Manchester Carriage Company
In early October 1856 it was reported that the omnibus proprietors had been issuing paper correspondence tickets for six months in association with the Exhibition at Old Trafford. These tickets allowed passengers to use omnibuses from different companies to complete a journey, similar to the system operating in London. They had been popular, with over 10,000 being issued. [1]. The tickets ceased to be issued in December 1858 due to fraud issues. [2]. At this time the companies using the correspondence tickets were Robert Turner, the City Omnibus, John Greenwood and James Standring.
Ivie Mackie was a partner in the City Omnibus and in 1858 became the owner. He was also a partner in John Greenwood & Co. John Greenwood was a partner in Robert Turner & Co. These three companies combined in 1865 to form the Manchester Carriage Company. Each original company had a similar number of trams and the new company had 91 trams[3]. The first Chairman was Ivie Mackie with John Greenwood acting as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director.
In late 1869 the company, along with other companies, applied for powers to construct and operate an extensive tramway system in Manchester and Salford, either by themselves or by a new company set up by the act[4]. The proposal, known as the Manchester and Salford and District Tramways and was based on having a central guide rail with flat rails. This system had been installed by John Greenwood in Salford in 1861 and, at the time the Bill was being read was being maintained by Salford Corporation at the cost of the Manchester Carriage Company[5]. Both Manchester and Salford Corporations opposed the bill, with Manchester opposing other bills for tramways in Manchester[6].
In late 1871 Salford Corporation decided to order the Manchester Carriage Company to lift the tramway in Salford due to it not being used and in a poor state or repair[7]. Later that year Daniel Busby, William Turton, William Bulmer and Joseph Speight were promoting a bill tramways in Manchester[8]. By 1875 the Councils were applying for powers to construct tramways[9] and in mid-1876 were inviting tenders to lease the tramways[10]. A 21 years lease at 10% of the build cost per annum was granted to Daniel Busby and William Turton[11]. When the first tramline was opened, from Broad Street Pendelton to St Mary's Gate in Deansgate, the operation had been taken over by the Manchester Carriage Company although the tramcars still had the Busby and Turton livery[12]. The lease was effectively sold to the Manchester Carriage Company with Daniel Busby and William Turton agreeing to not compete with the Manchester Carriage Company for new tramlines laid by the Corporations[13]. On the opening day there were 15 tramcars available with the plan to normally run 12 per day. The fares, as with the omnibuses, were 3d inside and 2d outside with morning workmen's cars charging 1d. The operation required 100 horses and company had already purchased an additional 150 horses.
The Manchester Carriage Company continued to aquire the leases for the Corporation tramways and expanded operations into the suburban lines as local towns built tramways connected to the Manchester and Salford systems. In July 1879 Manchester Corporation was noting that the only reasonable tenders being received for new lines were those from the Manchester Carriage Company.
In 1877 Daniel Busby, William Turton, John Greenwood and Benjamin Whitworth obtained a provisional order to construct tramways to the south of Manchester centre[14]. This was followed by an Act in 1878 that incorporated the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company. Having agreed to not compete for Manchester Corporation leases with the Manchester Carriage Company, this company expanded it's operations to the south of Manchester centre by obtaining powers to construct and operate tramways. In December 1879 a bill was promoted to dissolve the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company and to merge its operations into the Manchester Carriage Company[15]. The act that amalgamated the two companies as the Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company was passed in August 1880, with the first shareholder's meeting of the new company taking place in October[16]
At the time of the merger the company had 108 tramcars with 53 new tramcars ready to enter service. The company owned 48km of tramline, with authority to build another 16km. In addition there were leases in place for 128km of tramline, not all of which had yet been completed.
| Manchester Carriage Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Source | (Smith) | |
| Filename | MCC.002 | |
| Value | 2d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 24 | |
| Manufacture | 0 Brass | |
| Notes | 1865-1880 | |
| File:MCC.003.jpg | ||
| Source | (Smith) | |
| Filename | MCC.003 | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 24x19 | |
| Manufacture | Oval Brass | |
| Notes | ||
- ↑ Manchester Times - Saturday 04 October 1856, pg 4
- ↑ Manchester Courier - Saturday 18 December 1858
- ↑ The Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company Ltd (1865-1903), Local Transport HIstory Library, 2020
- ↑ The London Gazette, 30 Nov 1869, Issue 23561, Page 6729
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 23 Feb 1870, page 2
- ↑ Manchester Times, 26 Feb 1870, page 7
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 11 Oct 1871, page 2
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 26 Dec 1871, page 2
- ↑ Manchester Times, 20 Feb 1875, page 6
- ↑ Manchester Courier, 05 Jul 1876, page 1
- ↑ Manchester Courier, 24 Mar 1877, page 7
- ↑ Manchester Times, 19 May 1877, page 5
- ↑ Manchester Times, 05 Jul 1879, page 7
- ↑ The London Gazette, 27 Nov 1877, Issue 24526, Page 6800
- ↑ Stalybridge Reporter, 27 Dec 1879, page 8
- ↑ Manchester Courier, 23 Oct 1880, page 8