jyHAr BECAME OF THE COACHMEN 307 



Mr. Weller's example, and married a widow, land- 

 lady of the " Haven and Bell," on AVyle Cop ; but 

 lie did not long survive the extinction of "the 

 Road," and the widow soon found herself again in 

 that situation. John Johson, who for many years 

 drove the " Prince of AVales "—the " Old Prince," 

 as it was familiarly called— a London, Oxford and 

 Birminorham coach, continued on to Shrewsbury 

 and Holyhead— 1)ecame a coach-proprietor, estab- 

 lished at the " Talbot," Shrewsbury, and a thorn 

 in the side of Isaac Taylor, of the neighbouring 

 " Lion." Coaching came to an end at Shrewsbury 

 in 1S12, and the name of Jobson was heard no 

 more. 



Many coachmen were killed off the box in the 

 exercise of their profession, as, in the chapter on 

 accidents, has already been shown. A consider- 

 able number, secure in the affection of the 

 wealthy amateurs, many of whom they had 

 taught the art of driving, entered the service of 

 those noblemen and gentlemen, in some horsy or 

 stable capacity. The eighth Duke of Beaufort, 

 one of the Sir Watkin AYilliams Wynns, and 

 others, thus found employment for these refugees 

 of the road, and continually aided many more ; 

 l)ut something in the long overlordship they had 

 exercised over four horses, and a good deal more 

 perhaps in that hero-worship doAvn the road, of 

 which Washington Irving Avrites, had spoiled 

 them. Their lives would not run sweetly in 

 fresh grooves. They could not, or Avould not, take 

 to new employments, and even, subsisting upon 



