Hull Street Tramways
Summary
Hull's horse tramway began life in 1875 under the auspices of the Continental & General Tramway Company, but quickly passed into the hands the Hull St Tramways Company Limited. This latter company operated the trams for some 20 years, before succumbing to liquidation in 1896, from where Hull Corporation eventually bought it. The corporation however, chose not to operate the tramway itself, instead leasing it to a local cab proprietor, W Nettleton, the last service running in September 1899.
In common with many horse tramways in the UK, drivers and conductors wore informal but smart attire — trousers, overcoats, jackets, waistcoats, shirts and ties. Headgear appears to have largely followed the fashion of the day, predominantly the bowler hat, but later in later years, flat caps would increasingly have made an appearance. No badges of any kind were worn on either the jackets or the hats, though photos do suggest that a small round licence may have been worn in the early years (see below).
For more information on Hull's tramways, see: 'A History of Kingston Upon Hull's Tramways' by Malcolm Wells; Adam Gordon Publishing (2012).
Images
Drivers and conductors
The crew of Horsecar No 3, working the Beverley Road route, pose for the camera — photo undated, but given the attire, probably taken in the late 1870s or early 1880s. Both men appear to be wearing small round licences. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.
The crew of Horsecar No 15 at Lambert St with a Beverley Rd service bound for Victoria Pier — photo taken in 1895. Photo courtesy of the National Tramway Museum.
A blow-up of the above photo showing what are probably two horsecar crews. The figure on the left with a cash bag is definitely a conductor, and the two men on the right of very probably drivers. Whilst the latter look to be wearing uniforms, these are in all probability just informal jackets with the type of soft-topped cap favoured by workers in large ports.
The crew of Horsecar No 4 pose for the camera, possibly in Temple St — photo undated, but probably taken in the late 1890s. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.
A blow-up of the above photo showing the driver and conductor. Both men are wearing informal attire and are what appear to be tartan or chequered flat caps.
A photo of Hull's last horse tram (with black flag affixed), No 23, entering the Temple Street depot — photo probably taken on the last day of September 1899. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.