CHAPTER XVIT. 



BRISTOL COACHING INNS. 



Bristol was a great place for coaches ; being connected 

 extensively with the shipping-trade, the arrivals and 

 departures of persons engaged in mercantile business 

 were numerous. Devonport, Plymouth, Manchester, 

 Liverpool, and many large manufacturing towns, 

 had direct and considerable communication with 

 Bristol, so it is not surprising to find that there were 

 three or four large coaching inns in the town, carry- 

 ing on a brisk and active business. Perhaps it 

 would be difficult to know to which the first place 

 should be assigned, or which carried on the largest 

 business ; but in coaching, the inns that had the 

 mails generally found that they drew other pas- 

 sengers to the establishment. 



In Bristol the inn from which the London mail 

 started was the Bush, Townsend being the proprietor. 

 Many other coaches also went from it. 



The next in. amount of coaching business, I should 



