York Carriage Works

[Nortonboy]

Can anyone supply information regarding a carriage works that preceded Holgate in York. Holgate commenced work in 1884 and I have an ancestor who is recorded to have worked in a carriage works in York at the time of the 1861 census. Prior to that he was a carriage maker in the Newcastle area and I would be interested to know where that might have been too. I appreciate that 'carriage' may not be strictly railway related but a near 100 mile move to York, a booming railway town at the time is significant, I feel.

[majormagna]

The carriage works in York prior to Holgate were at "Queen Street", a building situated between what is now "Lowther Terrace" and "The Crescent" (directly opposite the old roundhouse) is labelled as "Fitting Shop" in an 1853 OS map, and could very well be the original York Carriage Works.

[john coffin]

Can't offer much about pre Holgate at York. But it is likely that in Newcastle on Tyne, he is might have worked for
Robert Stephenson and Co, They certainly built what is the first carriage on the Stockton and Darlington.

The move south probably was due to a higher paying job.

Most towns and cities had some form of carriage builders-makers until about 1875 and maybe as late as 1905, when
many of them became body makers for cars.

Paul

[Nortonboy]

Thanks for the info on York. He lived very close to there so that makes perfect sense. Re. Newcastle, he lived in Bedlington which is about 10 miles north. I can't establish how easy it would be to travel into the city each day.

[john coffin]

Interesting, Bedlington was of course where the family of Daniel Gooch lived before moving down to South Wales,
there was quite a large "industrial " section in the mid 19th century, there was also the Blyth and Tyne Railway
which eventually went to Newcaster. It was around from 1853-1874 until absorbed by the NER.

Paul

[52D]

Interesting, Bedlington was of course where the family of Daniel Gooch lived before moving down to South Wales,
there was quite a large "industrial " section in the mid 19th century, there was also the Blyth and Tyne Railway
which eventually went to Newcaster. It was around from 1853-1874 until absorbed by the NER.

Paul

Dont forget Longridge were turning out a lot of locos from Bedlington

[john coffin]

Must confess that I tend to overlook Longridge, my GNR bias I think.

The important thing would be to be able to discover whether or not Longridge supplied carriages too?

Wonder where that data might be?

Paul

[52D]

Not too sure about Longridge and carriages but the works turned out a lot of locos inc Broad gauge.