Antique Statuette. Georgian Coach with a Lady, Gentleman, and Coachman A Pictorial Gallery of Modes of Transport Brought to you by Linore Rose Burkard Traveling, it seems, has never been cheap or easy. Before the age of the automobile one could always saddle a horse, (assuming you owned a horse to saddle) but horseback riding is considered a sport for good reason: there were risks, discomforts and weather issues, to say the least. The knowledge of how to ride a horse was nevertheless a handy skill to possess during the Regency and it is a sad heroine indeed who lacks it. (Think of Jane Bennet riding alone on that fateful stormy day to Netherfield Park. She could not have accomplished the deed had she not been something of a horsewoman.) Yet there were, thankfully, more commodious and advantageous modes of transport available. The following are illustrations I've gathered which show some of the many various vehicles that helped Regencians get around, whether one wanted to shop at a London warehouse, take a dash through Hyde Park, or meander along a country lane for the air and the view. There were vehicles (like the high Phaeton, below) which were primarily to show one's consequence and style; some for serious mileage or speed (like the mailcoach); and that good old stand-by, the dependable coach-and-four, used by families, aristocracy, and the public. Of course there were vast differences between public coaches and those owned by the wealthy, but that is for, perhaps, another issue. Meanwhile, enjoy this pictorial smorgasboard of.... Modes of Transport Late 1790's or 1800, judging by costume. These ladies are in a phaeton, sometimes called a "High-Perch Phaeton." Wouldn't want to turn a sharp bend quickly in one of these (though I must say they look remarkably relaxed.) Notice that even then, the driver (she holds the reigns and the whip) is on the right side, as in Britain today. Natty coachmen were called "whips" for short. A fashionable Landau. I like the cushioned perch atop the board. Like the phaeton above, you wouldn't get more than two people in this, and possibly only one (not including the whip). 1819 Phaeton. A two-seater.( Still not sturdy enough for my taste!) Barouche. Cozy enough for a chat during a drive, no doubt. Chaise. Unpretentious and plain, but unlike some "smarter" vehicles, offered a hood for shelter. A beautiful gentleman's Curricle, used both for sport and pleasure, and the team, a "matched pair" are most certainly statements of wealth. If a servant (usually for a gentleman) took the back seat, he was called a "tiger." A public coach with a large boot on the rear for luggage or other goods. When the inside filled up, it was customary to take a seat on the roof, and I believe cost less. Imagine sitting up there for a sharp turn! Here's an example of a small coach (or "post chaise") being driven by an "outrider". Notice the board is empty. Sometimes outriders would accompany a carriage by riding alongside or to the rear. This picture shows some of the versatility which could be employed. There are two passengers in the vehicle. A Post Chaise. Appears to be two postilions or groomsmen riding this time in lieu of a driver, so it must have been a common practice. Yet another post-chaise, undoubtedly a reproduction. Wonderful painting of "The Mailcoach" barreling along despite wind and weather. A little later than the Regency, but no doubt indicative of the times. This is a hearse and mourning coach (1844). The term "mourning coach" could mean any coach that followed a hearse, but in this case indicated that the undertakers provided transportation back then as they do now, as needed. This is an interesting illustration beginning with the sort of chaise that was common in Bath, England at this time. People would call for "a chair" and two men would actually carry the patron to their desired destination, just as shown,top, left. Some of these vehicles are later 19th century contraptions, but of special note to us are the said "Chaise", top row; The Tilbury, and Cabriolet on the second row from top; and the Phaeton, 3rd row, left. A hackney coach. Later 19th century, it seems, (I can't read the year). A hackney coach, or "hack" was a cab, and could be hired. A coach and six. The liveried coachman and elegant styling suggest this is a carriage for a wealthy family or nobleman. March 1829 Carriage Dress. An interesting thing about Carriage dress is that it hardly differs from Promenade (Or Walking) Dress, with the exception that it always seems to include an outer garment such as a pelisse, redingote, or cloak. (We couldn't finish our look at modes of transport without an example of how to dress, now, could we?) 1829 was hardly the actual Regency, since George IV had been king since 1820--but I include it in the "Stylistic Regency." Although not by any means exhaustive, I hope you enjoyed this gallery of Modes of Transport. (Article reprinted from Linore's free ezine "Reflections." To sign up for the ezine, go to http://www.LinoreBurkard.com.) Since Autumn is well upon us, get a free download of autumnal print-outs from Linore at: http://www.linoreburkard.com/AutumnPrintables2.pdf Enjoy!
Inns for travelers existed for centuries before the Georgian era, but it was the Royal Mail’s development in the 17th century that necessitated the improved roads, faster coaches, and affordable fares that allowed more people to travel throughout Great Britain. Turnpike trusts, consistent coach schedules, and a proliferation of guidebooks made it easier for middle class and wealthy merchants tor travel for leisure and not just the aristocracy.And those many travelers needed a place to stay and a
Antique Statuette. Georgian Coach with a Lady, Gentleman, and Coachman A Pictorial Gallery of Modes of Transport Brought to you by Linore Rose Burkard Traveling, it seems, has never been cheap or easy. Before the age of the automobile one could always saddle a horse, (assuming you owned a horse to saddle) but horseback riding is considered a sport for good reason: there were risks, discomforts and weather issues, to say the least. The knowledge of how to ride a horse was nevertheless a handy skill to possess during the Regency and it is a sad heroine indeed who lacks it. (Think of Jane Bennet riding alone on that fateful stormy day to Netherfield Park. She could not have accomplished the deed had she not been something of a horsewoman.) Yet there were, thankfully, more commodious and advantageous modes of transport available. The following are illustrations I've gathered which show some of the many various vehicles that helped Regencians get around, whether one wanted to shop at a London warehouse, take a dash through Hyde Park, or meander along a country lane for the air and the view. There were vehicles (like the high Phaeton, below) which were primarily to show one's consequence and style; some for serious mileage or speed (like the mailcoach); and that good old stand-by, the dependable coach-and-four, used by families, aristocracy, and the public. Of course there were vast differences between public coaches and those owned by the wealthy, but that is for, perhaps, another issue. Meanwhile, enjoy this pictorial smorgasboard of.... Modes of Transport Late 1790's or 1800, judging by costume. These ladies are in a phaeton, sometimes called a "High-Perch Phaeton." Wouldn't want to turn a sharp bend quickly in one of these (though I must say they look remarkably relaxed.) Notice that even then, the driver (she holds the reigns and the whip) is on the right side, as in Britain today. Natty coachmen were called "whips" for short. A fashionable Landau. I like the cushioned perch atop the board. Like the phaeton above, you wouldn't get more than two people in this, and possibly only one (not including the whip). 1819 Phaeton. A two-seater.( Still not sturdy enough for my taste!) Barouche. Cozy enough for a chat during a drive, no doubt. Chaise. Unpretentious and plain, but unlike some "smarter" vehicles, offered a hood for shelter. A beautiful gentleman's Curricle, used both for sport and pleasure, and the team, a "matched pair" are most certainly statements of wealth. If a servant (usually for a gentleman) took the back seat, he was called a "tiger." A public coach with a large boot on the rear for luggage or other goods. When the inside filled up, it was customary to take a seat on the roof, and I believe cost less. Imagine sitting up there for a sharp turn! Here's an example of a small coach (or "post chaise") being driven by an "outrider". Notice the board is empty. Sometimes outriders would accompany a carriage by riding alongside or to the rear. This picture shows some of the versatility which could be employed. There are two passengers in the vehicle. A Post Chaise. Appears to be two postilions or groomsmen riding this time in lieu of a driver, so it must have been a common practice. Yet another post-chaise, undoubtedly a reproduction. Wonderful painting of "The Mailcoach" barreling along despite wind and weather. A little later than the Regency, but no doubt indicative of the times. This is a hearse and mourning coach (1844). The term "mourning coach" could mean any coach that followed a hearse, but in this case indicated that the undertakers provided transportation back then as they do now, as needed. This is an interesting illustration beginning with the sort of chaise that was common in Bath, England at this time. People would call for "a chair" and two men would actually carry the patron to their desired destination, just as shown,top, left. Some of these vehicles are later 19th century contraptions, but of special note to us are the said "Chaise", top row; The Tilbury, and Cabriolet on the second row from top; and the Phaeton, 3rd row, left. A hackney coach. Later 19th century, it seems, (I can't read the year). A hackney coach, or "hack" was a cab, and could be hired. A coach and six. The liveried coachman and elegant styling suggest this is a carriage for a wealthy family or nobleman. March 1829 Carriage Dress. An interesting thing about Carriage dress is that it hardly differs from Promenade (Or Walking) Dress, with the exception that it always seems to include an outer garment such as a pelisse, redingote, or cloak. (We couldn't finish our look at modes of transport without an example of how to dress, now, could we?) 1829 was hardly the actual Regency, since George IV had been king since 1820--but I include it in the "Stylistic Regency." Although not by any means exhaustive, I hope you enjoyed this gallery of Modes of Transport. (Article reprinted from Linore's free ezine "Reflections." To sign up for the ezine, go to http://www.LinoreBurkard.com.) Since Autumn is well upon us, get a free download of autumnal print-outs from Linore at: http://www.linoreburkard.com/AutumnPrintables2.pdf Enjoy!
Dear friends and readers, This blog interweaves into Letters 8 and 9, the happenings omitted from this time (perhaps originally recorded by Jane Austen or someone else in the family but now destroyed that mattered intensely: the courtship and rejection of Eliza by James; the courtship and…
Over the centuries in England, post houses existed along the roads, many of them constructed at first to provide horses for the Royal Mail. The type of business determined its name: ale houses served ales, taverns served wine, inns provided rooms for travelers. The post houses came to be known as posting inns, unlike the coaching inns that would provide carriage for hire. Eventually, public houses, which came to later be called “pubs” and were different from private houses or clubs, came into being might serve food and drink. All these establishments held to a long tradition of a memorable name, preferably one that might be made into a sign that would be easy for an illiterate person to identify. Common names included: the Blue Lion, the Pheasant, the Rose & Crown, the Feversham Arms, the Bell, Castle House, the Boar's Head, the Peacock, the Kings Head, the White Hart, the Swan, the George (a popular name after the Hanoverians took the throne). More unusual names might include the Running Footman, the Honest Layer, the Cock and Bull, or the Eagle and Child. Initially, these posting inns or post houses provided only horses, but as the Royal Mail was changed in the late 1700’s to use mail coaches, the coaches, horses, and drivers were all supplied by contract. There was much competition for this lucrative business—a contractor earned not only a fixed regular income for the postal service, but could also charge fares for any passengers on the coach, and an inn could also hope for extra income from quick refreshments sold to passengers. On Monday August 2, 1784, John Palmer's first coach left the Rummer Tavern in Bristol at 4:00 PM, carrying the mail and four passengers (which later became seven passengers, with four inside). As noted, Palmer had long advocated postal reform and expansion—increased commerce, industry, and population demanded it. After his friend William Pitt became Prime Minister, Palmer got authority to try his reform ideas. Palmer's Mail Coach reached Bath at 5:20 PM, and arrived in London at the Swan with Two Necks well before 8:00 the next morning to deliver mail to the Chief Post Office in Lombard Street. The coach had traveled 119 miles in under sixteen hours, an incredible feat at the time. Palmer received public acclaim and bureaucratic stone-walling, including a record of criticism which ran to three volumes of copperplate. However, Palmer's Mail Coaches began to take hold. In 1787, the Post Office adopted an improved mail coach design patented coach by John Besant and John Vidler. The two men soon held a monopoly on the supply of Royal Mail coaches, including their upkeep, and servicing, and all the coaches took on the distinct black and scarlet colors of the Royal Mail, with the stage number painted on the back side pannel. From 1801 to 1808, England also had numerous private posts to carry letters between towns and manor houses. Rates could vary from 1/2d to 1d or more for delivery. From 1808 on, local delivery standardized at 1d per letter and post towns began to use the stamp P.P. for Penny Post. The private posts, however, tended to be notoriously slow and unreliable. Postmasters often went bankrupt, ending their service without much warning. Those to whom speed carried more importance than money kept to the old practice of sending letters via servants, by the Common Carriers, or by private courier. By 1811, approximately 220 mail coaches ran on regular schedules from London to various major cities. These coaches used the main post roads and cross roads (post roads that did not pass through London, but which crossed the main roads), which could support the light, fast coaches. The new process for macadamizing roads created excellent paved surfaces on the main roads, but other dangers existed, including: poor drivers (on the road and on the mail coaches), bad light from the lack of any moon at night, snow drifts, flooded rivers that had to be forded, collapsed bridges, thunder and lightning that might spook the horses, heavy fog, and rain that could be blinding. On steep hills, passengers might have to climb out and walk beside the coach going up and down to better save the horses for their primary job of delivering the mail. In addition, dust was always a problem on the road in the summer, and any lady who traveled generally wore a veil not to protect her identity, but to save her delicate skin. Toll roads were constructed during this time period—roads that were the enterprise of local contractors or postal concerns, and the toll was meant to pay for the construction work. Mail coaches had the advantages of not having to pay tolls, which could be worth as much as six pounds to the contractor. The Royal Mail coach was faster than any stage as the mail only stopped for delivery of mail, and sometimes did not stop at all but only slowed to allow the mail to be exchanged with a quick toss. The coaches were drawn by a team of four, and had seating inside for four passengers, and outside for two or three more to sit with the driver. A seat inside for the Royal Mail from London to Bristol cost about 2 pounds and 10 shillings, while one outside cost about 1 pound. In general, Royal Mail ticket costs were about one penny (1d) per mile more than would be charged by a privately operated stage. (Stage fares averaged about 2d to 3d a mile for an outside seat, and 4d to 5d for an inside seat.) Mail coaches averaged 7 to 8 mph on hard summer roads, and up to 10 mph on a good, straight road with no hills, but in poor winter conditions this speed went down to about 5 mph. Fresh horses were supplied every 10 to 15 miles. Unlike stage coaches, which were operated by private companies, the limit on passengers and luggage on the mail prevented the common danger of overturning due to excessive or top-heavy weight. The mail coaches also traveled mostly at night when roads were less busy and the coach might make better time. But the heyday of the posting inns and mail coaches wasn't long. In the 1830's the first delivery of mail by rail took place between Liverpool and Manchester, and by the early 1840's London-based mail coaches were being withdrawn from service. The last mail coach service to London ended in 1846--the age of rail had taken over. Many posting inns closed as traffic moved from road to rail. A few regional mail coaches continued active service into the 1850's, but these, too, were being replaced, and many posting inns fell into ruin, with only those in the main towns surviving .
Sense & Sensibility is about so many things, but there is an emphasis on income, inheritance and money, and how the world of the late 18th, early 19th century figured in the lives of AustenR…
Long before the development of the roadside motel, travelers had to use a different method to get adequate rest. Travelers (and their horses) used coaching inns to get food, alcohol, and rest. Initially only the wealthy could travel, but suddenly in 1667 everything changed.
Regency Trivia – Coaches Traveling Coaches Of all the privately owned coaches and carriages these were the largest. Bear in mind that every coach was bespoke. There are accounts of traveling co…
The causes of carriage accidents, some of which were deadly, were based on a wide variety of factors. Among the reasons for carriage accidents were
Curricles, gigs and phaetons in the Regency
By Wade H. Mann, author of A Most Excellent UnderstandingWhen you read a lot of Regency fiction, the two things that seem to be the most confusing are travel times and money. Both are difficult to square up with modern knowledge. For example, I've seen travel times from London to Pemberley ranging everywhere from a few hours to five days. Most writers have settled on four days, so that’s what you’ll see most often. You'll also see someone send an express to London and have someone back the next
“Let not women’s weapons, water-drops, Stain my man’s cheeks!” In King Lear, Shakespeare didn’t have a very high opinion of women’s weapons. Women, though, have far more in their weapo…
Over the centuries in England, post houses existed along the roads, many of them constructed at first to provide horses for the Royal Mail. The type of business determined its name: ale houses served ales, taverns served wine, inns provided rooms for travelers. The post houses came to be known as posting inns, unlike the coaching inns that would provide carriage for hire. Eventually, public houses, which came to later be called “pubs” and were different from private houses or clubs, came into being might serve food and drink. All these establishments held to a long tradition of a memorable name, preferably one that might be made into a sign that would be easy for an illiterate person to identify. Common names included: the Blue Lion, the Pheasant, the Rose & Crown, the Feversham Arms, the Bell, Castle House, the Boar's Head, the Peacock, the Kings Head, the White Hart, the Swan, the George (a popular name after the Hanoverians took the throne). More unusual names might include the Running Footman, the Honest Layer, the Cock and Bull, or the Eagle and Child. Initially, these posting inns or post houses provided only horses, but as the Royal Mail was changed in the late 1700’s to use mail coaches, the coaches, horses, and drivers were all supplied by contract. There was much competition for this lucrative business—a contractor earned not only a fixed regular income for the postal service, but could also charge fares for any passengers on the coach, and an inn could also hope for extra income from quick refreshments sold to passengers. On Monday August 2, 1784, John Palmer's first coach left the Rummer Tavern in Bristol at 4:00 PM, carrying the mail and four passengers (which later became seven passengers, with four inside). As noted, Palmer had long advocated postal reform and expansion—increased commerce, industry, and population demanded it. After his friend William Pitt became Prime Minister, Palmer got authority to try his reform ideas. Palmer's Mail Coach reached Bath at 5:20 PM, and arrived in London at the Swan with Two Necks well before 8:00 the next morning to deliver mail to the Chief Post Office in Lombard Street. The coach had traveled 119 miles in under sixteen hours, an incredible feat at the time. Palmer received public acclaim and bureaucratic stone-walling, including a record of criticism which ran to three volumes of copperplate. However, Palmer's Mail Coaches began to take hold. In 1787, the Post Office adopted an improved mail coach design patented coach by John Besant and John Vidler. The two men soon held a monopoly on the supply of Royal Mail coaches, including their upkeep, and servicing, and all the coaches took on the distinct black and scarlet colors of the Royal Mail, with the stage number painted on the back side pannel. From 1801 to 1808, England also had numerous private posts to carry letters between towns and manor houses. Rates could vary from 1/2d to 1d or more for delivery. From 1808 on, local delivery standardized at 1d per letter and post towns began to use the stamp P.P. for Penny Post. The private posts, however, tended to be notoriously slow and unreliable. Postmasters often went bankrupt, ending their service without much warning. Those to whom speed carried more importance than money kept to the old practice of sending letters via servants, by the Common Carriers, or by private courier. By 1811, approximately 220 mail coaches ran on regular schedules from London to various major cities. These coaches used the main post roads and cross roads (post roads that did not pass through London, but which crossed the main roads), which could support the light, fast coaches. The new process for macadamizing roads created excellent paved surfaces on the main roads, but other dangers existed, including: poor drivers (on the road and on the mail coaches), bad light from the lack of any moon at night, snow drifts, flooded rivers that had to be forded, collapsed bridges, thunder and lightning that might spook the horses, heavy fog, and rain that could be blinding. On steep hills, passengers might have to climb out and walk beside the coach going up and down to better save the horses for their primary job of delivering the mail. In addition, dust was always a problem on the road in the summer, and any lady who traveled generally wore a veil not to protect her identity, but to save her delicate skin. Toll roads were constructed during this time period—roads that were the enterprise of local contractors or postal concerns, and the toll was meant to pay for the construction work. Mail coaches had the advantages of not having to pay tolls, which could be worth as much as six pounds to the contractor. The Royal Mail coach was faster than any stage as the mail only stopped for delivery of mail, and sometimes did not stop at all but only slowed to allow the mail to be exchanged with a quick toss. The coaches were drawn by a team of four, and had seating inside for four passengers, and outside for two or three more to sit with the driver. A seat inside for the Royal Mail from London to Bristol cost about 2 pounds and 10 shillings, while one outside cost about 1 pound. In general, Royal Mail ticket costs were about one penny (1d) per mile more than would be charged by a privately operated stage. (Stage fares averaged about 2d to 3d a mile for an outside seat, and 4d to 5d for an inside seat.) Mail coaches averaged 7 to 8 mph on hard summer roads, and up to 10 mph on a good, straight road with no hills, but in poor winter conditions this speed went down to about 5 mph. Fresh horses were supplied every 10 to 15 miles. Unlike stage coaches, which were operated by private companies, the limit on passengers and luggage on the mail prevented the common danger of overturning due to excessive or top-heavy weight. The mail coaches also traveled mostly at night when roads were less busy and the coach might make better time. But the heyday of the posting inns and mail coaches wasn't long. In the 1830's the first delivery of mail by rail took place between Liverpool and Manchester, and by the early 1840's London-based mail coaches were being withdrawn from service. The last mail coach service to London ended in 1846--the age of rail had taken over. Many posting inns closed as traffic moved from road to rail. A few regional mail coaches continued active service into the 1850's, but these, too, were being replaced, and many posting inns fell into ruin, with only those in the main towns surviving .
The find by Jo Beverly of the Almack’s Voucher on Flickr sent me searching out other photographic evidence of the Regency period. There was something so visceral about the Almack̵…
A look at the wide variety of conveyances from the Regency Era carriage, to different types of coaches and other types of vehicles.
Ars longa, vita brevis
British history posts by authors of British historical fiction.
I will admit it, I get the conveyances of the Regency confused all the time. So here is a primer on all the assorted vehicles of the Regency era for your (and
A whistlestop tour through the curious and dangerous history of British mail coaches.
Long before the development of the roadside motel, travelers had to use a different method to get adequate rest. Travelers (and their horses) used coaching inns to get food, alcohol, and rest. Initially only the wealthy could travel, but suddenly in 1667 everything changed.
Flickr is nothing without you, our community. We want to make sure this community continues to thrive, grow, and inspire, so we've made some big changes.
In April 1811 Jane Austen was staying with her brother Henry and his wife Eliza at their home 64, Sloane Street and working on the proofs of Sense and Sensibility. Not that this prevented her from …
The Traveller's Oracle; Or, Maxims for Locomotion: Horse and carriage keeper's oracle ; Rules for purchasing and keeping or jobbing horses and carriages ; Est
