2QO DRIVING. 



and Blackburne behind him, ran from London to Oxford via 

 Reading. From that place, however, to Oxford the horsing 

 was undertaken by Mr. Mansell. The Maidenhead Criterion 

 coach did not run in 1876, Mr. Eden gave up the Wycombe, 

 the Westerham was taken off, and Colonel Kane having 

 returned to America where he set up a coach of his own, 

 between New York and Pelham Bridge, taking A. Fownes 

 with him as professional the Virginia Water route was vacant, 

 and so remained until 1879. 



Before next May-day came round the ranks of coaching 

 men had been thinned by the hand of death. In November 

 1876, Mr. Willis, the banker, joined the great majority. Though 

 he never drove, he took great interest in the welfare of the 

 Brighton road, and in Mr. Chandos Pole's time found the horses 

 for the stage into Brighton, besides placing his fine stables in 

 Farm Street Mews, London, at the disposal of the proprietors 

 a circumstance which was the cause of Hatchett's being the 

 starting point in 1870, instead of the rendezvous at Charing 

 Cross, as in 1869. Mr. Byng, too, who, besides taking great 

 interest in everything appertaining to coaching, was instrumental 

 in founding the Dogs' Home, died, and so did Mr. Eden, late 

 of the Wycombe. Mr. Godsell, who had a house at Tulse Hill, 

 and had had an interest in the Dorking and Westerham roads, 

 though he never drove, also died towards the close of the year. 



The season of 1 87 7 witnessed a few changes. The St. Albans 

 road passed from Mr. Parsons, who now ran between London 

 and Watford, to Mr. Broadbent ; Lords Bective, Cole, Helmsley 

 and Castlereagh were associated with Colonel Chaplin in the 

 management of the Tunbridge Wells, on which James Selby 

 was still coachman, with Arthur Perrin, in lieu of A. Fownes, as 

 guard; and the Dorking stopped short at Box Hill. The Windsor, 

 Guildford, and Brighton went on as before, with John Thoro- 

 good and Ike Simmons as coachman and guard ; but there were 

 a couple of new ventures. Mr. C. R. Hargreaves and Mr. H. 

 Wormald, with Edwin Fownes as professional, started the 

 Rocket to Portsmouth, running down one day and back the 



