Author Topic: Were Hansom cab drivers registered with the metro. police in the late 1800's?  (Read 10529 times)

Offline Acrossthepond

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Does anyone know if Hansom cab drivers were at one time required to register with the Metropolitan Police Force in London (late 1800's) when they took out a license.  I am wondering if the paperwork might still exist somewhere for the registration or the licenses and whom I might contact.  I'm not sure if my g-grandfather was a 'cab driver' or a coachman around that time, but both must have needed licenses I presume?
Buck, Kingsley, Foot, Hanscombe, Lee, Wren - Baldock/Hitchin/Weston, Hertfordshire
Poulter - Salford Lancashire
Murray - Surrey
Fairs - Suffolk

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Were Hansom cab drivers registered with the metro. police in the late 1800's?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 10 May 07 08:49 BST (UK) »
Some useful information about cabs at
http://www.victorianlondon.org/dickens/dickens-cha.htm
 In 1643, Oliver Cromwell granted licenses for 200 hackney carriages to ply for hire in the streets of London. That was the birth of the licensed hackney cab. Over the years, the form and number of Hackney carriages changed. From horse drawn coaches in the 16th century to hansom cabs in the 19th,
http://www.taxi-premier.net/34.html

See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A744888
Stan
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Offline colinjohn

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Re: Were Hansom cab drivers registered with the metro. police in the late 1800's?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 10 May 07 16:41 BST (UK) »
The Metropolitan Police records are held at TNA, Kew, and there are lots of relevant pieces  in the catalogue:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/default.asp?
Try searching for hackney carriage or public carriage office

Enjoy your browsing.

Good luck

Colin
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Offline Rojang

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Re: Were Hansom cab drivers registered with the metro. police in the late 1800's?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 31 October 10 14:02 GMT (UK) »
I assume they were registered with the police.  My great grandfather was also a cab driver in census returns for London in 1881 - 1901, and on the 1911 census he is described as "Pensioner Police"