Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,051 pages of information and 246,705 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Provincial Traction Co

From Graces Guide

1936 Public company formed to acquire the Provincial Tramways Co[1].

1958 Acquired Hoffmans of Halifax and Hoffmans of Sheffield and (in 1959) H. R. Owen. Swain Management was responsible for much of the success of the Automobile Division, which was now a major dealer in Rolls Royce and Bentley cars[2]

1959 Acquired Thomas Greenwood's Sons; also had 2 subsidiaries[3]

1959 Acquired Joseph Tomlinson and Sons of Sheffield; also acquired the remaining parts of the Swain Group (Motors) relevant to the group including Edwards and Co (Bournemouth), Edwards and Co (Boscombe), Harold Radford (Coachbuilders), Swain Group (Services), Freestone and Webb, Hoffmans of London, Fleets Division [4]

1964 Acquired Winchester Motor Co[5]

1968 Mr P F Swain retired as managing director but remained as chairman[6]. He and his family trusts owned 45 percent of the company.

1969 Wiles Group acquired Provincial Traction Co and sold Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Co to National Bus Co[7]


1987 Provincial Bus Co was privatised [8].


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. The Times, Sep 09, 1936
  2. The Times, Aug 04, 1960
  3. The Times, Aug 11, 1959
  4. The Times, Jul 03, 1961
  5. The Times, Dec 08, 1964
  6. The Times, Dec 30, 1968
  7. The Times, Dec 20, 1969
  8. Commercial Motor 16th May 1987