William Thompson Casson
Encyclopedia
William Thompson Casson was a leading English
coach designer and coach manufacturer, who, in the latter part of the nineteenth century. designed and built coaches for Queen Victoria and other members of the European nobility
. His reputation earned him many honours and accolades; he was elected member of the Royal Society of Arts
, and received the rare honour: Freedom of the City of London.
, Cumberland
in 1844. After losing his parents in early childhood he became ward to his grandparents, local weavers, Robert and Isabella Burnett. After receiving an elementary education at the local school, he became an apprentice to John Ferguson, an Aspatria coach-builder of some repute. At work he had a meteoric rise; he trained as a wheelwright, developed into a draughtsman, and became Works Manager, before the age of twenty-five. Casson was also a small time bicycle
manufacturer in his own right, building his first bike simply because none of the ones on the market fitted his requirements. According to contemporary reports the finished design was not too dissimilar to the modern cycle. A close friend and fellow Aspatrian, Thomas Walker, founder of the Cockermouth
monumental masons firm of Walker Brothers, bought one. Walker was apprenticed to Henry Graves, quarry owner and mason, who in his capacity of foreman supervised the building of Aspatria vicarage, and the churches of Bridekirk
and Silloth
. According to Walker, the sight of Casson speeding along the streets of Aspatria with his feet resting on the handlebars brought terror to the entire neighbourhood. He also enrolled for part time education at the newly established Aspatria Agricultural College and became one of the institutions earliest successes. In 1875, the court of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers
of London
bestowed a number of honours. He obtained a First Class prize for plane, practical and solid geometry
; a Second Class prize for theoretical mechanics
; a Bronze Medal and a technology
prize of two guineas. While at the 'Technology of Carriage Making' examination, held on behalf of the Royal Society of Arts
he gained an additional First Class Certificate and a prize of £5. In 1876, he won a further Silver Medal and also a Certificate of Merit for the best treatise on carriage construction.
, Cumberland and migrated to London
, where he became representative to Messrs Hooper & Co., coachmakers to Queen Victoria. The Worshipful Company’s annual report for 1877 drew special attention to Casson’s technical ability in the design of a Salisbury Boot. The boot was of curved form covered with leather, placed on the front gearing under the driver’s seat. In the 19th century it was much in fashion for dress carriages of the aristocracy. Casson had displayed not only a good practical knowledge of construction, but a thorough scientific knowledge of design methodology. The receipt of a further Silver Medal, and the company’s certificate for four outline drawings, plans and sections for Omnibus
, Barouche
, and Salisbury Boot brought his ability to a wide audience. In 1877, on behalf of his employer, he visited the centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, USA, where he obtained the medal and highest commendation awarded to an international exhibitor.
, Worcestershire
. He also became one of seven representatives chosen by the Carriage Builders Institute and the Royal Society of Arts to attend and report on the carriages exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. Later that year he exhibited a series of eighteen engravings depicting facets of carriage design at an exhibition held in the Mansion House, London. In 1880, Casson took the first prize for a two-wheeled brake in an open competition at Newcastle upon Tyne
. In 1990, the Worshipful Company of Coach and Harness Makers of London awarded him, not only the freedom of their company but also the freedom of the City of London, a joint honour only bestowed by that company on three previous occasions. He later became a member of the Royal Society of the Arts. In 1891, Casson took over the business, Starkey and Co, of Ross on Wye and continued to run a successful business until his death in 1909.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
coach designer and coach manufacturer, who, in the latter part of the nineteenth century. designed and built coaches for Queen Victoria and other members of the European nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. His reputation earned him many honours and accolades; he was elected member of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
, and received the rare honour: Freedom of the City of London.
Early Days
William Thompson Casson was born at AspatriaAspatria
Aspatria is a small town and civil parish in Cumbria, England, and lies half way between Maryport and Wigton, on the A596. Historically within Cumberland, it is about away from the coast. It is approximately seven miles from the northern boundary of the Lake District, and located to the south east...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
in 1844. After losing his parents in early childhood he became ward to his grandparents, local weavers, Robert and Isabella Burnett. After receiving an elementary education at the local school, he became an apprentice to John Ferguson, an Aspatria coach-builder of some repute. At work he had a meteoric rise; he trained as a wheelwright, developed into a draughtsman, and became Works Manager, before the age of twenty-five. Casson was also a small time bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
manufacturer in his own right, building his first bike simply because none of the ones on the market fitted his requirements. According to contemporary reports the finished design was not too dissimilar to the modern cycle. A close friend and fellow Aspatrian, Thomas Walker, founder of the Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
monumental masons firm of Walker Brothers, bought one. Walker was apprenticed to Henry Graves, quarry owner and mason, who in his capacity of foreman supervised the building of Aspatria vicarage, and the churches of Bridekirk
Bridekirk
Bridekirk is a village near Cockermouth in West Cumbria. It contains no shops but is does contain a small church.-Church: St. Bridgets:Bridekirk is named after its cruciform church, reconstructed in the late 1860s. Surviving are the remains of a ruined chancel with 16th-century east and south...
and Silloth
Silloth
Silloth is a port town and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It sits on the shoreline of the Solway Firth, west of Carlisle. It has a population of 2,932....
. According to Walker, the sight of Casson speeding along the streets of Aspatria with his feet resting on the handlebars brought terror to the entire neighbourhood. He also enrolled for part time education at the newly established Aspatria Agricultural College and became one of the institutions earliest successes. In 1875, the court of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers
Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers
The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. An organisation of Coachmakers and Wheelwrights petitioned for incorporation in 1630. The petition was granted almost fifty years later, in 1677, when a Royal Charter was granted to...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bestowed a number of honours. He obtained a First Class prize for plane, practical and solid geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
; a Second Class prize for theoretical mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
; a Bronze Medal and a technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
prize of two guineas. While at the 'Technology of Carriage Making' examination, held on behalf of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
he gained an additional First Class Certificate and a prize of £5. In 1876, he won a further Silver Medal and also a Certificate of Merit for the best treatise on carriage construction.
London
In 1877 Casson married the daughter of Joseph Charters of BaggrowBaggrow
Baggrow is a small village in the parish of Allhallows situated north of the Lake District in the English county of Cumbria. In many parts of the village views of England's 4th highest peak Skiddaw, standing 931 metres above sea level, can be seen to the South East, some 9½ miles...
, Cumberland and migrated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he became representative to Messrs Hooper & Co., coachmakers to Queen Victoria. The Worshipful Company’s annual report for 1877 drew special attention to Casson’s technical ability in the design of a Salisbury Boot. The boot was of curved form covered with leather, placed on the front gearing under the driver’s seat. In the 19th century it was much in fashion for dress carriages of the aristocracy. Casson had displayed not only a good practical knowledge of construction, but a thorough scientific knowledge of design methodology. The receipt of a further Silver Medal, and the company’s certificate for four outline drawings, plans and sections for Omnibus
Omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:Law* Omnibus bill, a single legislative document containing many laws or amendments* Omnibus spending bill, a single legislative document that sets the budget of many government departments* Omnibus clause* Omnibus hearing...
, Barouche
Barouche
A barouche was a fashionable type of horse-drawn carriage in the 19th century. Developed from the calash of the 18th century, it was a four-wheeled, shallow vehicle with two double seats inside, arranged vis-à-vis, so that the sitters on the front seat faced those on the back seat...
, and Salisbury Boot brought his ability to a wide audience. In 1877, on behalf of his employer, he visited the centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, USA, where he obtained the medal and highest commendation awarded to an international exhibitor.
Master coachbuilder
By 1878, Casson had become a ‘master coachbuilder’ and in consequence entered into a partnership with Cook and Co., the Malvern Link, Carriage Works in MalvernMalvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. He also became one of seven representatives chosen by the Carriage Builders Institute and the Royal Society of Arts to attend and report on the carriages exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. Later that year he exhibited a series of eighteen engravings depicting facets of carriage design at an exhibition held in the Mansion House, London. In 1880, Casson took the first prize for a two-wheeled brake in an open competition at Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. In 1990, the Worshipful Company of Coach and Harness Makers of London awarded him, not only the freedom of their company but also the freedom of the City of London, a joint honour only bestowed by that company on three previous occasions. He later became a member of the Royal Society of the Arts. In 1891, Casson took over the business, Starkey and Co, of Ross on Wye and continued to run a successful business until his death in 1909.