a vehicle for commodious travelling, suspended on leathers, and moved on wheels. In Britain, and throughout Europe, the coaches are drawn by horses, except in Spain, where they use mules. In a part of the east, especially the dominions of the great Mogul, their coaches are drawn by oxen. In Denmark they sometimes yoke rein-deer in their coaches; though rather for curiosity than use. The coachman is ordinarily placed on a seat raised before the body of the coach. But the Spanish policy has displaced him in that country by a royal ordinance; on occasion of the duke d'Olivares, who found that a very important secret, whereon he had conferred in his coach, had been overheard and revealed by his coachman: since that time the place of the Spanish coachman is the same with that of the French stage coachman and our position, viz. on the first horse on the left.
According to Professor Beckmann, coaches of some kind were known about the beginning of the 16th century; but the use of them was limited to women of the highest rank. It was accounted disgraceful in men to ride in them. It appears from the history of that period, that the electors and princes of the empire, when they did not choose to attend the meetings of the states, excused themselves to the emperor, by informing him, that their health would not permit them to travel on horseback; and it was considered unbecoming to ride in carriages like women. But it seems also pretty certain, that about the end of the 15th century, the emperor, kings, and some princes, travelled in covered carriages, and also employed them on public solemnities.
The nuptial carriage of the first wife of Leopold, a Spanish princess, cost, including the harness, 38,000 florins. The coaches used by that emperor are thus described. In the imperial coaches no great magnificence was to be seen, being covered over with red cloth and black nails. The harness was black, and no gold was to be seen in the whole work. They had glass pannels, for which reason they were called imperial. The harness was ornamented with fringes of red silk on days of festivity. The imperial coaches were only distinguished by having leather traces, while the ladies in the emperor's suite were contented with traces made of ropes. Fifty gilt coaches having six horses each, were to be seen in 1681 at the court of Ernest Augustus of Hanover. The first time that plenipotentiaries appeared in coaches, was at the imperial commission in 1613, held at Erfurt.
We meet with ample proof in the history of France, that the monarchs rode on horses, the servants on mules, and ladies of distinction sometimes on asses, at Paris, in the 14th, 15th, and even 16th centuries. Yet carriages of some kind seem to have been used in France at an early period, since there is still preserved a statute of Philip the Fair, issued in 1294, for the suppression of luxury, and in which the wives of citizens were prohibited the use of carriages.
The oldest coaches used by the ladies of England were denominated whirligogs, a name now sunk in oblivion. About the end of the 14th century, when Richard II. was forced to fly before his rebellious subjects, he and all his attendants travelled on horseback, his mother alone riding in a coach, as she was indisposed. This became afterwards unfashionable, the daughter of Charles IV. having showed the ladies of England how conveniently she could ride on a side-saddle.
According to Stow, coaches first came to be used in England about the middle of the 16th century, having been introduced from Germany by the earl of Arundel. The English plenipotentiary came to Scotland in a coach in the year 1598, and they were generally used about the year 1625.
Authors observe, as a thing very singular, that there were at first no more than three coaches in Paris; the first that of the queen; the second that of Diana mistress of Henry II.; and the third belonging to Jean de Lava de Bois Dauphin; whose enormous bulk disabled him from travelling on horseback. One may hence judge how much vanity, luxury, and idleness, have grown upon our hands in latter days; there being now computed in that same city no less than 15,000 coaches.
Coaches have had the fate of all other inventions, to be brought by degrees to their perfection; at present they seem to want nothing, either with regard to ease or magnificence. Louis XIV. of France made several sumptuary laws for restraining the excessive richness of coaches, prohibiting the use of gold, silver, &c., therein; but they have had the fate to be neglected.
The following are the duties payable on carriages of this description in Britain (1804).
| For one carriage, with four wheels, the annual sum of | £10 0 0 | |------------------------------------------------------|---------| | For two | £11 0 0 | | three | £12 0 0 | | four | £12 10 0 | | five | £13 0 0 | | six | £13 10 0 | | seven | £14 0 0 | | eight | £14 10 0 | | nine and upwards | £15 0 0 |
And for every additional body successively used on the same carriage or number of wheels, the further sum of
- For carriages with less than four wheels, drawn by one horse: £5 0 0 - For carriages drawn by two or more horses: £7 7 0 - For every additional body: £2 10 0 - For carriages with four wheels let out to hire: £8 8 0
Every maker of coaches, chaises, chariots, &c., must, from and after the 5th day of July 1785, take out at the excise office in London, or of their agents in the country, a license, to be renewed annually at least ten days before the expiration of the former, for which they must pay 20s. They must also pay 20s. duty for every four-wheeled carriage newly built for sale, and 10s. for every two-wheeled carriage. These duties are also payable to the commissioners of the excise in town, or their agents in the country.
Coach-makers in Scotland are to take out their licenses and pay the duties to the commissioners of excise in Edinburgh, or their agents in the country of that part of Great Britain.
Every coach-maker neglecting to take out a license, and renew the same annually, forfeits 10l.; and neglecting or refusing to settle every six weeks, in the manner particularly directed by the act, is a forfeiture of 20l. See COACH, Supplement.
Hackney-Coaches, those exposed to hire, in the streets of London, and some other great cities, at rates fixed by authority.
One thousand hackney-coaches are allowed in London and Westminster: which are to be licensed by commissioners, and to pay a duty to the crown. They are all numbered, having their numbers engraved on tin plates fixed on the coach-doors. Their fares or rates are fixed by act of parliament; and by a late act have been increased in consequence of a new weekly tax.
Stage-Coaches are those appointed for the conveyance of travellers from one city or town to another. The masters of stage coaches are not liable to an action for things lost by their coachmen, who have money given them to carry the goods, unless where such master takes a price for the same.
Persons keeping any coach, berlin, landau, or other carriage with four wheels, or any calash, chaise, chair, or other carriage with two wheels, to be employed as public stage-coaches or carriages, for the purpose of conveying passengers for hire to and from different places, shall pay annually 5s. for a license; and no person so licensed shall by virtue of one license keep more than one carriage, under the penalty of 10l.
Mail-Coaches are stage-coaches of a particular construction to prevent overturns; and for a certain consideration carry his majesty's mails, which are protected by a guard, and subject to the regulations of the post-office. They are punctual as to their time of arrival and departure, are restricted to four inside passengers, and from experience have proved very beneficial to the commerce and correspondence of this country. The late John Palmer, Esq. who had the merit of the invention, and was indefatigable in bringing the establishment to a permanent footing, was greatly patronized. tronized by government; and got, as the reward of his service, a handsome appointment in the general post-office, London. See WHEEL-CARRIAGES.
or COUCH, is also a sort of chamber or apartment in a large ship of war near the stern. The floor of it is formed by the utmost part of the quarter-deck, and the roof of it by the poop: it is generally the habitation of the captain.