282 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



only. Mr. Sumner, son of the late member for Surrey, 

 was a member of this Club, but has resigned, and his 

 place is filled up by Lord Anson. Having never seen 

 his lordship at work, I cannot speak of his merits or 

 demerits in this line. Mr. Applethwaite was also elected 

 last year. The Hon. Thomas Kenyon, Mr. Whitmore, 

 of Apley Castle, in Shropshire, and Lord Southampton, 

 were for several years members of this Club. 



The B. D. C. has been very liberal of its services 

 in behalf of such coachmen, of good character, who from 

 accident or illness have stood in need of pecuniary assist- 

 ance. 1 The number of members who now have teams 

 at work does not exceed twelve. 



Very shortly after the establishment of the B. D. C, 

 another Coaching Club was formed under the auspices of 

 that long-established and very scientific coachman, Mr. 

 Charles Buxton. This has been erroneously called the 

 Whip Club, as also the Four-in-hand Club ; but its real 

 title was the Four- Horse Club. Their first meeting was 

 held in April 1808, and they met every first and third 

 Thursday in May, and the same in June, at the house of 

 their President in Cavendish Square, and drove to Salt 

 Hill to dinner. They dined alternately at the ' Windmill ' 

 and the ' Castle,' and each house took in the horses which 

 the other could not accommodate. Mr. Buxton, if present, 



1 A friend of mine, to whom I wrote to know if he were now a member 

 of this Club, replied in the following words : — ' I am not now a member of 

 the B.D.C., but was for several years ; and I can truly say, I never saw more 

 good fellowship and friendship amongst any set of men than existed among 

 them. They annually relieved several coachmen who were in distress, and 

 were the chief means of establishing the Benevolent Club, which I hope will 

 long continue to prosper.' 



