The present generation, which knows less of coaching times than of the Wars of the Roses or any other equally far-removed period, will be puzzled over the references to clocks and time-pieces in the bill printed above. These time-pieces were served out at the General Post Office to all mail-coaches. They were wound up and set going in correct time, and, enclosed in a securely-fastened box to prevent its being tampered with, one was handed to the guard of each mail leaving London. By means of his time-piece the guard could check the progress of the mail, and could hurry up the driver on an occasion. It was the guard’s duty to deliver up his time-piece on arrival at his destination, when the time shown by it was entered by the postmaster, and any late arrivals notified to the Postmaster-General.
REVIVALS
That august public functionary finally yielded to the pressure of circumstances, and in 1842 her Majesty’s mails went by rail instead of by road. The Queen’s highway was then lonely indeed, and it was not until 1875, when the coaching revival was already some twelve or thirteen years old, that the revived “Rocket” coach was put on between London and Portsmouth. It ran from the “White Horse” Cellars every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday during the season, returning from the “George,” Portsmouth, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In the earlier years of its running, the “Rocket” made good time, taking eight and a half hours, up or down; but its quickest time was made on the down journey during the season of 1881, when it left Piccadilly at 11.10 a.m., and reached Portsmouth at seven p.m. == seven hours fifty minutes, inclusive of seven changes, as against six changes in previous seasons. Captain Hargreaves was the bold projector of this long-distance coach, and since his retirement from the road none other has had the enterprise sufficient for so great an undertaking. The Portsmouth Road has known no through coach since his “Rocket” was discontinued. The Postmaster-General of this age of railways is, however, about to try an interesting and important revival of the old-time mail-coach along a portion of this route, as far as Guildford; and it is understood that, should his venture prove successful, this journey will be extended to Portsmouth. Meanwhile, night coaches will run, carrying the Parcel mails, from St. Martin’s-le-Grand to Guildford, going by way of Epsom and Leatherhead. The reason for this reversion to old methods is that the railway companies demand rates for the carriage of the Parcel mails which, in the opinion of the Postal Department, are excessive, amounting as they do to about fifty-five per cent. of the gross receipts for the parcels carried. The coaches will leave London at ten p.m., arriving at Guildford at two a.m.; while, from Guildford, branch coaches will probably run, to serve the more remote country towns of Surrey.
INDEX
Abbot, George, Archbishop of Canterbury, [156-160], [235].
Abbot’s Hospital, [59], [158], [235].
Abershawe, Jeremiah, [67-69].
Battersea Rise, [63].
Bere, Forest of, [1], [326], [327], [328].
Bowling Green House, [78].
Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke of, [38].
Buriton, [20], [273], [285-294].
Butser Hill, [225], [295-297].
Byng, Admiral, [48-56].
Catherington, [320].
Chalton Downs, [225], [301], [320].
Charlotte, Princess of Wales, [127-134].
Charterhouse School, [188].
Clare, Earl of, [123].
Claremont, [120-134].
Clive, Lord, [124-127], [134].
Coaches—
“Accommodation,” the, [217].
“Britannia Fly,” the, [338].
“Defiance,” the, [217].
“Flying Machine,” the, [362].
“Hero,” the, [30], [363].
“Independent,” the, [217].
“Light Post” Coach, the, [30].
“Nelson,” the, [215], [363].
“New Times,” the, [11], [94], [146], [147].
“Night Post” Coach, the, [30].
“Perseverance,” the, [104].
“Portsmouth Fly,” the, [330].
“Portsmouth Machine,” the, [29].
“Portsmouth Regulator,” the, [30].
“Red Rover,” the, [165].
“Regulator,” the, [363].
“Rocket,” the, [2], [10], [30], [216], [363].
“Rocket,” the new, [11], [81], [94], [259], [366].
“Royal Mail,” the, [30], [362], [363].
“Star of Brunswick,” the, [212], [216], [218].
“Tally-ho,” the, [104-118].
“Tantivy,” the, [218].
“Telegraph,” the, [30], [165], [166].
“True Blue,” the, [338].
“Wanderer,” the, [217].
Coaching Age, the, [2-11], [29], [118], [161-169], [175], [211-219], [362-367].
Coaching Notabilities—
Balchin, William, [216].
Brown, E., [194].
Carter, James, [212], [218].
Carter, Samuel, [215].
Cotton, Sir St. Vincent, [8-10].
Falconer, Francis, [216].
Hargreaves, Capt., [11], [94], [259], [366].
Jones, Capt. Tyrwhitt, [8].
Nicholls, Robert, [217].
“Nimrod,” [108].
Peers, John, [166].
Rumney, P. J., [104], [107].
Shoolbred, Walter, [11], [94].
Stevenson, William, [8].
Weller, Sam, [217].
Worcester, Marquis of, [10].
Cobbett, Richard, [202], [225-227], [282].
Cobham Street, [42], [135], [137], [239], [267].
Cold Ash Hill, [208], [219]
Cortis, H. L., [146].
Cosham, [352].
Croft, Sir Richard, [128-131].
Croker, [98].
Cromwell, Oliver, [13].
Cromwell, Thomas, [15].
Cycling, [83], [140-146].
Devil’s Punch Bowl, [62], [197], [202], [218].
Dickens, Charles, Birthplace of, [356].
Ditton Marsh, [97].
Dorking, [104], [107], [114].
Duelling, [73], [78].
Duels—
Lord Castlereagh and George Canning, [77].
Lord Chandos and Col. Compton, [73].
General Lorenzo Moore and Miles Stapylton, [77].
Lord Paget and Capt. Cadogan, [77].
William Pitt and George Tierney, [74].
Duke of York and Col. Lennox, [73].
Esher, [98], [118].
Fairmile Common, [135].
Farnborough, [218].
Felton, John, [38].
Fitzclarence, Lord Adolphus, [219].
Gibbon, Edward, [14], [17-20], [288-293].
Godalming, [41], [89], [170], [173-193], [216].
Godbold, Nathaniel, [184].
Gordon Riots, [29].
Guildford, [1], [59], [147-169], [217], [239], [366], [367].
Guildford Castle, [152-155].
Hamilton, Hon. Charles, [137].
Hamilton, Lady Anne, [132].
Hampshire, [219], [224].
Hanway, Jonas, [42-47].
Harting Coombe, [268], [271], [315].
Highwaymen, [65], [67-72], [296], [301-305].
Hilsea, [218], [353].
Hindhead, [194], [197-203], [207], [211], [296], [305].
Hinton House, [326].
Hook, Theodore, [20-22], [98].
Horndean, [218], [301], [320], [325], [326], [327].
Hungate, Sir Henry, [38].
Hyde, Sir Nicholas, [325].
Inns—
“Anchor,” the, Ripley, [140].
“Angel,” the, Ditton, [140].
“Angel,” the, Guildford, [161].
“Angel,” the, Strand, [30].
“Bald-faced Stag,” the, [67].
“Bear,” the, Esher, [101].
“Belle Alliance,” the, [327].
“Belle Sauvage,” the, [30], [216].
“Berkeley” Hotel, the, [94].
“Blue Posts,” the, Portsmouth, [30], [216], [301], [358], [362].
“Burford Bridge” Hotel, the, [112].
“Castle,” the, Petersfield, [233], [278], [281].
“Castle and Falcon,” the, Aldersgate Street, [215].
“Coach and Horses,” the, Gravel Hill, [297].
“Coach and Horses,” the, Hilsea, [218].
“Cock and Bottle,” the, St. Martin’s Lane, [37].
“Cross Keys,” the, Wood Street, [22], [217].
“Crown,” the, Guildford, [161].
“Dog and Duck,” the, [28].
“Dolphin,” the, Petersfield, [281-283].
“Eagle,” the, City Road, [362].
“Elephant and Castle,” the, [2], [11], [22-27], [29], [33], [34].
“Flying Bull,” the, Rake, [218], [268].
“Fountain,” the, Portsmouth, [30], [216], [217], [358], [363].
“George,” the, Portsdown Hill, [351].
“George,” the, Portsmouth, [30], [217], [363].
“George and Gate,” the, Gracechurch Street, [30].
“Globe,” the, Portsmouth, [215].
“Golden Cross,” the, Charing Cross, [22], [30].
“Green Man,” the, Putney Heath, [72].
“Green Posts,” the, Hilsea, [219].
“Heroes of Waterloo,” the, [328].
“Huts” Hotel, the, [139].
“Jolly Butchers,” the, [93].
“Jolly Drovers,” the, [271].
“King’s Arms,” the, Godalming, [175].
“King’s Arms,” the, Portsmouth, [363].
“Mitre,” the, Hampton Court, [107].
“New Inn,” the, Old Change, [215].
“Quebec,” the, Portsmouth, [363].
“Ram,” the, Guildford, [217].
“Red Lion,” the, Dorking, [114].
“Red Lion,” the, Guildford, [161], [235], [239].
“Red Lion,” the, Petersfield, [281].
“Robin Hood,” the, Kingston Vale, [81], [267].
“Royal Anchor,” the, Liphook, [38], [218], [232-258], [296].
“Royal Huts,” the, Hindhead, [203], [207].
“Royal Oak,” the, Portsmouth, [217].
“Seven Thorns,” the, [208], [211], [218], [219], [220].
“Spotted Dog,” the, [40].
“Spread Eagle,” the, Gracechurch Street, [30], [216], [217].
“Sussex Bell,” the, [219].
“Talbot,” the, Ripley, [135].
“Telegraph,” the, Putney Heath, [79].
“White Bear,” the, Piccadilly, [2], [30].
“White Hart,” the, Guildford, [161].
“White Hart,” the, Petersfield, [281].
“White Horse,” the, Dorking, [107], [114].
“White Horse Cellars,” the, [366].
“White Lion,” the, Cobham Street, [135].
Jerrold, Douglas, [104].
Johnson, Dr. Samuel, [43].
Kean, Charles, [320-323].
Kean, Edmund, [323].
Kennington, [27], [63].
Kingston-on-Thames, [1], [81-94], [141], [201].
Lady Holt Park, [314], [316].
Landport, [353].
Leech, John, [189].
Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, Prince, [127-134].
Leopold, Prince, Duke of Albany, [134].
Louis Philippe, King of the French, [133].
Lussher, Richard, Epitaph, [14].
Liphook, [208], [216], [222], [225], [228], [230], [232-258], [260], [267], [296].
Milford, [193].
Milland, [231], [259], [272].
Mole, River, [108], [112].
Monmouth, James, Duke of, [59].
More, Sir Thomas, [16].
Murders by Smugglers, [310-318].
Napier, Admiral Sir Charles, [320-325].
Newington, [25], [267].
“Nicholas Nickleby,” [61], [297].
Nine Elms, [218].
Oglethorpe, General, [187].
Oxenbourne Downs, [297-301].
Pain’s Hill, [42], [138].
Pepys, Samuel, [38], [160], [161], [202], [235-239], [281], [333].
Petersfield, [1], [216], [233], [235], [272-285].
Peter the Great, [192].
“Peter Simple,” [34].
Pitt, William, [74], [78-80].
Porchester, [1].
Portsdown Hill, [274], [295], [329].
Portsea Island, [353].
Portsmouth, [41], [217], [218], [235], [329], [352], [357-367].
Portsmouth Point, [360].
Press-Gang, [345-350].
Purbrook, [301], [329], [352].
Putney, [2], [11], [13].
Putney Heath, [1], [11], [72].
Rake, [218], [260], [267], [268], [315], [317], [318], [345].
“Recruiting Sergeant,” the, [93].
Ripley, [135-146], [217].
Rogues and Vagabonds, [86-90], [342-345].
Sailor-men, [334-351], [358-362].
St. Catherine’s Chapel, [169].
Sandown Park, [98].
Selborne, [260], [267].
Sheet, [201], [272].
Shulbrede Priory, [220].
Smith, Henry, Alderman, [65], [66].
Smuggling, [305-319].
Stoke D’Abernon, [136].
Stone’s End, [1], [22].
Sugden, Sir Edward, [98].
Sword House, [65].
Tartar Hill, [139].
Thames Ditton, [98].
Thursley, [203-207].
Tibbet’s Corner, [67].
Tofts, Mary, [176-182].
Toll-houses, [267].
Travellers, Old-time, [33], [56-63], [252-258], [330-345].
Turner, J. M. W., [169], [201].
Tyndall, Professor, [207], [230].
Up Park, [273].
Vanbrugh, Sir John, [120-123].
Vauxhall, [1].
Villiers, Lord Francis, [85].
Villiers, George, Duke of Buckingham, [38].
Wandle, River, [63].
Wandsworth, [1], [22], [63-67].
Wandsworth Road, [15].
Warren, Samuel, Q.C., [101-104].
Waterloo, [327].
Waterlooville, [327-329].
Wellington, [327].
Wesley, Rev. John, [41], [188], [190].
White, Gilbert, [201], [230], [261-267].
“White Lady,” the, [98].
Wilkes, John, [28], [38], [240-252].
Wimbledon Common, [72], [80].
Wisley, [139].
Witley Common, [203].
Wolfe, General, [60].
Wolsey, Cardinal, [15], [118], [120].
Woolmer Forest, [228], [232].