File:Cabmans shelter at Warwick Road.jpg

Cabman's shelters

The first ones were built in 1875, as shelters for the hackney carriage drivers. At the time, cab drivers weren't allowed to leave their vehicles and horses parked at a cab stand, so they had no shelter or place to have a hot drink or meal. The Earl of Shaftesbury started the Cabmen's Shelter Fund and built these shelters on the streets to provide cabbies with "good and wholesome refreshments at moderate prices." Since they were on busy public streets, their size was limited to no larger than a horse and cart. Even so, they have a working kitchen and a counter for customers to sit and eat. Thirteen of them are still up and running and are grade II listed buildings.

In London the rules governing the use of shelters were as follows:

The Rules stated that:

1. This Shelter is for Cab-Drivers solely

2. The Drivers of the first two cabs on the rank are not to enter the Shelter (to ensure that there were always cabs available for hire)

3. No bad language

4. Attendant in charge is authorised to sell tea, coffee, bread and butter to drivers using the Shelter only, at prices as per tariff

5. The Attendant is instructed to see that the above Rules are strictly kept

The Attendant was also required to cook any food the drivers brought in and the charge for this was half a penny. Some publications also supplied magazines and newspapers to the shelters. Watermen were London cab stand officials who ensured that cab horses had enough water to drink. Originally, the watermen seem to have been hangers-on who fetched buckets of water from the nearest pump, or did other services for hackney coachmen and their passengers in exchange for tips. By 1850 the waterman had become a quasi-police official charged not only with supplying water, but also with keeping order on the stands and administering punnishments after disturbances. Ironically, the watermen were paid by the cab drivers themselves from a compulsory fee of one penny for each time they came onto the stand, and a further half penny each time they were hired from it. By 1860, watermen had been absorbed into the police force and were not only paid a regular wage of fifteen shillings a week, but were also issued with uniforms.