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NOTES: WILLIAM TILBURY, BLACKSMITH, MARRIED ANN JORDAN
Tree "A" - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK; NSW, Australia |
Notes researched by descendant
John Tilbury of Nottinghamshire, UK
email contact below
| (Note A) |
Richard Tilbury bpt. 19th June 1911
is the first of 4* generations of carriage and motor car body builders. He was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire which was a centre for chair and furniture making where he no doubt learned his woodworking skills. He probably moved to London in the mid 1830s to take up coachbuilding.
* See refs. (01) (02) (03) (04) positioned in the Family Tree.
He may well have been related to a John Tilbury (born 1804 in Middlesex, London) who had a carriage building business at 35 Gloucester Place in Marylebone. (See the HISTORY pages.)
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| (Note B) |
Richard Tilbury b.1875
appears to have started work for his father aged about 13. Younger brother William joined the firm later at about the same age. Richard's business card for the Tilbury Motor Body Co. Ltd. says:
"Established 1886"
They certainly were not making motor car bodies then! The company must have been started by his father, maybe in new premises, using the old premises to continue building carriages, buses, etc. An older card gives the address of the (new?) factory as:
"2A British Grove, Chiswick"
and advertises:
"Every description of motor bodies built in wood and iron for the trade. Smiths' work done for the trade, Best workmanship. Estimates given."
The later card shows the address as:
"West Lodge Works, Lower Mall, Hammersmith, London W6"
and advertises:
"Specialists in high class saloon, saloon-landaulette, landaulette, limosine, private ambulance and taxicab bodies. Any make of chassis supplied"
(The 'phone number was Riverside 0499 !)
The factory bordered the Thames and Richard had a motor cruiser. He was Commodore of the London Corinthian Sailing Club in 1925. On Boat Race (Oxford v. Cambridge) days the upper floors of the factory were crowded with people getting a good view.
It was probably the 1930 slump combined with competition from mass production of steel bodies which put paid to the business. The last car body desings are of the late 1920s. Rather like early Austin 7's. By 1934 the business had gone and Richard retired to Colchester.
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| (Note C) |
John Posford Tilbury b. 1908:
Worked for his father from about 15 years of age (1923 - 1930). He was out of work from 1930, did some freelance designing for Mulliner and for James Young (Rolls Royce bodies). Reputed to have designed car for an Indian prince.
Attended Regent Street Poly. doing draughtmanship course. Worked from 1932 for Briggs Bodies Ltd, Dagenham Essex (Later taken over by Ford Motor Co.) starting at 5 pounds a week! Designed lots for Ford, Austin, Riley, Rover, etc.
During the war worked on all manner of projects - lorries, ambulances, fire engines, mobile kitchens, landing craft, prefabs, etc. Worked with Malcolm Campbell on landing craft for the Normandy invasion.
Started to get fed up when Ford America dictated body styles and Brits were only allowed to do the interiors. Retired 1965 to specialise in restoring grandfather clocks. Lots of documentation and pictures.
If you remember him please e-mail me!
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e-mail address:
Please put "Tilbury cars" in the subject line to show it's NOT spam!
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