Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1911-1957 (Creation)
Level of description
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.
Repository
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
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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