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A Clément question: information sought for an Edwardian 12/16
Letter to the Editor
I wonder if you could help me. Whilst sorting my late mother’s house I came across a framed copy of the registration of a Clément-Talbot landaulette which belonged to my late grandfather. The registration number was BU 264. Does this mean anything to you, or would it be of interest to someone?
I’ve attached a photo. The date stamp at the bottom is difficult to make out, but it’s dated 20.03.1916. My grandfather was called William Monks and he started a funeral business on Railway Road, Leigh. My father is called John Monks; he was born in 1920 and carried on with the funeral business (Monks Funerals) and expanded into coach holidays (Hutchinsons Tours/Monks European Travel) so the dates on the registration don’t really make sense.
Jayne France
Our response:
We can only be of limited assistance, but it seems the Clément-Talbot must have been acquired locally, since it was first registered on October 10th, 1910, with an Oldham "BU" number—both Oldham and Leigh are within a stone's throw of Manchester. We hope, though, that some of our readers will be able to supply more information about the car, e.g. specification, price and, we might hope, an illustration of a similar 12/16hp.
We note that a few 12/16hp Clément-Talbots from 1904 have survived, and it was this design which, performing so well in competitions, led to Talbot claiming the epithet "the Invincible." However, Georgano notes that that model was superseded in 1907, so we are looking at either a different car entirely, or one which was constructed some years prior to being registered.
We might also wonder exactly for what purpose Mr. Monk used the car, since it was not intended for private use but instead as a "public conveyance." Presumably, this means a local cab service was started as a forerunner to the younger Monk's coach business.
Pubblicato:
martedì settembre 3rd, 2024
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From the late 1890s John Monks was regularly advertising, in the Leigh Chronicle and Weekly District Advertiser, his coaching and funeral business at Railway Road and by 1902 at 3, Vernon Street as well. At one or other of those premises he also stabled the local fire-engine and horses around 1906. By then, he was advertising one-shilling Sunday Afternoon Country Drives in four-in-hand char-à-bancs.
There were lots of Monks in north-west England but how Jayne France’s grandfather, William Monks, may be related to the John Monks, whose company registered this car at 94, Railway Road, Leigh, may be answered by a report in 1907 when John Monks’ daughter, Annie, married Harold Pritchard and the bride’s brother, William Monks, was his best man and the reception took place at the Bull’s Head Hotel. In 1907 too, John Monks was an executor and beneficiary of the will of George Monks, “cab proprietor’s manager”, who notably had resided at 3, Vernon Street, Leigh.
None of the reporting about the Monks’ Victorian business mentions William but “William Monks, a chauffeur of Leigh, was summoned for driving a motor car in Liverpool-road, Patricroft at a rate dangerous to the public” in June, 1908—he was fined 5s. plus costs and had his licence endorsed. He said he had been driving for at least five years.
John Monks sold off a lot of horses in 1909, perhaps signalling a change to motorised vehicles, although the business was still running a regular Saturday waggonette service from the yard of the Bull’s Head Hotel, Leigh to Astley and back in 1910. In March, 1910, one of John Monks’ cabs knocked the Reverend Charles Swarbrick off his motorcycle in King Street, Leigh—described as a “motor collision,” horses not mentioned.
On May 26th, 1911, John Monk auctioned Vernon Street Depot equipment: “17 useful Harness Horses, Funeral Cars, 30 Hearses, Clarence Carriages, Landaus, Broughams, Busses, Waggonettes, Harness &c. Also, Lorries, Carts, Gears, &c.” The premises, containing stables, sheds, yard and its dwelling house “in the occupation of John Monks” was for letting or sale later in 1911, although the stables at least were still on offer in mid-1912.
Evidently replacing some horse-drawn with motorised transport, by spring 1912, John Monks, of 94, Railway Road advertised: “Good-bye to the Town! Have a pleasant drive in the country, or to the many holiday resorts in a Motor Car, Waggonette, or Landau. Wedding and Picnic Parties specially catered for. Cabs, Motors, and Waggonettes always in readiness. Funerals fully catered for. The Country Drives Commence on Easter Sunday.” Those motorised Country Drives were advertised regularly after that and John Monks was providing some bus services in Leigh in 1914 and the funeral business was advertised heavily until 1915. Seemingly nothing reported after that.
Perhaps the Clément-Talbot registration document was significant in recording one of Monks’ first commercial motor cars or simply, because the car was “for use as a public conveyance”, the company was required to display such a document at its premises.
Looking a bit small to be a wedding or funeral car, the photo attached is only a 12 h.p. Clément-Talbot doctor’s landaulette of 1909 but a 1913, 20 h.p. landaulette while larger has much the same appearance. The Clement-Talbot 12/16 h.p. was still on sale after 1907-09, with some sold to the War Office in 1914 when it was available with a landaulette, torpedo, two-seater or light van body. All C-T non-military production ceased for the duration in 1915.