220 THE BATH ROAD 



Pickwick, the coach proprietor of Bath, is obvious 

 enough from the " Pickwick Papers," where Mr. 

 Pickwick and Sam Weller are taking their seats for 

 that City of the Waters. 



" ' I'm wery much afeerd, sir, that the properiator o' 

 this here coach is a playin' some imperence vith us,' 

 says Sam. 



" ' How is that, Sam ? ' said Mr. Pickwick ; ' aren't 

 the names down on the way-bill ? ' 



" ' The names is not only down on the vay-bill, sir,' 

 replied Sam, ' but they've painted vun on 'em up, on 

 the door o' the coach.' 



" ' Dear me,' exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, quite stag- 

 gered by the coincidence, ' what a very extraordinary 

 thing ! ' 



" ' Yes, but that ain't all,' said Sam, again directing 

 his master's attention to the coach door ; ' not content 

 vith writin' up Pickwick, they puts " Moses " afore it, 

 vich I call addin' insult to injury.' " 



There were then, it will be seen, real Pickwicks 

 living in Bath, and the "Moses" Pickwick referred 

 to was an actual person, the great-grandson of one 

 Eleazer Pickwick, who, many years before, had risen 

 by degrees from the humble position of post-boy at 

 the " Old Bear," at Bath, to be landlord of the once 

 famous "White Hart" inn, which stood where the 

 " Grand Pump Room " hotel now towers aloft. 



Now comes the long-souo^ht-for connection between 

 place and persons of identical name. Eleazer Pick- 

 wick was a foundling. Discovered as an infant on 

 the road at Pickwick, he was named by the guardians, 

 in accordance with an old custom, after the place. 



