How To Find Your Cabbie Ancestors

There are many avenues to try, from websites and trade publications to archive collections

Cabbing was a respectable and well-recognised occupation. Cabbies will certainly have stated their occupation on marriage certificates and in census records, available at ancestry.co.uk, thegenealogist.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk.

The London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) has created a helpful free leaflet on licensing: bit.ly/lma-cab-records. Unfortunately, records of drivers are kept for only six years after the licence holder has retired or died.

The LMA holds some records of the London Hackney Proprietors Benevolent Fund (ACC/ 3563). These cover 1873–1896 but deal only with proprietors of hackney carriages, some of whom will also have been drivers.

You could also write to the letters page of a trade newspaper if you want to know more about a former cabbie. The Cab Driver ( thecab driver.co.uk) has been running since 1921, while Taxi, the fortnightly magazine of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association ( ltda.co.uk), also has a letters page.

The National Archives in Kew has records from the trade – search discovery.national archives.gov.uk for such phrases as ‘licensed carriage office’, ‘Hackney carriage accounts’, ‘Hackney coach papers’ and ‘taxi drivers’.

Finally, you can read London hackney coach regulations from 1819 at londonancestor.com/ leighs/hackney.htm.