William Oscar Pritchard
Oscar Pritchard
1916 of the Autocar Co
1949 Obituary [1]
"WILLIAM OSCAR PRITCHARD, whose death occurred on 7th March 1948, was the pioneer of the motor bus services in Tunbridge Wells and district. He received his practical training between 1901 and 1904 with the Electrical Transmission Co, of Hammersmith, and with Messrs. J. C. Howell, Ltd., general engineers, of Llanelly, S. Wales. After gaining experience as a car tester and mechanic with Messrs. Argyll Motors, Ltd., Glasgow, and the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company, Ltd., Westminster, he went into business on his own account in 1906 as a car repairer. Later he established the Tunbridge Wells and District Public Motor Services, which under his direction rapidly expanded. Subsequently the business was converted into a company under the style of The Autocar (Tunbridge Wells) Company, Ltd., and Mr. Pritchard became its managing director and engineer. He continued to hold this position until his retirement in 1929. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers in 1910 and was transferred to Membership in 1913."