SOUTHDOWN MOTOR SERVICES LTD

Records deposited to date represent principally the corporate, shareholding and financial aspects of the Company's history but the document books (with the associated series of original contracts, agreements, etc., which are as yet unlisted), contain important evidence of working arrangements. No documents pre-date the 1915 amalgamation, except for a few copy agreements in the first document book (SMS/1/24/1). In only four cases are records of absorbed companies available here; they are listed after the main series of Southdown records, with brief preliminary notes on their histories

Abbreviations Used

BHPUOCo. Brighton Hove & Preston United Omnibus Co. Ltd.

L& SCHCo. London & South Coast Haulage Co. Ltd.

SMS Southern Motor Services Ltd.

WMS Worthing Motor Services Ltd.

LIST OF ABSORBED COMPANIES

(References from Document Books SMS/1/24/1-6)

1916 A. Davies of Bognor

1918 George Town of Worthing

1921 White Heather Motor Services, Brighton

1923 A.E. Trickey, West Wittering

1923 Summersdale Motor Services, Chichester

1924 Royal Blue Bus Services, Bognor

1924 South Coast Tourist Co. Ltd., Littlehampton

1925 Cavendish Coaches & Car Co., Eastbourne

1925 Southsea Tourist Co. Ltd., Portsmouth

1926 Sydney Foard, Eastbourne

1926 W. Stride, South Hayling

1927 Golden Butterfly Motor Coaches, Brighton

1927 Lucille Motor Coaches, Hove

1927 Pullman Services, Brighton

1929 W.E. Pinhorn, Clanfield (Hants)

1929 Twines Services Ltd., Polegate

1930 John Poole, Hove

1930 Potts, Brighton

1932 Chapman & Sons (Eastbourne) Ltd.

1932 James Haffenden, Vines Cross

1932 G.H. Meaby, Brighton

1932 Blue Bus Service, Horsham

1932 Southern Glideway Coaches Ltd., Eastbourne

1932 Red Rover Motor Service, Felpham

1932 C. F. Wood Ltd. (Steyning - London service)

1933 P.C. Belier, Hayling Island (Hants)

1933 Fairway Coaches Ltd., (London - Worthing service)

1933 Orange Luxury Coaches, Pratt & Pearce Ltd., Little Vic Orange Coaches, Eastbourne

1933 G.M. Meekings (service to Hayling Ferry, Hants)

1933 East Grinstead Motor Coaches (East Grinstead - Lewes - Brighton service)

1934 Perseverance Motors (Gosport - London express service)

1934 Carter Bros., Horsham

1934 Hampshire Light Railways (Electric) Co. Ltd.

(Portsmouth & Horndean Tramway)

1934 Jessett's Coaches, Haywards Heath

1934 North End Motor Coaches (Portsmouth) Ltd.

(Portsmouth - London service)

1934 B.R. Roberts, Brighton

1934 W.H. Rayner & Son, Horsham

1935 W.F. Alexander, Horsham

1935 Aldershot & District Traction Co. Ltd. (Hindhead/Haslemere - London service)

1935 Alexandra Motor Coaches Ltd., Southsea

1935 Imperial Saloon Coaches (Southsea - London service)

1935 Blue Motor Services (Southwick) Ltd., Southwick (Hants)

1935 Fareham & Warsash Coaches (Hants)

1935 A.Timpson & Sons Ltd. (London - Portsmouth winter service)

1935 Denmead Queen Motor Services, Hambledon (Hants)

1935 Underwood Express Services Ltd., Southsea

1936 C.J. Lansdall, Worthing

1936 H. Miller (Southwick & Shoreham)

1936 Silver Queen Motor Services, Worthing

1937 H.K. Hart (Brighton/Hove - Hellingly Hospital Service)

1937 H.L. Pownall, Brighton

1937 East Grinstead Motor Coaches (East Grinstead - Lewes - Brighton service)

1937 R.J. Smart (Ferring - Goring Station service)

1937 Sydney Motor Coaches, Eastbourne

1938 L. Cherriman (Hassocks - Hurstpierpoint service)

1938 M.H.W. Garlick (East Hoathly - Uckfield service)

1938 Tramocars Ltd., Worthing

1938 Hartington Motors Ltd., Eastbourne

1938 East Grinstead Motor Coaches (some routes)

1939 Messrs. Bannister & Evans, Ditchling/Hassocks

1939 C.R. Shorter (Hove - Robertsbridge service, & excursions)

1951 Sargents of East Grinstead Ltd

1952 Pioneer Coaches, Petersfield (Hants)

1954 Beacon Motor Services Ltd., Crowborough

Southdown Motor Services Ltd. was formed in 1915 as the result of a merger between the Brighton Hove and Preston United Omnibus Co. (formed 1884), Sussex Tourist Coaches (renamed 1913 from Worthing Motor Services of 1909, itself successor of the Sussex Motor Road Car Co. of 1904), and the London and South Coast Haulage Co. Ltd. (of 1912). Over the next seventy-odd years Southdown gradually bought out most of the competition within its designated area (most of Sussex eastwards to Hastings, and South East Hampshire), as can be seen from the extensive list which follows this introduction. The Company was associated with two major national groups - the British Automobile Traction Co., and the British Electric Traction Co. Some indication of its geographical spread after eleven years can be gained from a schedule of freehold properties in 1926 (SMS/1/25/1), which lists offices and garages at Bognor, Bolney, Brighton, Chichester, Eastbourne, Emsworth, Horsham, Littlehampton, Petworth, Portsmouth, Scaynes Hill, Seaford, Southsea and Worthing, and the extensions were not only into local public transport services, but also into longer distance express services, and the touring, excursion and private hire business

A fillip was given to Southdown by the more ordered licensing and supervisory conditions which followed the passing of the Road Traffic Act 1930, and in the same year cooperation with the railways was properly established when the Southern Railway Company acquired about one-third of Southdown shares (they passed on nationalisation to the British Transport Commission)

Joint working arrangements were made from an early date with neighbouring companies, notably the East Kent Road Car Co. (1917), Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd. (1917), Aldershot & District Traction Co. Ltd. (1919), Hants & Dorset Motor Services Ltd. (1926), and various Corporation Services. Finally, in 1986, the Company was split up in line with the Government's intention to introduce greater competition. Records relating to the old Southdown Motor Services Company were deposited in the Record Office by its smaller successor of the same name (now based at Lewes), but it was decided that financial records to 1969 of the old Brighton Hove & District Omnibus Co. Ltd., which were formerly stored at Brighton with these records, should be inherited by the new Brighton & Hove Bus & Coach Co. Ltd., and these have thus not been deposited

The full story of the history of Southdown is told in The Southdown Story 1915 - 1965 (SMS, 1965), which includes a map of routes as in 1965, and it is not proposed to repeat this here