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the man must have a rare recipe for melancholy who can be dull in Fleet Street.
-- Charles Lamb 1802
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The tram was first introduced into Britain by an American gentleman with the wonderful name of George Francis Train. Unfortunately, his trams rattled too many fashionable tea-cups and lasted no more than six months. They were revived ten years later, however, and became both fashionable and successful. Then came the electric trams. These were seen as highly glamorous and the transport to be seen in! But the motor bus and the Trolleybus were fast catching up on the inside lane. The old-fashioned, inefficient tram was abolished in the 1950s and the motor engine ruled the day. In 2001 the tram became the answer to all the ills of modern urban transport ... Confused? Read on....
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Hired transport in London goes back to before the 12th century when the Watermen plied their trade on the river. Horses for hire (Hackneys) were given a Royal Patent (which fixed their charges) in 1396. The Watermen roundly resisted. Queen Elizabeth I used a Hackney carriage and the antics of an unruly coachload of ladies in 1694 had an influence on London transport which far outlasted their lifetimes and fame! The motor cab arrived in 1904. The Hansom Cabbies roundly resisted. The familiar black cab of today is a direct result of the strict specifications laid down by the Metropolitan Police - but the colour is not! Hackney to Cab to Hansom to Growler to Taxi and the modern chatty Cabbie and The Knowledge is almost a complete history of London itself.
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Archaeology suggests that there were boats for hire from the early days of Roman London and there is no reason to doubt that this continued through the dark ages. Our first records of conveyances for hire come from the 12th century. Public transport in London has always been a hot issue. The watermen objected to the coming of the hackney cabs, the cabbies to the coming of the trams and buses and all to the coming of the motor vehicle and the railways. This series explores the development (and demise) of the various forms of public transport "enjoyed" by Londoners down to today's clashes over access charges and a dreadful commuter train system.
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