Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

March The Legal & Parliamentary Committee heard a letter from Messrs Sharples & Son, solicitors for the Accrington Steam Tramway Company, offering on their behalf to sell the whole of their undertaking to the Council for the sum of £55,000 , subject to the approval of their shareholders. After considerable discussions it was resolved that this matter was placed before the General Purposes Committee for further consideration. The Town Council received a letter from Messrs Sharples & Son on the subject of the proposed sale by the Accrington Steam Tramways Company of their operations. It was unanimously resolved that, having regard to the overriding powers of purchase of the Tramways within their own boroughs by Accrington Corporation and those of Haslingden and Rawtenstall, and to the very ‘meagre’ terms of such a purchase as defined by Section 43 of the Tramway Act of 1870 and on recent cases decided upon, “this Corporation cannot entertain a purchase of the whole of the undertaking at anything approaching the quoted figure. But it is prepared to purchase the rolling stock, equipment and plant allocated to and in use, upon the Corporation’s own Tramway as leased to the Tramway Company upon the terms specified in the lease (and which the Corporation can enforce the sale to them at the end of this present year.)” It was also resolved to inform the Tramway Company the Corporation intended at the end of the twenty-one year lease in 1907, to run their own tramway utilising electric traction, and that no extension of the lease beyond that date would be considered. June A letter was received from the Town Clerk of Haslingden suggesting that a conference of representatives from Accrington, Haslingden and Rawtenstall could be held in the Council Chamber in Haslingden on the evening of the 13 th . It was resolved that the Mayor, Town Clerk, Borough Accountant and two other councillors would attend. The following is a notice which confirmed that the British Electric Traction Company was already showing interest in obtaining the tramways of the district to add to their expanding portfolio. Notice is hereby given that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders of this Company will be held at the Town Hall, Accrington on Monday the 19 th day of June 1899 at seven o’clock in the evening. This for the purpose of considering, and, if thought advisable a provisional Agreement dated May 16 th 1899, and made between the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramway Company of the one part, and the British Electric Traction Company of the other part, being an Agreement for the sale of the assets of the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramway Company to the British Electric Traction Company, at a price, and on the terms of the said Agreement specified, including a provision for payment by the last mentioned Company of £500 to the Directors of the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramway Company, and also in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to elect Mr John Vincent Kitchener of Manchester, being the nominee of the British Electric Traction Company as a Director of this Company. A copy of this Agreement is annexed, and the original can be seen at the Offices of the Tramway Company, Ellison Street, Accrington. Dated the second day of June, 1899, by Order of the Board, James Wilson (Secretary), Tramway Depot, Ellison Street. ACCRINGTON. ( Memorandum of the Agreement ), made on the 16 th day of May, 1899 between the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramway Company (hereinafter called the Tramway Company) of the one part, and the British Electric Traction Company Limited hereinafter called the BET Company of the other part. ( Whereas ) under and by virtue of the Accrington Corporation Tramway Act of 1882, the Accrington Corporation was authorised to construct certain tramways in the Borough of Accrington, in the County of Lancashire. ( And whereas ) by an Indenture of Lease dated the 5 th day of April, 1886, the said tramways were demised to the Tramway Company for a term of 21 years from the date of the Board of Trade Certificate declaring the same to be fit for public use. ( And whereas ) by an Act entitled the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramway Company (Haslingden and Rawtenstall Extension) Act 1887, the Tramway Company was incorporated

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