COACHING 



shattered to pieces and their being dragged along the road for 

 fifty yards. But Httle hopes are entertained of a Major 

 M'Leod — a very fine young man ; not a vestige of his face is 

 left except his eyes ' (BelVs Life, 22nd September 1822). 



* A fatal accident happened to Gamble, coachman of the 

 Yeovil mail, on Wednesday, caused by the leaders shying at an 

 old oak tree. The coachman was killed on the spot, and the 

 guard escaped with bruises. The horses started off and 

 galloped into Andover at the rate of 20 miles an hour. The 

 single inside passenger was not aware of anything amiss until 

 two gentlemen, who saw the horses going at a furious rate 

 without a driver, succeeded in stopping them just as they were 

 turning into the George gateway ' {Times, 21st February 1838). 



Coachmen and guards were apt to leave too much to the 

 honour of the horses when stopping, and it was not at all un- 

 common for the team to start on its journey with nobody on 

 the box. An old coachman told Lord Algernon St. Maur that 

 on one night's drive he met two coaches without any driver ! 

 In 1806 (46 Geo. iii., c. 36) it was made an offence punish- 

 able by fine to leave the team without a proper person in 

 charge while the coach stopped. 



Organised races between public coaches were very popular : 

 the coachmen did not spare the horses on these occasions. 

 This race took place in 1808 : — 



' On Sunday, August 7th, a coach called the " Patriot,'* 

 belonging to the master of the " Bell," Leicester, drawn by 

 four horses, started against another coach called the 

 *' Defiance," from Leicester to Nottingham, a distance of 

 26 miles, both coaches changing horses at Loughborough. 

 Thousands of people from all parts assembled to witness the 

 event, and bets to a considerable amount were depending. 

 Both coaches started exactly at 8 o'clock, and after the 

 severest contest ever remembered, the " Patriot " arrived at 

 Nottingham first by two minutes only, performing the distance 

 of 26 miles in 2 hrs. 10 mins., carrying twelve passengers.' 



Mishaps were so frequent and productive of so many 



71 



