'ON THE BOX: 223 



some of the well-bred dark browns that were in the coach 

 stable. 



As a reminiscence of the final days of coaching it may be 

 interesting to many readers to give a list of well-known coach- 

 men who drove the mails and stage-coaches for the last twenty 

 years of their existence. Many of these men had driven them 

 much longer. Some of them were dead, or run off the roads by 

 the railways before the end of what may be called old coaching 

 days. Some few of them are still living (1888). 



Taking the Devonport or Quicksilver Mail first, as the one 

 timed the fastest and consequently one of the best horsed, we 

 find- 

 Charles and Harry Ward, brothers ; alive now. 

 Isaac and two other brothers Johnson. 

 Little Harry Simpson, who lived for over thirty years as 

 stud groom to the late Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, and died 

 there in 1885 or 1886. 



Toby Philpotts, Gentleman Davis, Anthony Harden^ Jack 

 White, Big Brown of Bridgnorth, Jem Hennessy, Charles 

 Tedder, Bob Magic. Blight drove from Devonport to Ash- 

 burton ; he always wore top-boots and a light-coloured grey 

 coat. In 1843 I rode up with him the last day of August and 

 returned September 3. He then drove from Devonport to 

 Ivy Bridge. He told me he had been twice married, and had 

 ten children by the first wife and seventeen by the second, and 

 at that time they were all alive ; and on enquiry at Devonport I 

 found this was quite true. He was not a good coachman to his 

 horses, though a very respectable man and a chatty, pleasant 

 companion on the box. Mr. Elliot, of the Royal Hotel, who 

 horsed him out of Devonport with grey horses, used to complain 

 of Blight, and say that he cost him several hundreds a year more 

 than another coachman who formerly drove his horses a fact 

 which is well worth mentioning, as showing what careful driving 

 may save, and what careless may cost. Most of the above were 

 first-class coachmen and most respectable men; indeed, it 

 was very rare to find a black sheep amongst the fraternity. 



