THE COACHING REVIVAL. 277 



who assumed the name of Cell in 1863, now joined his brother ; 

 and the partners carried on the Brighton road upon the same 

 lines as during the preceding season ; that is to say, two 

 coaches were put on. Tedder and Phillips still kept each 

 other company ; while, Pratt having left the service, E. Crack - 

 nell became the professional on the other side of the road 

 (when Mr. Chandos Pole had to give up driving through ill- 

 ness), Dackombe remaining as guard. f At the beginning of the 

 season Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell horsed the coach from London 

 to Streatham, Mr. Chandos Pole being responsible for the horses 

 thence to Stoat's Nest. At the latter place Mr. Chandos-Pole- 

 Gell's horses were used to Merstham and thence to Lowfield 

 Heath, from which point Mr. Chandos Pole ran to Brighton. 

 In the course of the season, however, Mr. G. Meek was desirous 

 of joining the confederacy, and horsed the coaches between 

 Lowfield Heath and Staplefield Common, w r here he lived. 

 Mr. Charles Hoare appeared for the second year in the role of 

 coach proprietor ; but this time ran from London to Sevenoaks 

 instead of between Beckenham and Sevenoaks, with Comley 

 as professional coachman, and Ike Simmons as guard. Mr. 

 Hoare's coach was another link with the past. It was one of 

 the mails built in the year 1831 by Wright, and when it was 

 bought by Messrs. Holland & Holland (by whom it was let 

 to Mr. Hoare on the usual mileage terms), it had V. R. and a 

 crown on it, a proof that it had seen mail service during the 

 reign of Her Majesty. It had, of course, a single seat only 

 behind for the guard, whose blunderbuss case was opposite, 

 and where the second seat would be. The hind boot opened 

 at the top, beneath the guard's feet, so that he could easily 

 drop his mail-bags into the depths below. In order to give 

 as much room as possible for the letter-bags, the hind boot 

 was deeper than usual ; and, differing from the general plan, the 

 boot was brought out flush with the body of the coach. In 

 order to allow of the extra depth of boot, the hind axle was 

 bent downwards. The ' old school ' will perhaps smile at 

 notice being drawn to these details ; but they will pardon the 



