Solomon Andrews (businessman)
| Solomon Andrews | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 April 1835 Trowbridge, Wiltshire |
| Died | 9 November 1908 (aged 73) |
Solomon Andrews (5 April 1835 – 9 November 1908) was a British entrepreneur and head of the Solomon Andrews and Son bus and tram-operating company, based in Cardiff.
Andrews was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, the son of John Andrews and Charlotte. The fourth of six children, he was baptised on 5 June 1835 in St James's Church, Trowbridge.
On 27 March 1855, Solomon married Mary Asher (20 August 1832 – 18 January 1870), daughter of John and Mary Asher, in Trinity Church, Trowbridge. There were five children from the marriage but only two survived infancy:
His second wife, whom he married on 15 June 1870 in Knighton Parish Church, was Mary Jane Udell (born 2 March 1849) of Wrexham. There were six children from this marriage:
By 1851 Andrews was living in Cardiff, at 17 Tredegar Street, and working as a baker and confectioner. The house was owned by George and Charlotte Asher, George being a baker and confectioner, so Solomon was presumably learning the trade.
On 24 November 1856 he leased a shop and house at 51 James Street.
On 17 December 1863 he obtained a licence to operate a horse-drawn cab from the new residential districts of Canton and Roath to Cardiff Docks. By 1865, he had eight cabs and he is thought to have been an omnibus proprietor by December 1866.
His business interests grew rapidly to include tramways, buses, draperies and collieries.
His son Francis Emile (1858–1943) joined the company and eventually became a partner, the business becoming known as Solomon Andrews and Son,
He was best known for the Andrews Star Omnibus Company and the Star Omnibus Company (London) which provided horse-drawn bus services in London. His company also ran buses in:
In 1894 he purchased an area near Arthog consisting of several farms. He developed three terraces of houses, including St Mary's Terrace, Arthog Terrace, and Mawddach Crescent.
Mawddach Crescent was a row of properties overlooking the Mawddach estuary. The Crescent was connected to Barmouth Junction railway station by the short-lived Barmouth Junction and Arthog Tramway which he constructed. Andrews intended this to be the start of a purpose-built holiday resort but the surrounding land proved unsuitable for further construction. In 1941, during the Second World War, the Crescent was commandeered by the Royal Marines. It was renamed Camp Iceland and used as a training facility.
...
Wikipedia