Article first published in the West Sussex Gazette 6 May 1993

Last week's article illustrated how plucky Thomas Tilling started a passenger transport business back in the mid 19th century and progressed so successfully that his firm became official suppliers to the Palace.

The fascinating story continues this week from late Victorian times. By 1893 Thomas's two sons Edward and Richard had taken over the business following the death of their father who had set the stage for further expansion. A London newspaper of the time said of Thomas Tilling:

'The marvellous energy, unfailing pluck and business aptitude of this individual whose name has long been identified with our road conveyance, makes us remember him as a prince of organisers. Opposition spurred him onto greater things, causing him to wear his health out in the service of the public.'

The most memorable member of the ever--increasing staff at Tillings was Sam Kettle, who started his working life with Thomas Tilling, and was promoted to general manager under Edward and Richard. On one occasion Richard asked him why he wasn't at his daughter's wedding, to which he replied:

'The missus and my kids said I behaved so badly at the last wedding that I couldn't go again.'

Asked what he had done to warrant such a chastisement he said, 'Well the parson says to me, 'Mr Kettle, what a lot of confetti!' and I trying to jolly him on like, replied, 'Yes bishop, and if I were you I should make the bastards who threw it down sweep it all up,' and then they said I was rude!'

Another story, showing the gall of this hardy little man, refers to when he answered an advertisement in a national newspaper that offered a parcel of fish from Grimsby for two shillings. He showed his letter to his boss:

To The Grimsby Fishing Company,

Dear Sir,
I enclose Postal Order for two shillings in reply to your advert in the Daily
Mail for parcel of fish. I do not want skate, cod or whiting. Should prefer middle cut salmon, a few lobsters and make up with oysters.

Yours truly,
Sam Kettle

......... and the reply:

Dear Sir,
We have to thank you for your esteemed order, together with P.O. two shillings. Why on earth did you not make it 2s.6d? and you could have had the bloody trawler as well!

With characters like Sam Kettle and hundreds of high spirited cockney ostlers, blacksmiths, coachmen and veterinaries, the Tilling brothers must have had quite a colourful life to say the least.

Towards the end of the 19th century, competition for passengers reached a peak among rival firms, seeing the fiercest struggle of all for supremacy in providing transport on the streets of London.

To bring in further finance, the three partners, Richard, Edward and a Walter Wolsey turned the Tilling firm into a public limited company in 1897. In its first year that company was so successful it owned nearly 4,000 horses worth over £152,000.

The turn of the century saw the advent of the motorcar, and the Tilling directors predicted perhaps sooner than others it would not be long before petrol driven omnibuses appeared on the streets of London.

The first of the company's motorbuses appeared on the road in 1904 and by the following year, Tillings had 20 motorbuses in operation. However, with the combined effort of running both horse transport and motorised buses, the firm found their finances being rapidly reduced, so much so that it was generally thought the high price of corn and hay caused by the wet summer was blamed, but more probably the motor side of the business was the real culprit.

Richard's eldest son Harry went into the company as Secretary and became a director in 1905 together with his cousin Walter Wolsey Junior and was later joined by Harry's younger brother Thomas.
At the height of this period of financial strain, a Mr Stevens appeared on the scene, a very clever engineer who was associated with the petrol -- electrical omnibus.

This contraption had no gears, an advantage seen by Richard whose policy towards his long -- standing staff meant that he did not want to sack any of them. He understood that changing from driving horses to suddenly driving omnibuses could not be taught overnight, therefore, with no gears, the chance of teaching 'old dogs new tricks' just might work within a limited period.

At this time, following the tradition of ensuring the family--run company was kept that way, Richard installed his nephew Walter Wolsey to run the motorised section of the Thomas Tilling Company, to be joined later by his cousin Reginald Tilling.

With the outbreak of war in 1914, many of the Tilling horses were commandeered and sent to France where sadly most ended their days.

In 1929, Richard for the first time in his life admitted he did not feel quite so well as he used to. No one thought anything serious was the matter, as the family looked upon him as almost indestructible. Although his father Thomas had founded the bus company, it was not he who had made the organisation what it was in 1929, but Richard Tilling himself.

It is recorded that an Equerry of King George V suggested that the king would be pleased to offer him a knighthood for his services in transport. His reply was characteristic: 'Though he appreciated the honour, he would prefer to die with the same name as he was born with.'

But a caption in the London Times did bestow upon him the title 'King of the Roads.'

After Richard's death, matters came to a head. A board meeting was called to appoint a new chairman, but no one could have predicted that this prestigious vacancy would have been filled by a Mr Heaton, who had only been with the firm for 15 years as their accountant.

When Harry and Reginald Tilling passed on, the company was left with not one director bearing the Tilling name. More shocks were to come when some years later Mr Heaton accepted a knighthood.
The story of the Tillings shows how just one man with three main assets ---- one grey mare, £30 and tremendous determination ---- turned a humble beginning into a fortune with the help of his sons, grandsons, staff and partners.