the life of thomas telford-第8章

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the　coach。〃*＇13＇



Between　London　and　Edinburgh；　as　late　as　1763；　a　fortnight　was

consumed；　the　coach　only　starting　once　a　month。*＇14＇　　The　risk　of

breaks…down　in　driving　over　the　execrable　roads　may　be　inferred

from　the　circumstance　that　every　coach　carried　with　it　a　box　of

carpenter's　tools；　and　the　hatchets　were　occasionally　used　in

lopping　off　the　branches　of　trees　overhanging　the　road　and

obstructing　the　travellers'　progress。



Some　fastidious　persons；　disliking　the　slow　travelling；　as　well　as

the　promiscuous　company　which　they　ran　the　risk　of　encountering　in

the　stage；　were　accustomed　to　advertise　for　partners　in　a　postchaise；

to　share　the　charges　and　lessen　the　dangers　of　the　road；　and；

indeed；　to　a　sensitive　person　anything　must　have　been　preferable　to

the　misery　of　travelling　by　the　Canterbury　stage；　as　thus　described

by　a　contemporary　writer：



　　　〃On　both　sides　squeez'd；　how　highly　was　I　blest；

　　　　Between　two　plump　old　women　to　be　presst！

　　　　A　corp'ral　fierce；　a　nurse；　a　child　that　cry'd；

　　　　And　a　fat　landlord；　filled　the　other　side。

　　　　Scarce　dawns　the　morning　ere　the　cumbrous　load

　　　　Boils　roughly　rumbling　o'er　the　rugged　road：

　　　　One　old　wife　coughs　and　wheezes　in　my　ears；

　　　　Loud　scolds　the　other；　and　the　soldier　swears；

　　　　Sour　unconcocted　breath　escapes　'mine　host；'

　　　　The　sick'ning　child　returns　his　milk　and　toast！〃



When　Samuel　Johnson　was　taken　by　his　mother　to　London　in　1712；　to

have　him　touched　by　Queen　Anne　for　〃the　evil；〃　he　relates；

〃We　went　in　the　stage…coach　and　returned　in　the　waggon；　as　my　mother

said；　because　my　cough　was　violent；　but　the　hope　of　saving　a　few

shillings　was　no　slight　motive。。。。　　She　sewed　two　guineas　in　her

petticoat　lest　she　should　be　robbed。。。。　　We　were　troublesome　to　the

passengers；　but　to　suffer　such　inconveniences　in　the　stage…coach

was　common　in　those　days　to　parsons　in　much　higher　rank。〃



Mr。　Pennant　has　left　us　the　following　account　of　his　journey　in

the　Chester　stage　to　London　in　1789…40：　〃The　first　day；〃　says　he；

〃with　much　labour；　we　got　from　Chester　to　Whitchurch；　twenty

miles；　the　second　day　to　the　'Welsh　Harp；'　the　third；　to　Coventry；

the　fourth；　to　Northampton；　the　fifth；　to　Dunstable；　and；　as　a

wondrous　effort；　on　the　last；　to　London；　before　the　commencement　of

night。　　The　strain　and　labour　of　six　good　horses；　sometimes　eight；

drew　us　through　the　sloughs　of　Mireden　and　many　other　places。

We　were　constantly　out　two　hours　before　day；　and　as　late　at　night；

and　in　the　depth　of　winter　proportionally　later。　　The　single

gentlemen；　then　a　hardy　race；　equipped　in　jackboots　and　trowsers；

up　to　their　middle；　rode　post　through　thick　and　thin；　and；　guarded

against　the　mire；　defied　the　frequent　stumble　and　fall；　arose　and

pursued　their　journey　with　alacrity；　while；　in　these　days；　their

enervated　posterity　sleep　away　their　rapid　journeys　in　easy

chaises；　fitted　for　the　conveyance　of　the　soft　inhabitants　of

Sybaris。〃



No　wonder；　therefore；　that　a　great　deal　of　the　travelling　of　the

country　continued　to　be　performed　on　horseback；　this　being　by　far

the　pleasantest　as　well　as　most　expeditious　mode　of　journeying。

On　his　marriage…day；　Dr。　Johnson　rode　from　Birmingham　to　Derby　with

his　Tetty；　taking　the　opportunity　of　the　journey　to　give　his　bride

her　first　lesson　in　marital　discipline。　　At　a　later　period　James

Watt　rode　from　Glasgow　to　London；　when　proceeding　thither　to　learn

the　art　of　mathematical　instrument　making。



And　it　was　a　cheap　and　pleasant　method　of　travelling　when　the

weather　was　fine。　　The　usual　practice　was；　to　buy　a　horse　at　the

beginning　of　such　a　journey；　and　to　sell　the　animal　at　the　end　of

it。　　Dr。　Skene；　of　Aberdeen；　travelled　from　London　to　Edinburgh　in

1753；　being　nineteen　days　on　the　road；　the　whole　expenses　of　the

journey　amounting　to　only　four　guineas。　　The　mare　on　which　he　rode；

cost　him　eight　guineas　in　London；　and　he　sold　her　for　the　same

price　on　his　arrival　in　Edinburgh。



Nearly　all　the　commercial　gentlemen　rode　their　own　horses；　carrying

their　samples　and　luggage　in　two　bags　at　the　saddle…bow；　and　hence

their　appellation　of　Riders　or　Bagmen。　　For　safety's　sake；　they

usually　journeyed　in　company；　for　the　dangers　of　travelling　were

not　confined　merely　to　the　ruggedness　of　the　roads。　　The　highways

were　infested　by　troops　of　robbers　and　vagabonds　who　lived　by

plunder。　Turpin　and　Bradshaw　beset　the　Great　North　Road；　Duval；

Macheath；　Maclean；　and　hundreds　of　notorious　highwaymen　infested

Hounslow　Heath；　Finchley　Common；　Shooter's　Hill；　and　all　the

approaches　to　the　metropolis。　　A　very　common　sight　then；　was　a

gibbet　erected　by　the　roadside；　with　the　skeleton　of　some

malefactor　hanging　from　it　in　chains；　and　〃　Hangman's…lanes〃　were

especially　numerous　in　the　neighbourhood　of　London。*＇15＇　　It　was

considered　most　unsafe　to　travel　after　dark；　and　when　the　first

〃night　coach〃　was　started；　the　risk　was　thought　too　great；　and　it

was　not　patronised。



＇Image＇　The　Night　Coach



Travellers　armed　themselves　on　setting　out　upon　a　journey　as　if

they　were　going　to　battle；　and　a　blunderbuss　was　considered　as

indispensable　for　a　coachman　as　a　whip。　　Dorsetshire　and　Hampshire；

like　most　other　counties；　were　beset　with　gangs　of　highwaymen；　and

when　the　Grand　Duke　Cosmo　set　out　from　Dorchester　to　travel　to

London　in　1669；　he　was　〃convoyed　by　a　great　many　horse…soldiers

belonging　to　the　militia　of　the　county；　to　secure　him　from

robbers。〃*＇16＇



Thoresby；　in　his　Diary；　alludes　with　awe　to　his　having　passed

safely　〃the　great　common　where　Sir　Ralph　Wharton　slew　the

highwayman；〃　and　he　also　makes　special　mention　of　Stonegate　Hole；

〃a　notorious　robbing　place〃　near　Grantham。　　Like　every　other

traveller；　that　good　man　carried　loaded　pistols　in　his　bags；　and　on

one　occasion　he　was　thrown　into　great　consternation　near　Topcliffe；

in　Yorkshire；　on　missing　them；　believing　that　they　had　been

abstracted　by　some　designing　rogues　at　the　inn　where　he　had　last

slept。*＇17＇　　No　wonder　that；　before　setting　out　on　a　journey　in

those　days；　men　were　accustomed　to　make　their　wills。



When　Mrs。　Calderwood；　of　Coltness；　travelled　from　Edinburgh　to

London　in　1756；　she　relates　in　her　Diary　that　she　travelled　in　her

own　postchaise；　attended　by　John　Rattray；　her　stout　serving　man；　on

horseback；　with　pistols　at　his　holsters；　and　a　good　broad　sword　by

his　side。　　The　lady　had　also　with　her　in　the　carriage　a　case　of

pistols；　for　use　upon　an　emergency。　　Robberies　were　then　of

frequent　occurrence　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Bawtry；　in　Yorkshire；

and　one　day　a　suspicious…looking　character；　whom　they　took　to　be　a

highwayman；　made　his　appearance；　but　〃John　Rattray　talking　about

powder　and　ball　to　the　postboy；　and　showing　his　whanger；　the　fellow

made　off〃　Mrs。　Calderwood　started　from　Edinburgh　on　the　3rd　of

June；　when　the　roads　were　dry　and　the　weather　was　fine；　and　she

reached　London　on　the　evening　of　the　10th；　which　was　considered　a

rapid　journey　in　those　days。



The　danger；　however；　from　footpads　and　highwaymen　was　not　greatest

in　remote　country　places；　but　in　and　about　the　metropolis　itself。

The　proprietors　of　Bellsize　House　and　gardens；　in　the

Hampstead…road；　then　one　of　the　principal　places　of　amusement；　had

the　way　to　London　patrolled　during　the　season　by　twelve　〃lusty

fellows；〃　and　Sadler's　Wells；　Vauxhall；　and　Ranelagh　advertised

similar　advantages。　　Foot　passengers　proceeding　towards　Kensington

and　Paddington　in　the　evening；　would　wait　until　a　sufficiently

numerous　band　had　collected　to　set　footpads　at　defiance；　and　then

they　started　in　company　at　known　intervals；　of　which　a　bell　gave

due　warning。　　Carriages　were　stopped　in　broad　daylight　in　Hyde

Park；　and　even　in　Piccadilly　itself；　and　pistols　presented　at　the

breasts　of　fashionable　people；　who　were　called　upon　to　deliver　up

their　purses。　Horace　Walpole　relates　a　number　of　curious　instances

of　this　sort；　he　himself　having　been　robbed　in　broad　day；　with