I90 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DA YS OF YORE 



up. Why, it commonly went at eight miles an 

 hour, and often nine ! Thus we see Rowlaudson's 

 anxious travellers, unable to attract the attention 

 of the coach in front of them and equally unable to 

 overtake it, left lamenting. 



This, too, was the age of increased competition, 

 when a continuous smartening-up alone kept 

 some of the old-stagers going. Thus, in 1805, 

 when three coaches left London every day for 

 Sheffield, the quickest took over thirty hours. In 

 1821 it left the "Angel," Angel Street, St. Martin's- 

 le-Grand, at 3.30 p.m., and arrived at Sheffield at 

 8 the next evening, — 163J miles in 28^ hours, or 

 at the rate of 5f miles an hour, including stops. 

 In 1821 it started an hour later and arrived at the 

 same hour as before ; and in 1827 was expedited 

 by another half-hour. That was very poor 

 travelling, and it is not surprising that after 1827 

 it is heard of no more. More strenuous rivals 

 usurped the route. 



Here we see that coach draAvn up in front of a 

 wayside hostelry, — the " Eull's Head "^ — at some 

 unnamed spot. Let us not criticise the draAving 

 of it too narrowly, for the painting whence this 

 illustration was engraved was the work of the 

 coachman, Alfred Elliot. He Avas coachman first, 

 and artist afterwards. 



Another result of competition Avas the gorgeous 

 livery a coach on a hotly contested route would 

 assume, and the number of places it Avould pretend 

 to serve. In the illustration of the " Express " 

 London and Birmingham coach — represented in 



