A practical treatise on coach-building historical and descriptive

by James W. Burgess

A carriage had been introduced from Germany, called a droitska or droskey—an open carriage with a hood, on a perch, and suspended from C springs. The peculiarity was, that the body was hung very near the perch, so that the seat was only 12 inches above the hind axletree, and the place for the legs was on either side of the perch. The chief merits of this vehicle consisted in its lightness as compared with barouches and briskas, and its shortness.

The cab phaeton was invented by Mr. Davies, of Albany Street, about 1835; it consisted of a cab body with a hood, hung upon four elliptic springs, and a low driving seat and dasher, for one horse. It met with great success and was soon in general use. It was introduced on the continent, where it became known under the name of “Milord,” and became the common hack carriage, after which it went out of fashion with the upper circles. It has, however, been recently revived under the name of “Victoria.” The Prince of Wales and Baron Rothschild set the fashion by using Victorias about 1869, and it really is a very elegant and useful vehicle.

In 1839 the first Brougham was built by Mr. Robinson, of Mount Street, for Lord Brougham, since when this has become the most common and the most fashionable vehicle in use. The size of the first brougham was in its chief dimensions similar to those now manufactured; it was hung on elliptic springs in front, and five springs behind. Coachmakers seemed to have lavished the greatest care and attention on these vehicles, in order to turn out the lightest, and at the same time the most artistic contrivance, and great success has attended their efforts.

The foregoing is a brief history of vehicular conveyances from the earliest times to the present. During the last ten or fifteen years many further improvements have been added, tending to produce more perfect vehicles in every respect; but these improvements have been more in matters of detail than those at the commencement of the century, and hence are more likely to escape ordinary observation; but the critical eye will soon discover these changes, and marvel at the short space of time in which the real work has been done.

A glance at public carriages may not be out of place. Hackney coaches were first used in England in 1605. These were similar to the coaches used by fashionable people, but they did not ply for hire in the streets, but remained at the hiring yards until they were wanted. Their number soon increased, owing to there being a greater number of persons who wished to hire than could afford to keep a conveyance of their own. In 1635 the number was limited to fifty, but in spite of the opposition of the King they continued to increase in number, and in 1640 there were 300 in London. In Paris they were introduced by Nicholas Sauvage, who lived in a street at the sign of St. Fiacre, and from this circumstance hackney carriages are called “fiacres” in France. In 1772 the hire of a fiacre in Paris was one shilling for the first hour and tenpence for the second. There were 400 hackney coaches in London in 1662, and the Government then levied a yearly duty of £5 each upon them. In spite of this their number had in 1694 increased to 700, a substantial proof of their usefulness.

In 1703 a stage coach performed the journey from London to Portsmouth, when the roads were good, in fourteen hours. From this time there was a gradual increase in the number and destinations of stage coaches.

In 1755 stage coaches are described as being covered with dull black leather, studded with broad-headed nails by way of ornament, and oval windows in the quarters, with the frames painted red. On the panels the destination of the coach was displayed in bold characters. The roof rose in a high curve with a rail round it. The coachman and guard sat in front upon a high narrow boot, sometimes garnished with a hammercloth ornamented with a deep fringe. Behind was an immense basket supported by iron bars, in which passengers were carried at a cheaper rate than in other parts of the vehicle. The wheels were painted red. The coach was usually drawn by three horses, on the first of which a postillion rode, dressed in green and gold, and with a cocked hat. This machine groaned and creaked as it went along, with every tug the horses gave, though the ordinary speed was somewhere about four miles an hour.

One hundred years ago news and letters travelled very slowly, the post-boys to whom the letter bags were intrusted progressing at the rate of three and a half miles an hour! In 1784 a proposal was laid before Government by Mr. John Palmer, the originator of mail coaches, to run quicker vehicles, though at much dearer rates of postage. This scheme was at first opposed by Parliament, but after a struggle of some two years, Palmer’s coaches were adopted for the conveyance of the mails, though the rate at which these travelled was only six miles an hour for a long time after their introduction.

A great impetus was given to the production of better forms of stage coaches by gentlemen taking to drive them as an amusement, and two clubs were soon formed of noblemen and gentlemen who took an interest in four-in-hand driving and in vehicles in general. Several clubs of this kind are now flourishing to encourage manly sport, and with the capacity to promote improvements in the form of the “drag,” as it is now called.

It is to an architect that we owe the invention of the Hansom cab. The safety consisted in the arrangement of the framework at the nearest part to the ground, so as to prevent an upset if the cab tilted up or down. The inventor was Mr. Hansom, the architect of the Birmingham Town Hall. Numberless improvements have been made on this idea, but the leading principles are the same.