Lymington transport services operated by Hapgood family

James and Ann Hapgood and their descendants operated a number of transport services in Lymington from 1812 onwards. There is abundant evidence for this from various trade directories and local histories - as summarised in the table below. There is also some pictorial evidence: Robert Coles' book on the local transport history includes (on page 35) a print showing Lymington High Street in 1832. The caption notes that a covered wagon part way up the High Street is Hapgood's single horse wagon.

References in trade directories and local histories

Pigot's Hampshire 1823/24 Lymington section has an entry "Carriers. London and Southampton. Hapgood. every Mon, Wed & Friday morning."

Southampton Guide 1824 This has an item "Hapgood, Lymington Light Wagon. Sets out from Adams and Son's Warehouse every Tuesday and Friday at 11 o'clock, returns Monday and Thursday. Forwards goods to Yarmouth and Freshwater, Isle of Wight."

History of Lymington by David Garrow 1825 Reference for "Hapgood's Waggon" similar to that in Pigot's Hampshire above

Kelly 1848 Lymington section has several entries:
Mrs Ann Hapgood, fruiter & carrier, High Street.
COACH, 3 times a day, from the Angel hotel to the Brockenhurst station, Hapgood and Dalton proprietors.
VANS & WAGGONS, daily, between Lymington and the Brockhurst station by Messrs Hapgood, the company's delivering agents; booking office, the Angel innyard.
CARRIERS to Southampton and per Railway to London. Mrs Ann Hapgood, High Street, every Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri morning at 11.

Hunt 1851 Lymington section has an entry "Carriers, Habgood (sic) to London.

Hunt 1852 But now the carrier service has disappeared.

Kelly 1859 Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to the railway." It also shows him to be the Secretary to the Solent Steam Packet Company.

Kelly 1867 Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to South-Western railway company, High Street."

Mercer and Crocker 1871 Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to the railway."

Kelly 1895 Lymington section has an entry "Edward Hapgood, delivery agent LSWR."

Kelly 1935 Lymington section shows Edward Hapgood to be a borough magistrate but no longer a delivery agent."

Lymington and the New Forest: Transport History, written by Robert Coles and published by A. Coles, Lymington 1986 Reports that James Hapgood took over the Lymington carrier service in 1812.

Analysis and summary

The most prominent of these services was the operation of the local carrier service in Lymington. According to Robert Coles' book on Lymington local transport history James first took over this service in 1812 (when he would have been aged 44). In the early pre-railway years the main focus seems to have been provision of a regular services to Southampton.

After James' death in 1834 his widow, Ann, took over the running of the business - and continued to do so until her own death in 1851. This period saw the construction of the the main line of the South-Western Railway through Brockenhust (about 5 miles north of Lymington) in 18xx. After this time it appears that the Lymington carrier services were refocussed as feeder service. For example, the Lymington section of Kelly's Directory for 1848 shows that Hapgoods provided a daily carrier service to and from Brockenhurst station and had established themselves as the railway company's delivery agents in Lymington.

With the advent of the railway the family business was also extended into passenger transport. Looking again at Kelly's for 1848, we see them involved in running coaches from Lymington to the railway at Brockenhurst.

Following Ann's death in 1851, the direct provision of transport services by the family seems to have ceased. This must suggest that none of her surviving children wished to take the business forward. The three children for whom we have evidence of business activity all followed different paths:

Mary Ann (b. 1797) seems to have continued the family fruiterer business in Lymington.
John (b. 1803) went off to seek his fortune away from Lymington. But he was still involved with transport services, e.g. in Wiltshire and later in Liverpool.
Henry (b. 1810) was more involved in clerical aspects of business - rather than direct provision of services. He continued the family role as the railway company's agents in Lymington and passed this on to his son Edward, who continued the role until the end of nineteenth century. In 1859 Henry was also involved with the Solent Steam Packet Company. This follows closely on the opening of the railway branch from Brockenhurst to Lymington in 1858. It is likely that this would have been a great stimulus for the expansion of ferry services from Lymington to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. Thus this would have been a natural way for Henry to expand his business interests.

However, there is one piece of evidence that may indicate some continuing involvement in direct provision of transport services in Lymington. The will of Ann's son, Robert Mist (b. 1808, d. 1858) shows him to have been a carrier. Further research is needed to establish if he carried on the business after Ann's death - or just worked in the business.

Last updated 08 May 2005

Pigot's Hampshire	1823/24	Lymington section has an entry "Carriers. London and Southampton. Hapgood. every Mon, Wed & Friday morning."
Southampton Guide	1824	This has an item "Hapgood, Lymington Light Wagon. Sets out from Adams and Son's Warehouse every Tuesday and Friday at 11 o'clock, returns Monday and Thursday. Forwards goods to Yarmouth and Freshwater, Isle of Wight."
History of Lymington by David Garrow	1825	Reference for "Hapgood's Waggon" similar to that in Pigot's Hampshire above
Kelly	1848	Lymington section has several entries: Mrs Ann Hapgood, fruiter & carrier, High Street. COACH, 3 times a day, from the Angel hotel to the Brockenhurst station, Hapgood and Dalton proprietors. VANS & WAGGONS, daily, between Lymington and the Brockhurst station by Messrs Hapgood, the company's delivering agents; booking office, the Angel innyard. CARRIERS to Southampton and per Railway to London. Mrs Ann Hapgood, High Street, every Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri morning at 11.
Hunt	1851	Lymington section has an entry "Carriers, Habgood (sic) to London.
Hunt	1852	But now the carrier service has disappeared.
Kelly	1859	Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to the railway." It also shows him to be the Secretary to the Solent Steam Packet Company.
Kelly	1867	Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to South-Western railway company, High Street."
Mercer and Crocker	1871	Lymington section has an entry "Henry Hapgood, agent to the railway."
Kelly	1895	Lymington section has an entry "Edward Hapgood, delivery agent LSWR."
Kelly	1935	Lymington section shows Edward Hapgood to be a borough magistrate but no longer a delivery agent."
Lymington and the New Forest: Transport History, written by Robert Coles and published by A. Coles, Lymington	1986	Reports that James Hapgood took over the Lymington carrier service in 1812.