Fragments of Two Centuries | Page 8

after five o'clock, and returns from
the Vine Inn every Tuesday and Thursday at half after eight o'clock,
and dines at Ware on the return. To begin on 20th of this instant, April,
1772. Performed by their most humble servant, A. Windus (Ware)."
In 1776 occurs this announcement "The Royston, Buntingford,
Puckeridge and Ware Machine run from Royston (Bull Inn) to London,
by Joshua Ellis and Co." In the same year was announced the
Cambridge and London Diligence in 8 hours--through Ware and
Royston to Cambridge, performed by J. Roberts, of London, Thomas
Watson, Royston, and Jacob Brittain, of Cambridge.
In October, 1786, at two o'clock in the morning, the first coach carrying
the mails came through Royston, and in the same month of the same
year the Royston Coach was "removed from the Old Crown to the Red
Lyon."

In 1788 we learn that "The Royston Post Coach, constructed on a most
approved principle for speed and pleasure in travelling goes from
Royston to London in six hours, admits of only four persons inside, and
sets out every morning from Mr. Watson's the Red Lion."
In 1793, W. Moul and Co. began with their Royston Coach.
Some of the old announcements of Coach routes indicate a spirit of
improvement which had set in even thus early, such as "The Cambridge
and Yarmouth Machine upon steel springs, with four able horses." It
was a common name to apply to public coaches during the last century
to call them "Machines," and when an improved Machine is announced
with steel springs one can imagine the former state of things! It was a
frequent practice, notwithstanding the apparent difficulty of
maintaining one's perch for a long weary journey and sleeping by the
road, for these old coaches to be overloaded at the top, and coachmen
fined for it. In his "Travels in England in 1782," Moritz, the old
German pastor, in his delightful pages, says on this point: {11}
"Persons to whom it is not convenient to pay a full price, instead of the
inside, sit on the top of the coach, without any seats or even a rail. By
what means passengers thus fasten themselves securely on the roof of
these vehicles, I know not."
Reference has been made to the condition of the roads, and the terrible
straits to which the old coaches and wagons of the last century were
sometimes put on this account. The system of "farming" the highways
was responsible for a great deal of this. An amusing instance occurred
in October, 1789. A part of one of the high roads out of London was
left in a totally neglected condition by the last lessee, excepting that
some men tried to let out the water from the ruts, and when they could
not do this, "these labourers employed themselves in scooping out the
batter," and the plea for its neglect was that it was taken, but not yet
entered upon by the person who had taken it to repair, it being some
weeks before his time of entrance commenced! What was its state in
November may be imagined. "When the ruts were so deep that the fore
wheels of the wagons would not turn round, they placed in them fagots
twelve or fourteen feet long, which were renewed as they were worn

away by the traffic" (Gunning's "Reminiscences of Cambridge," 1798).
Some of the ruts were described as being four feet deep. In Young's
Tours through England (1768) the Essex roads are spoken of as having
ruts of inconceivable depth, and the roads so overgrown with trees as to
be impervious to the sun. Some of the turnpikes were spoken of as
being rocky lanes, with stones "as big as a horse, and abominable
holes!" He adds that "it is a prostitution of language to call them
turnpikes--ponds of liquid dirt and a scattering of loose flints, with the
addition of cutting vile grips across the road under the pretence of
letting water off, but without the effect, altogether render these turnpike
roads as infamous a turnpike as ever were made!"
If the early coaches on the main roads were in such a sorry plight, what
was to be expected of traffic on the parish roads? In some villages in
this district lying two or three miles off the Great North Road, it was
not unusual for carts laden with corn for Royston market to start over
night to the high road so as to be ready for a fair start in the morning, in
which case one man would ride on the "for'oss" (fore horse) carrying a
lantern to light the way; and a sorry struggle it was! Years later when a
carriage was kept here and there, it was not uncommon for a dinner
party to get stuck