The Brighton Road

tain," published in that year, in the course of a list of carriers, coaches, and stage-waggons in and out of London, we find Thomas Blewman, carrier, coming from "Bredhempstone" to the "Queen'

"New Remarks on London," published by the Company of Parish Clerks, we hear anything further. At that date a coach set out on Thursdays from the "Talbot," in the Borough High Street, an

46, when the widow of the Lewes carrier advertised in The Lewe

eorge Inn," in the Borough, Southwark, EVERY WEDNESDAY in the afternoon, and sets out for Lewes EVERY THURSDAY morning by eig

(if God

Y S

n, Godstone, East Grinstead and Lewes route, and that its outlet must have been Newhaven, which, despite its

WAGGON

ntemporar

ant of an ancient galleried hostelry of the time of Chaucer, and it is characteristic of the continuity of English social, as well as political history that, although waggons and coaches no longer

ess centre for the carriers. Not yet was the Brighton road measured from Westminster Bridge, for the adequate

f her advertisement that we hear of the Brighthelmstone conveyance. The first was that an

GE COACH or CHAISE sets out from the Talbot Inn,

he Brighthelmst

(if God

BATC

nown, disappeared from the Borough High Street in 1870. What its picturesque yard w

dared the awful roads for what must then have been a precarious business. Sussex roads in especial had a most unenviable name for miriness, and wheeled traffic was so

EX R

nicking little gentleman-was compelled to alight precipitately from his overturned chaise, and to foot it like any common fellow. One quite pities his daintiness in the narration of h

eorge the Second was the first monarch of the East Angles. Coaches grow there no more than balm and spices: we were forced to drop our post-chaise, that resembled nothing so much as harlequin's calash, which was occasionally a chaise or a baker's cart. We journeyed over alpine mountains" (Walpole, you will observe, was, equally with the evening jou

-at-Arms." One wonders what that mute, inglorious Chute thought of it all; if he was as disgusted with Sussex sloughs and moist unpleasant "mountains" as his garrulo

an our dilettante of Strawberry Hill. To those who have small Latin and less Greek, this traveller's tale must ever remain a sealed b

byways of individuals, or, more truly, the tracks of cattle-drivers; for everywhere the usual footmarks of oxen appeared, and we too, who were on horseback, going along zigzag, almost like oxen at plough, advanced as if we were turning back, while we followed out all the twists of the roads.... My friend, I will set before yo

ves with literature or philosophy, for they consider the pursuit of such things to be only idling

NN YARD. BOROU

n old

y sloping, and yet deep. It is not, indeed, contemptible as to size, for it is thronged with people, though the inhabitants are mostly very needy and wretched in their mode of living, occupied in the emplo

p in the winter, after the usual custom of those times, were plying again. In May he advertised, "for the convenience of country gentlemen, etc.," his London, Lewes, and Bri

Y CO

ready given it something of a vogue among wealthy invalids, and the growing traffic was worth competing for. Competitors therefore sprang up to share Batchelor's business. Most of them merely added stage-coa

Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's to the White Hart, at Lewes, and the Castle, at Brightelmstone, where regular Books are kept for entering passenger's and parcels; will return to London Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Saturday's Each Inside Passenger to Lewes, Thi

ed by J

BRA

WIFE AND

cature by H

at identical fares, "a new large Flying Chariot, with a Box and four horses (by Chailey) to carry two Passengers only, except three should desire to go together." The better to crush the presumptuous Tu

n one day, and continues twice a week during the Winter Season to Lewes only; sets out from the White Hart, at Lewes, Mondays and Th

ed by J

great number of years, when he engrossed the whole to himself, and kept you two days upon the road, going fifty miles. If the latter, and he should be lucky enough to succeed in it, judge whether he wont return to his old prices, when you cannot help yourselves, and use you as formerly. As I have,

T

sessed with an idea of vested

ct of the lowering my Prices and being two days upon the Road, with other low insinuations, I beg leave to submit the following matters t

likewise to be considered that many aged and infirm Persons, who did not chuse to rise early in the Morning, were very desirous to be two Days on the Road for their own Ease and Conveniency, therefore there was no obstacle to be removed. And as to lowering my prices, let every one judge whether, when an old Servant of the Country perceives an Endeavour to suppress and supplant him in his

ATCH

er 13,

o took into partnership a Mr. Davis. Together they started, in 1767, the first service of a daily coach in the

to and from London, starting at five o'clock in the morning. The waggon was three days on the road. Another machi

ng's Head," Southwark, and the "King's Head," Brighton, starting from London every Tues

one day returning to London the next, in addition to their already running "machine" and "po

OF CO

the sea three "machines," three light post-coaches, two coaches, and two stage-waggons. Tubb now disappea

nd East Grinstead, and taking twelve hours to perform the journey. It was not well supported by the public, an

erent tales to tell of these roads, after the Pavilion had been set in course of building. Royalty and the Court could not endure to travel upon such evil tracks as had hitherto been

eet: and Boulton, Tilt, Hicks, Baulcomb & Co., at No. 1, North Street. The most remarkable thing, to my mind, about those companies is their long-winded names. In addition to the old service, there ran a "night post-coach" on alternate nights, starting at 10 p.m.