END OF THE COACHING AGE 261 



to interest cni^ineers. At that period, however, 

 Hancock, Og*le, Church, Gurney, Sumniers, Sciuirc, 

 Maceroni, Ilills and Scott-llussell phiiig'cd into 

 that trouhled sea of invention. Chief among 

 these, from the standpoint of results achieved, 

 Avere Mr. (afterwards Sir) Goklsworthy Gurney, 

 AYalter Hancock, and Colonel Maceroni. Gurney 

 as early as 1827 had patented and tried a steam- 

 carriage on the road. The holier, it was explained 

 for the hcnefit of nervous people, was perfectly 

 safe. Even if it were to hurst, heing " constructed 

 on philosophical principles," no one could he hurt. 

 On July 28tli, 1829, he ran one of his inventions 

 on the Bath Uoad. This was what he termed a 

 " steam-tractor," used as an engine to draw an 

 ordinary harouche. Unfortunately for Gurney, 

 he and liis party reached Melksham on the annual 

 fair-day, and a hostile croAvd of rustics not only 

 surrounded the steam-carriage, shouting " Down 

 with machinery ! " hut stoned the engine, the 

 carriage, and Gurney and his friends, with such 

 effect tliat the machinery was disahled and several 

 of the party very seriously injured. 



But he evidently travelled the kingdom pretty 

 extensively with his machines, for he agreed with 

 one Mr. Hanning to grant him the right of work- 

 ing them on a royalty on the West of England 

 roads, and entered into similar arrangements on 

 the routes hetween London, Manchester, and 

 Liverpool, London and Brighton, London and 

 Southampton, and London, Birmingham, and 

 Holyhead. Tliei]* price was agreed upon — to he 



