COACH PROPRIETORS. 153 



ten hours must have been more than eight miles an 

 hour, allowing for the time occupied in changing 

 horses, and dinner somewhere on the road. From 

 what we read as to the condition of the roads in those 

 days, and the ordinary rate of travelling, these coaches 

 must have been a sort of ' ^yonder ' of the period, but 

 the name does not appear in the advertisement. It 

 is the only instance I have ever met with of a coach 

 not carrying any outside passenger. 



In addition to these modes of publicity, some pro- 

 prietors adopted the plan of having papers slightly 

 tinted, and somewhat of the consistency and size of 

 bank-notes, containing information as to their coaches, 

 circulated among the persons who went to the coach- 

 ofl&ce to book places or make any inquiry. 



Gray had one of these papers referring to his 

 coach the ' Champion,' and it was in this form : 



One 



ampion CHAMPION OF ENGLAND. Post Coach. 



England. 

 J. ._„. I promise to convey any Lady or Gentleman, jj (,_ 4534^ 



on Paying the Sum of One Pound, 

 1822 from London 1822. 



For the Govr- and Oompa- 

 of the Champion of England. 



£ One 



Another coach and mail proprietor was William 

 Gilbert, who kept the Blossoms Inn, Laurence Lane, 



