Mail Coach to Motorway Coach

The Story of Birch Brothers Limited
A detailed history of Birch Brothers Ltd, an early pioneer of the road-transport industry from the late eighteenth to mid-twentieth centuries.

The Birch family name is synonymous with road transport. Their interests can be traced back to the late eighteenth century when they operated a mail-coach service in the Plymouth area. In 1810, William Birch moved to London and established a horse-cab business in 1846. The company began building bodies for lorries and buses from 1887, becoming known for their innovative approach, such as introducing diesel engines in taxis in the early 1950s.

From 1905 Birch became one of the pioneers of motorbus operation in London, although they reverted to using horse buses until ceasing bus operations in 1912. They returned to this in the capital in 1923, but with the looming threat of the London Passenger Transport Act in 1933 launched an express route between Lond