Jessops of Frinsted - some more history
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Clive Cheeseman
Dec 8, 2012, 2:44:04 PM12/8/12
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I have just seen the comment about Jessops of Frinsted. As some may know I started writing a history of them a few years ago. The other 'surviving' OB was MKP 810 - hopefully a picture of this is attached which I took in 1973 just before operations ceased. This vehicle then passed through various hands suffering serious damage when a tree fell on it and was then purchased by a gentleman in Essex for intended preservation. He put the vehicle up for sale about three years ago still in the same damaged state but pulled out at the last minute for personal reasons. He was then approached by someone in Kent (not me) who wanted to 'bring the vehicle home' but he refused to sell. A year ago he was still intending to preserve it and I can only guess he still has it unless anyone knows otherwise.
Percy Jessop purchased the Kingsdown Arms in Frinsted in 1924. Quite when he purchased his first bus is not known but an unidentified 'bus' was destroyed in a fire there in 1930. Its thought he had an early school contract from Wormshill to Doddington after the village school closed around that time and I have heard local stories of a lorry or lorry-bus having been used. The Friday service into Sittingbourne probably started before 1930 as Maidstone & District only then came out as far as Milstead. The Jessop service operated on an express licence and never issued a timetable or tickets.No one seems to have photographed a vehicle operating it despite it surviving for so long. Other operators in the rural area in the twenties were Elvy, Doddington and Fullager, Milstead. Its not known if either actually ran a 'bus service' as such. A local horse drawn carrier had previously taken passengers to/from Sittingbourne and when the owner died in the mid twenties I suspect this provided the impetus for the various 'bus operations/service'.
Maidstone & District faced intense competition on the road from Chatham to Sittingbourne in the twenties from Medway based operators and also locally from Mears (Venture) to Kemsley (plus briefly a London coach service) and Sittingbourne & Milton on a hotch potch of local routes. Mears was refused licences when road service licensing came in (its a much longer story) and Sittingbourne & Milton sold out to Maidstone & District. With them also absorbing Standens (Sheppey Motor Traction) they quickly ended up with a monopoly apart from Jessop who they choose to ignore.
In June 1948 Maidstone and District extended the 43 service DAILY to Frinsted but then in 1949 withdrew the extension on Mondays and Wednesdays and put on a two days a week service to Wormshill.
Changes in the Education system meant that Jessops were now taking junior age pupils to Milstead & Frinsted school and not Doddington whilst Secondary age pupils had to go into Sittingbourne. This required two vehicles in the morning, hence the purchase of some at that time. Apart from assorted private hire he is also remembered for operating relief coaches for Maidstone & District from Chalkwell, Sittingbourne to Victoria - waiting in the lay-by to see if he was needed!
The (draft) book I referred to above has become a complete look into the bus services in and around Sittingbourne (and antecedents). Originally it was going to be published by the Omnibus Society but following a change in their policy they are now restricting such works to a maximum of about 50 pages. I am in discussion with another potential publisher but cannot put a time-scale on completion.
Percy Jessop purchased the Kingsdown Arms in Frinsted in 1924. Quite when he purchased his first bus is not known but an unidentified 'bus' was destroyed in a fire there in 1930. Its thought he had an early school contract from Wormshill to Doddington after the village school closed around that time and I have heard local stories of a lorry or lorry-bus having been used. The Friday service into Sittingbourne probably started before 1930 as Maidstone & District only then came out as far as Milstead. The Jessop service operated on an express licence and never issued a timetable or tickets.No one seems to have photographed a vehicle operating it despite it surviving for so long. Other operators in the rural area in the twenties were Elvy, Doddington and Fullager, Milstead. Its not known if either actually ran a 'bus service' as such. A local horse drawn carrier had previously taken passengers to/from Sittingbourne and when the owner died in the mid twenties I suspect this provided the impetus for the various 'bus operations/service'.
Maidstone & District faced intense competition on the road from Chatham to Sittingbourne in the twenties from Medway based operators and also locally from Mears (Venture) to Kemsley (plus briefly a London coach service) and Sittingbourne & Milton on a hotch potch of local routes. Mears was refused licences when road service licensing came in (its a much longer story) and Sittingbourne & Milton sold out to Maidstone & District. With them also absorbing Standens (Sheppey Motor Traction) they quickly ended up with a monopoly apart from Jessop who they choose to ignore.
In June 1948 Maidstone and District extended the 43 service DAILY to Frinsted but then in 1949 withdrew the extension on Mondays and Wednesdays and put on a two days a week service to Wormshill.
Changes in the Education system meant that Jessops were now taking junior age pupils to Milstead & Frinsted school and not Doddington whilst Secondary age pupils had to go into Sittingbourne. This required two vehicles in the morning, hence the purchase of some at that time. Apart from assorted private hire he is also remembered for operating relief coaches for Maidstone & District from Chalkwell, Sittingbourne to Victoria - waiting in the lay-by to see if he was needed!
The (draft) book I referred to above has become a complete look into the bus services in and around Sittingbourne (and antecedents). Originally it was going to be published by the Omnibus Society but following a change in their policy they are now restricting such works to a maximum of about 50 pages. I am in discussion with another potential publisher but cannot put a time-scale on completion.
David Burrin
Dec 8, 2012, 4:27:38 PM12/8/12
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Clive,
Thank you for that comprehensive report on Jessops.
I’ve found this picture of MKP 810 on-line - is this with the Essex preservationist you were referring to? It may or may not have been taken in 2010 - I know the picture-description on the right-hand side of the page is not always to be relied on.
Dave Burrin
Sent:
08 December 2012 19:44
Clive Cheeseman
Dec 9, 2012, 2:23:29 PM12/9/12
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Dave
That picture is very similar to those that were loaned to me so it probably is.
He indicated to me that he was very concerned about people bothering him about the vehicle as he had already agreed a sale should he decide to part with it.
This vehicle was kept by Jessop in a garage built on the right hand side of the pub (which later became a restaurant). The second vehicle was kept in the Forge to the left of the main building and remains of the third were for many years in a barn somewhere on his smallholding (my father was shown them many years ago).
In the late 1980's ownership of the pub passed into the hands of my wife's sister, but was sold a few years later and subsequently became a private house.
Clive
That picture is very similar to those that were loaned to me so it probably is.
He indicated to me that he was very concerned about people bothering him about the vehicle as he had already agreed a sale should he decide to part with it.
This vehicle was kept by Jessop in a garage built on the right hand side of the pub (which later became a restaurant). The second vehicle was kept in the Forge to the left of the main building and remains of the third were for many years in a barn somewhere on his smallholding (my father was shown them many years ago).
In the late 1980's ownership of the pub passed into the hands of my wife's sister, but was sold a few years later and subsequently became a private house.
Clive
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