Collection GB 0074 ACC/1271 - EAST SURREY TRACTION COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/1271

Title

EAST SURREY TRACTION COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • 1911-1957 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.33 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The company was incepted in 1911 by Arthur Henry Hawkins. The first service ran between Reigate and Redhill but operations expanded rapidly and by 1914 twelve vehicles were serving destinations between Sevenoaks and Caterham. An association was formed with the London General Omnibus Company Limited {LGOC} and by 1923 East Surrey was working more LGOC buses than its own and had changed its company livery from blue to LGOC red.

Throughout its time East Surrey kept careful control of its territory - rival operators were quickly bought out or allowed to fail and the company became the most significant operator in the whole of the area that came to be termed 'London country'.

On 12 June 1929 the LGOC secured control of East Surrey, a move prompted by the 1928 Transport Acts which allowed Southern Railway to acquire rights in the bus field. Southern Railway intended to make East Surrey part of a new Southern General Omnibus Company Limited, but LGOC frustrated this plan and East Surrey became formally part of the Underground group.

Arthur Hawkins continued as managing director as East Surrey, in its new guise as London General Country Services, took over operation of country services north of London as well on 1 March 1932. However, the East Surrey livery virtually disappeared when the London Passenger Transport Board came into being on 1 July 1933. Arthur Hawkins retired in 1946 after seeing his empire grow from two buses in 1911 to a vast operation encircling London.

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/1271 1911-1957 Collection 0.33 linear metres East Surrey Traction Company Ltd , bus service operator

The company was incepted in 1911 by Arthur Henry Hawkins. The first service ran between Reigate and Redhill but operations expanded rapidly and by 1914 twelve vehicles were serving destinations between Sevenoaks and Caterham. An association was formed with the London General Omnibus Company Limited {LGOC} and by 1923 East Surrey was working more LGOC buses than its own and had changed its company livery from blue to LGOC red.

Throughout its time East Surrey kept careful control of its territory - rival operators were quickly bought out or allowed to fail and the company became the most significant operator in the whole of the area that came to be termed 'London country'.

On 12 June 1929 the LGOC secured control of East Surrey, a move prompted by the 1928 Transport Acts which allowed Southern Railway to acquire rights in the bus field. Southern Railway intended to make East Surrey part of a new Southern General Omnibus Company Limited, but LGOC frustrated this plan and East Surrey became formally part of the Underground group.

Arthur Hawkins continued as managing director as East Surrey, in its new guise as London General Country Services, took over operation of country services north of London as well on 1 March 1932. However, the East Surrey livery virtually disappeared when the London Passenger Transport Board came into being on 1 July 1933. Arthur Hawkins retired in 1946 after seeing his empire grow from two buses in 1911 to a vast operation encircling London.

Received in 1975.

Records of the East Surrey Traction Company, 1911-1957, consisting of minute and agenda books, agreements, register of members, newspaper cuttings books, memorandum and articles of association, annual reports, correspondence relating to the purchase by London General Omnibus Company Limited and menu of first annual staff dinner.

Arranged in two series, Corporate and Miscellaneous.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright rests with the depositor.
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For the main archive of London Transport including London General Omnibus Company Limited see ACC/1297.

The motorbus in London country by Kenneth Warren (Allan, 1984) {LMA Library Reference: 27.24 WAR}
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. July to October 2009, updated August 2017. Documents Business records Corporate minutes Public transport Bus services Industry Manufacturing industry Vehicle manufacture Motor vehicle industry Bus industry Transport Transport planning Urban transport development Information sources Transport companies Companies Enterprises Urban transport Company archives London General Omnibus Company Ltd , bus service operator East Surrey Traction Company Ltd , bus service operator

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Received in 1975.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the East Surrey Traction Company, 1911-1957, consisting of minute and agenda books, agreements, register of members, newspaper cuttings books, memorandum and articles of association, annual reports, correspondence relating to the purchase by London General Omnibus Company Limited and menu of first annual staff dinner.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Arranged in two series, Corporate and Miscellaneous.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For the main archive of London Transport including London General Omnibus Company Limited see ACC/1297.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area