Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society
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Applewhite coach builders
From: Elisabeth Carney_Haworth Fri 31 Jul 2009 19:52
 
Walter and Fred Applewhite are my great uncles. They were coach builders in Lincoln. I have photos of them with a car reg, AU 30.
Do you have any information about them?
Regards.

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Applewhite coach builders
From: Steve Milner Sat 10 Oct 2009 7:47
 
Would love to see the photo sometime - maybe a copy for the museum?

I will ask around to see what we have re the firm.

Steve Milner

Chairman

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Applewhite coach builders
From: Adam Cartwright (--@--.--) Sun 25 Oct 2009 17:24
 
Here are a few details about Walter and Fred Applewhite and their coachbuilding business.

As you very probably know, Fred was born at Fiskerton in 1868 and his brother in 1873 at Washingborough; they were two of at least nione children born to Allison and Lucy Applewhite. Allison senior was a farmer and market gardener in Washingborough. By 1891 Fred was employed as a coachbuilder, probably with Charles Wingad & Algernon Bates, who traded at 96 Canwick Road as Wingad and Bates.

Some time around 1905, the partnershipwas dissolved and Bates set up a new engineering and coachbuilding business at his Central Works in St Rumbold Street. These premises may previously have been the factory of Rainforths, another Lincoln coachbuilder, who had recently moved to new premises. Fred Applewhite became the foreman for the new Bates business and later the works manager.

In 1919 Fred took over the business, trading as F Applewhite & Sons; in that year he was living at 8 Robey Street. During the 192s Applewhites manufactured a number of coach and bus bodies mainly for Lincolnshire operators. Customers included Gelsthorpe of Branston, Friskney and Hudsons, both of Horncastle, Silver Queen; Trott of Nettleham; Berty of Skegness (a “toastrack” body with the sides open to the air; and Shearings of Cheshire (the Shearings!). They also bodied lorries and cars, as many similar companies did at the time. Applewhites made the first car body in Lincoln, for C Pratt, the wine merchant (the vehicle had another body made for the same chassis). Applewhites had a distinctive “white apple” logo which was applied to their products. The business closed in 1932, probably having encountered the same trading problems which affected many in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Fred died in 1955 aged 87. A reminder of Applewhites lives on in the LVVS’s Leyland Lion, registered VL 1263, which carries a 1929 Applewhites body. More details of this bus can be found on the LVVS websiter

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Applewhite coach builders
From: Adam Cartwright Sun 25 Oct 2009 17:25
 
"Berty" in my email should read "Berry" - sorry about that

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