Thomas Tilling - Early History

Early History

The business passed to Tilling's sons, Richard and Edward, who, with Thomas's son-in-law Walter Wolsey, formed a Limited company, Thomas Tilling Ltd in 1897. In addition to bus work, carriages were still hired to individuals and to a range of public utilities. Richard's daughter Mabel Constanduros, was an actress and play-writer.

The company put three Milnes-Daimler 24 horsepower (18 kW) motor buses into service in 1904. These were open top double-deckers with 16 inside seats and 18 "outside" on the upper deck. These were the first double-decker motorbuses built for public service in London. By 1905, Tillings had 20 motor buses, but still owned 7,000 horses, kept in 500 stables to work their 250 horse buses and for hire to other companies and individuals for hauling goods vehicles, cabs, and carriages. In 1907, Tilling began the first long-distance motor bus service, running 13 buses between Oxford Circus and Sidcup in Kent.

In 1909, Tilling entered into an agreement with the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) which pooled their resources (and allowed Tilling to remain independent when LGOC led an amalgamation of most of London's bus companies), but which restricted their expansion in the capital. Then, LGOC and Tilling co-operated on a joint route from Peckham to Turnham Green, via Oxford Circus. The LGOC had introduced numbers on all its routes, and this was route number 12. This service between Peckham and Oxford Circus still operates and is still the number 12. It may be the oldest operating bus route in London. In 1915, the first woman bus conductor in London worked on Tilling route No 37. Women were recruited to replace men who had joined the Armed Forces. In 1911, Tilling introduced the Tilling-Stevens TTA1 petrol-electric bus into its fleet: despite some drawbacks of the technology, this type formed the mainstay of the fleet for some years; In 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, the last horse-bus operated on the Tilling Honor Oak - Peckham Rye Station route, when the horses were requisitioned for war work.