ACCIDENTS 107 



In September, 183G, a shockiiii^ accident befel 

 the down Manchester " Peveril of the Peak," five 

 miles from Bedford. The coach turned over, and 

 a gentleman named O'Brien was killed on the 

 spot. The coachman lay two hours under the 

 coach, and died from his injuries. 



The next disaster on our list Avas caused hv a 

 drunken coachman's dazed state of mind. Early 

 on a Sunday morning in June, 1837, the Lincoln 

 and London Mails met and came into collision at 

 Lower Codicote, near Biggleswade. The driver 

 of the up mail, Thomas Crouch, was in a state 

 of partial intoxication at the time, and owing to 

 a curve in the road, and the wandering state of 

 his faculties, he did not observe the approach of 

 the other mail. The result Avas that, although 

 the coachman of the other made room for him to 

 pass, the tAvo coaches came into violent collision. 

 The coach driven by Crouch Avas turned com- 

 pletely round, ran tAventy or thirty yards in a 

 direction oj^x^osite to that it Avas originally taking, 

 and finally settled in a leaning j)Osture in the 

 ditch. Crouch Avas so injured that he died a fcAV 

 hours afterAvards. The passengers Avere not much 

 hurt, but tAA'o horses Avere killed. 



On September 8th, a coachman named Burnett 

 Avas killed at Speenhamland, on the Bath Boad. 

 He Avas driving one of the Ncav Company's London 

 and Bristol staq-es, and alisirhted at the " Hare 

 and Hounds," A^erA' foolishh^ leaAdng the horses 

 unattended, Avith the reins on their backs. He 

 had been a coachman for twenty years, but 



