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Help: occupation of cab driver, 1901

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maryjane-sue

maryjane-sue Report 27 Jan 2005 13:48

I have coachman in my tree and his sons went on to become grooms, cab drivers and one a funeral director. The coachman worked at one time for a family in London, that also had a house in Yorkshire - can you imagine taking a coach all that way!? Mind you, i doubt National Express do it much quicker now. lol

Geoff

Geoff Report 27 Jan 2005 12:15

I think you can *fairly* safely assume that a cab driver in 1901 drove a horse, as did a carman. Motorised cabs were in their very early days at that time and would probably be very expensive. 1897 The world's first motor cab fleet began operations in London. It went out of business in 1900 - its battery-powered taxis moved at only 8mph.

Kate

Kate Report 27 Jan 2005 11:40

Thanks for the info Walter!

Walter

Walter Report 25 Jan 2005 19:00

This was a period of time when the Automobile was being introduced and and taking over from Horse drawn carriages and cabs (and you needed no license to drive this new mode of transport) If you worked for the "upper class" in say 1891, you were first 'a groom' progressing to 'carriage driver or cab driver' and then to automobile driver as the petrol engine slowly overtook the Horse. In this change over horse drawn to petrol the term "cab driver" covered both.

Kate

Kate Report 25 Jan 2005 13:16

He was living with/working for a family when he was a groom, but living alone when a cab driver. So perhaps he was a 'cabbie', but would he work for a company?

AnninGlos

AnninGlos Report 25 Jan 2005 13:12

Is he living with the family he works for (i.e. an upper class family), maybe he was promoted from groom. If so maybe he was the handsome cab drivier or coachman for that family. Or he could have been the equivalent of todays taxi driver only driving a horse drawn cab. Ann glos

Researching:
Photo spring Researching Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Derbyshire, Staffs, Devon, Glamorganshire. Ingram, Masters, Tamblyn, Knight, Warner, Bate, Allen, Riggs, Dominey, Duffin

Kate

Kate Report 25 Jan 2005 13:08

One of my ancestors is described as a 'cab driver' in the 1901 census, and previously was also a groom. Can anyone tell me what kind of work would he be doing, for what kind of company? I keep trying to access Historical Directories but can't get through to it.. So any help will be gratefully received - thanks!