292 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



Poor Shillibeer, however, came to an unfortu- 

 nate crisis in his affairs in this very year, when 

 the omnibuses he put on the road between London 

 and Greenwich had been running in ruinous com- 

 petition Avith the new London and Greenwich 

 Railway, and had l)rought him so very low, 

 financially, that he Avas unable to meet the 

 demands of the Stamp Office for the duty payable 

 on the vehicles. The Office seized his omnibuses, 

 and presumably his Diligence as well, for Ave hear 

 nothing more of it, and his mellifluous songster no 

 longer enlivened the pages of the public prints 

 with his rhymes. There Avas a Diligence on the 

 Brighton Road in the folloAving year, but it was 

 owned by another firm, Avho made a l3etter per- 

 formance, for their conveyance did the journey 

 in 5J hours, and the fares were much cheaper. 

 Passengers by coupe paid 16s., by second class 

 12s., and outsides only 8s. 



MeauAvhile, " Post Coaches " and " Light Post 

 Coaches " Avere at the head of the coaching 

 hierarchy. Introduced long before mail-coaches 

 came into being, they Avere then the most ex- 

 pensive and exclusive, as they Avere also the 

 speediest, of public conveyances, and ranked 

 next after the post-chaises. They Avere expen- 

 sive chiefly because they provided only limited 

 accommodation ; originally only three or four 

 inside, and one or tAvo out, with no luggage, 

 except small trunks or parcels. The term " Post " 

 had no reference to the Post Office, but was 

 intended to give at once an idea of speed and 



