Coachbuilders, Kirkcaldy

[Andrew C.]

My great grandfather who was a coach painter in Peterhead in the 1880's some time in the 1890's he moved to kirkcaldy and in the 1901 census was listed as a Coachbuilder as was his nephew who was also from Peterhead. I see mentions of the Alexander coach works in Kirkcaldy does anyone know if they would have been building coaches in Kirkcaldy at this time?

[ROY M]

Hi Andrew
I can't help with your Kircaldy coachbuilders, but it was to let you know that the term coachbuilders was used in a lot of ways. It was originaly as it says someone who built coaches as in horse drawn. It can be some one who builds coaches as in buses and it was used for the people who made and repaired the bodywork on cars, and in early cars a lot of the bodywork was handmade to your own specification.
So in the early 1900s your ancestor could have been doing any of these.
Hope this helps.

[Andrew C.]

Thanks. I have discovered that Alexanders didn't start up until 1922 so he didn't move to Fife to work for them. I was beginning to think perhaps it was to do with trains he moved from Kirkcaldy to Inverurie in the 1900's why I don't know.