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Transport firsts and lasts Local History
BY HOLLY TRUBSHAWE Curatorial Assistant
KINGSBRIDGE COOKWORTHY MUSEUM
September in the South Hams brings all things transportation, with the Annual Vintage bus running day, the South Hams Vintage Machinery Club Rally and the Classic Car Show. To celebrate we are looking at a selection of transport firsts and lasts in the South Hams through some of the archive held at Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum.
Horse Power: The exact start of the Kingsbridge to Dartmouth Coach is unknown but we know that in 1824, Robert Foale, proprietor of the Kings Arms Hotel, Kingsbridge announced that he would start running twice weekly service between Kingsbridge and Plymouth. The road between Stokenham and Dartmouth improved after 1842 and it’s believed the coach to Dartmouth, via Torcross started around this date. The first known driver was Edward Sanders (opposite). The horse drawn coaches ran until 1916, when the First World War meant the staff either enlisted or were called up. The last coach driver was Lewis Guest, who was called up to serve despite being 41.
ABOVE: Edward Sanders 1873, the first coach driver of the Torcross Coach.
On the Buses: The first ‘motor bus’ caused much excitement in Aveton Gifford in July 1904. The South Hams Motor company announced it was ex- tending its motor bus route to Aveton Gifford. In preparation for this the driver took the vehicle on a test run. He arrived unexpectedly
ABOVE:
Last coach to leave Kings Arms Hotel, Fore Street, Kings- bridge, outside the hotel and Foales Coach Office.
in Aveton Gifford and the local paper reports that “many of the women were engaged with their Monday’s washing, but hastily forsaking their trays with hands covered with soapsuds, sleeves rolled up and hatless, they dashed into the street to see the wonderful motor bus…Workmen dropped their tools, old men suddenly became rejuvenated.” 30 or so villagers were able to get onto the bus and they persuaded the driver to take them for a short ride. They were conveyed to the White Hart in
Modbury. As the bus dropped off the “hatless women and men in their shirt sleeves, the utmost astonishment was caused among the townsfolk, and for the moment it was thought something alarming, such as an outbreak of fire, had occurred at Aveton Gifford, to cause such a general exodus. But when the actual state of affairs was explained the joke was intensely appreciated and the laughter was loud and hearty.” However, despite being taken to Modbury the villagers had to walk back to Aveton Gifford, as the driver hadn’t planned a return trip!
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