1900 Off for a Spin !
The year was 1900, the vehicle was an 1897 English Daimler and the passengers were 6 local farmers from Halsall – off on their holidays to Essex!
Seated left to right, we have:
Edward Threlfall from Bangor’s Green,
Richard Aspinwall of Green Kettle Farm,
William Scarisbrick of Altcar Lane in Downholland,
James Moorcroft of Dicconsons Farm,
Edward Threlfall of Charlesbye Farm in Ormskirk
and Robert Rimmer of Morris Lane.
The man at the ‘wheel’ or rod is the chauffeur.
Motor cars were developed over many years by a number of talented individuals but Karl Benz of Mannheim in Germany is normally credited as the inventor of the motor car. In 1885, his three-wheeled vehicle became the first successful petrol-engined car. Fredrick Bremer, a gas fitter and plumber, built the first British four-wheeled petrol-engined motor car. He started work in 1892, at the age of 20, and the car made its first run on a public road in December 1894.
So it wasn’t too long after that, only 6 years later in 1900, that Richard Aspinwall decided to organise a trip for his friends to Essex and back, via Daventry in Northamptonshire. Terms and expenses were agreed with the owner of the vehicle but when he met the rest of the passengers a few days later, the owner objected as he said he didn’t realise the men were such a ‘weighty’ party. He stated that he couldn’t be certain that the car could carry them all safely on such a long journey. Apparently, Richard Aspinwall is said to have remarked, with a smile, ‘But you had me as a sample!’. However, their differences were resolved and an extra charge per head was added to the final bill. Health and Safety seemingly being overlooked for the right price!
They must have had many stops along the way at various hostelries – the photograph above was taken at Daventry – perhaps at the local Saracen’s Head down there?
But where was their luggage? What was the weather like? Did they break down? We don’t know the answers to these questions but we do know that they didn’t have any punctures as the tyres were solid ones. Altogether the trip there and back took them a week.
They also enjoyed many more adventures by way of motoring holidays in the years that followed.
For more information regarding each of the men mentioned, refer to the table below and follow the links to the Family Search website.
| First Name | Surname | Birth | Death | Occupation | Address | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward | Threlfall | 1849 | 1915 | Farmer | Bangor's Green | KJLL-HG4 |
| Richard | Aspinwall | 1847 | 1903 | Farmer | Green Kettle Fm | LHW6-KNH |
| William | Scarisbrick | 1848 | 1904 | Farmer | Altcar Lane | L8RK-DFL |
| James | Moorcroft | 1853 | 1919 | Farmer | Dicconsons Fm | 9JN9-1D5 |
| Edward | Threlfall | 1846 | 1907 | Farmer | Charlesbye Fm | KJGX-78M |
| Robert | Rimmer | 1856 | 1908 | Thresher Owner | Morris Lane | KJGH-FP5 |
