THE COACHING REVIVAL. 293 



balance of 1367., which was handed over to the Hunt Servants' 

 Benefit Fund. 



Having survived the winter, the Old Times ran to St. 

 Albans during the whole of 1879, and the well-established 

 coaches running to Guildford, Dorking, Brighton, and Windsor 

 remained in the hands of their old proprietors. The Seven- 

 oaks road was revived under Lord Helmsley and Baron William 

 Schroder, who, with Ike Simmons as guard, started without a 

 professional coachman, meaning to do the driving themselves ; 

 but Lord Helmsley becoming indisposed, his partner, fearing 

 to tie himself down to a perpetual engagement, engaged Harry 

 Ward (in November, 1888, a testimonial was organised) to assist 

 him. Mr. Robinson, with F. Page as professional, ran a coach 

 to Thames Ditton, the Ranelagh and Hurlingham coach was 

 out again, and one ran to Hampton Court. The Virginia 

 Water road was opened out, as already mentioned, by 

 General Dickson and Captain Candy in 1871, and, after 

 being deserted for three years, was taken for one^season in 

 1875 by Colonel Kane, and was once more occupied this year 

 by the Tally-ho, started by Captains Hartopp and Jacobson, 

 having with them E. Cracknell, who, however, gave way to 

 Evans in mid-seascn. The Box Hill coach was now put on 

 the road by Mr. Seager Hunt, Lord A. Somerset and Sir 

 Henry de Bathe, who took with them that neat coachman 

 Ben Hubble. The West Wickham and Beckenham was still 

 in the hands of its former proprietors ; but the feature of 

 the season was the undertaking of Mr. Carleton Blyth, who 

 ran the Defiance from Oxford to Cambridge, a journey of 

 120 miles, for which 120 horses were kept. On Mondays, 

 Wednesdays, and Fridays the Defiance left Oxford at 9 A.M., 

 changing horses at Wheatley, Tets worth, Stokenchurch, High 

 Wycombe, Gerrard's Cross, Hayes, and Acton, the team 

 from the last-named place running to Hatchett's, reached at 

 2.50 P.M., and where twenty minutes were allowed for lunch. 

 A fresh team from Piccadilly worked to Tottenham Cross, 

 the other changes being Waltham Cross, Wade's Mill, Bunt- 



