Reading the Regency

Transport - Coaches and Curricles

"My lady gave the coachman orders upon no account to let Mrs. Luttridge's carriage get before hers. Mrs. Luttridge's coachman would not give up the point either. My lady's horses were young and ill broke, they tell me, and there was no managing of them no ways. The carriages got somehow across one another, and my lady was overturned, and all smashed to atoms. Oh, ma'am," continued Marriott, "if it had not been for Mr. Hervey, they say, my lady would never have been got out of the crowd alive. He's bringing her home in his own carriage, God bless him!"
[Chapter 10, Belinda, by Maria Edgeworth]

Introduction

The first carriage ever seen in England was introduced by the Earl of Arundel, from the continent, in 1581, and over time they became popular with families who could afford to travel in such comfort.

By the end of the 18th century, many different styles of wheeled transport had been developed for a gentleman to buy. New models were being offered for sale all the time, and carriage makers were in a constant state of innovation and invention.

Carriage was a collective term for any vehicle that was made to carry people.

A gentleman's equipage was his carriage, horses, the coachman, (or groom) and all the bits of leather and harness that went with it; the whole ensemble.

"It was too early in the morning for visitors, and besides, the equipage did not answer to that of any of their neighbours. The horses were post; and neither the carriage, nor the livery of the servant who preceded it, were familiar to them."
[Chapter 56, Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen]

Livery was the matching uniforms worn by a coachman and footmen, or the postillions or tiger. Not all servants wore livery, but those owners who wished to flaunt their wealth would often provide it. The uniform generally consisted of two sets of clothing—double breasted coat, waistcoat and breeches—in the colour of their employer's choosing.

Those families who wished to own their own carriage had to be able to afford to keep one. A family with an income of £400 per year could afford to pay for a groom and keep a horse, while £1000 per year would allow you to keep a carriage and two horses. People who lived in towns would often hire a hack chaise and post horses as and when required.

An armigerous family would have their coat of arms fixed or painted on the door or side of the carriage, to show everyone who the carriage belonged to. A gentleman who did not have a coat of arms might indicate ownership with a monogram of his initials.

Buying a carriage

Buying a new carriage was a surprisingly similar experience to buying a new car today. Carriage makers offered a selection of prints, like a brochure, showing the latest designs, and prospective purchasers could take a test drive in a pattern carriage; a basic carriage of a particular design made without any of the additional options.

Although each type of carriage had a base price, there was a wide range of expensive extras and accessories you could order to personalise your purchase. This would make almost every gentleman's vehicle on the road unique. A brand new carriage, made to a gentleman's exact specification, and painted in their choice of colours, could take three or four months to complete, as each carriage was lovingly handmade by a group of skilled craftsmen.

In 1796, the base price for a simple four-wheeled town coach was £105 and 9 shillings. The same coach with crane-neck springs, for a more comfortable ride, was £121 and 14 shillings.