I have been doing some ferretting and have discovered the following.
Emile Oscar Garcke (born Saxony, 1856 – died London? 1930)
He joined the Anglo-Brush Electric Light Corporation, an American subsidiary, as Secretary in 1883, rising to become Manager in 1887 and Managing Director of its successor company, Brush Electrical Engineering Co. In 1895 he formed (with fellow directors and city financial backing) the British Electric Traction (Pioneer) Co. Ltd, and a year later the British Electric Traction Co. Ltd. was registered on 26 October 1896, with Charles Rivers Wilson as Chairman, Emile Garcke as Managing Director, Stephen Sellon and John S Raworth as Engineers.
Garcke had already given evidence on light railways on behalf of the London Chamber of Commerce to a Board of Trade Committee, as a result of which the Light Railways Act was passed. This gave a fillip to the promotion of what were virtually street tramways by an easier means than the procedure laid down by the Tramways Act, which also had some penal clauses by which the tramway had to be given back to the local authorities after 21 years. This inhibited the process of investing in electrification of them and Garcke’s campaigns for fairer treatment of investors in tramways caused him many disputes with local government. The British Electric Traction Co. Ltd. set up tramway undertakings in many areas and electricity generating concerns in rather fewer, although before the grid system had been thought of any small traction concern had to have its individual power supply. In 1901 the BET bought out the Brush Company, becoming a manufacturer as well as an operator of electric tramways, by that year, J S Raworth MIEE, was on the Board, and Wilson had become Sir Charles Rivers Wilson. Also by that year, the company had laid 124 miles of electric tramway around Britain.
Garcke was a keen publisher of electrical books and pamphlets throughout his life, which is how the “Manuals” came to be published and even continued long after his death. He was also Chairman of Metropolitan Electric Tramways by 1929 and died in 1930 aged 74. He had been a prominent member of the then Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) for 41 years. His obituary, printed in the Journal of the IEE that same year, paid tribute to the ferocious energy he put towards his work, but also honoured his more personal side; despite his concentration on electrical finance and administration, Garcke was a keen family man with a wife and a son. He also found time to pursue other interests, such as helping to found the British Institute of Philosophical Studies. The author sums up the obituary with these words: ‘To come into personal touch with him was to gain the impression of an intensely alive, alert, sincere and active mind; those who were still more intimately associated with him knew the generosity, kindliness and unwavering integrity of his nature.’ In 1882 Garcke married Alice, daughter of John Withers, a brush manufacturer; and the couple had at least one son Sydney Emile Garcke.
James Albert Lycett, born 1864
He was educated at Oldswinford Hospital, and entered the office of a firm of solicitors, where he became managing clerk. In 1891 he became Assistant Clerk to the Stourbridge Board of Guardians, Clerk to Kingswinford Rural District Council in 1894, and was also engaged as Assessor for Mines to the Stourbridge Union Assessment Committee. Before joining BET in March 1896, he had advocated a light railway from Dudley to Kidderminster via Kingswinford and Kinver. He gave up his other duties on joining BET. Lycett’s appointment was as Birmingham District Superintendent of the BET, covering the counties of Warwick, Worcester, Oxford, South Stafford, Montgomery, Shropshire, Radnor and Cardigan. His name was partnered with that of George J Conaty, (b. Hazelwood Yorks, July 1860), for the patented design of braking system and also a basic truck frame. Conaty had worked for Thos. Green & Son of Leeds, but for a time was Engineer, Secretary and Manager of the Dublin and Lucan Steam Tramway Company. He was engaged as Engineer to Birmingham and Midlands Tramways Ltd in 1893, but became responsible for other companies including the City of Birmingham Tramways Co, Ltd until it was taken over by the Corporation.
On that occasion, Lycett was given £1000 for loss of office as Managing Director of the CoBTC, despite his other company directorships. He must have foreseen the limited future for the Black Country Trams once Midland Red got their buses on the road, and with the loss of their son in 1916 may well have decided to get out of the transport business.
R W Cramp, born 1863
Robert Walter Cramp was appointed as Secretary and General Manager of Birmingham and Midland Tramways Ltd in July 1893. He had become the Manager of the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramways concern in 1886, and moved to Blackburn in a similar position in 1888, becoming Secretary and manager two years later.
He kept his BMT post after the BET took over the Board in January 1900, and many of the old BMT members resigned later that year, and by February 1901 the Board had been reconstituted mainly with BET people. Cramp remained as Secretary but not Manager. In May 1901, Cramp was again appointed Manager of the B&MT, but also of the Dudley Stourbridge & District Company from July 1901 for an extra £25 per annum. After only 16 years with the company, Cramp retired in June 1911, and was replaced by W G A Bond (born 1863; Sandhurst-trained and commissioned in 1883: took course in submarine telegraphy 1886; joined editorial staff of “Electrical Engineering’ in 1888, becoming Editor in 1895 and resigning in 1897; joined BET in 1899 and became Secretary of Committee for Associated Undertakings and Superannuation Fund, as well as producing early issues of BET “Monthly Gazette’. As the fortunes of the Black Country tramways fizzled out, Bond remained as Secretary and Manager of the rump body, apparently until the end in 1930. The last Dudley - Stourbridge and Dudley - Tipton - Wednesbury trams rolled on 1 March, 1930.
A little-known snippet.
In 1930, Patrick Treanor was appointed District Superintendent of Midland Red at Dudley Garage, but he was also responsible for all negotiations with Birmingham Corporation concerning operation of the 87 tram route, while the current owner of the track (the Birmingham & District Investment Trust) was responsible for maintenance from West Smethwick Depot.
I also enclose a copy of the interesting genealogy of Birmingham bus companies done by Alec Jenson in 1951 and included in his excellent article which appeared in the Omnibus Society paper in the 1960s I think.
Peter W
