THE COACHING REVIVAL. 297 



in the previous year. In ,the autumn the Wonder ran from 

 Brighton to Eastbourne ; but it was not till very late in the 

 year that Mr. Freeman made any sign on the Brighton road, 

 with John Thorogood as coachman, and J. Sullivan behind 

 him. 



Five coaches only ran out of London in 1884. Mr. Free- 

 man did not put on the Brighton at all; but the Dorking, 

 Virginia Water, and Guildford went on as usual ; the Windsor 

 had Colonel Ferguson as one of the proprietors, the fifth 

 being the Defiance, owned by Edwin Fownes, which this year 

 ran to St. Albans vice the Wonder. In 1885 the Defiance 

 was taken off the St. Albans road in favour of the Wonder, 

 and ran to Bentley Priory, Edwin Fownes being still pro- 

 prietor ; there was no Brighton coach, and of the many 

 roads which had at one time or another been taken, seven 

 only were occupied, and the great coaching revival was now 

 represented, in addition to the above, by the New Times, Per- 

 severance, Old Times, and the Windsor, Colonel Ferguson now 

 retiring from the last named. The new coach was put on to 

 Eton, vid Hounslow, by Messrs. Beckett and M'Adam. 



In 1886 there were several changes, though coaches were 

 few. The Guildford, Old Times, and the Defiance remained as 

 before ; but, Mr. Sheather being now dead, the Dorking and 

 Box Hill (the Perseverance) passed into the hands of Mr. 

 H. Withers of Oxford Street, with whom were associated 

 Messrs. Balding and Munday ; the Wonder ran to St. Albans ; 

 but Mr. Freeman, instead of putting on the Brighton, ran the 

 Royal to Windsor instead, with H. Thorogood as professional. 

 A portion of the Sevenoaks road was revived, as Mr. Charles 

 Webling put on the Excelsior between that place and New 

 Cross. In the next year (1887), however, Mr. Freeman was 

 again working between London and Brighton, the Windsor 

 being now in the hands of Mr. King, with E. Fownes finding 

 the horses and acting as professional. The Vivid, of which 

 Fownes who was presented by his friends with a new coach 

 to celebrate his fifty- third year of connection with the road 



