottingham Journal, 23 Aug 1901, page 6
  14. Northampton Mercury, 03 Jan 1902, page 2
  15. Leicester Daily Mercury, 26 Oct 1882, page 1
  16. Leicester Evening Mail, 12 Nov 1958, page 7
  17. Leicester Chronicle - Saturday 07 April 1883, page 8
  18. Leicester Daily Mercury, 15 Oct 1885, page 3