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Back in coaching days, people who could afford to travel by coach were not only wealthy enough to afford it but also generally well educated. This was before the 1870 Education Act which introduced ‘Education for all.’ Although many people were taught basic reading and writing in small local schools, the vast majority of the population was illiterate.
The writers of books about coaching were clearly well educated, and their education was more classical than today. Latin expressions often appear in their writings are very rarely translated. Clearly, readers in those days were expected to be familiar with basic Latin.
Here’s an example from the book ‘Stagecoach and Mail in Days of Yore’:
N.B. The translation is roughly “Fast enough is good enough.”
Section 1:
Living Memories
Introduction
Introducing the real life stories collected in the late 1800s
What was it like to travel by coach on a winter’s day? Come on the first stage of a journey from London to Stamford.
Driving a Mail Coach
Mail coaches were the high speed elite. What was it like to drive them?
Comparing rail and coach travel in 1888!
Things didn’t always go smoothly and this amusing incident took place on the Great North Road.
A recollection of life in London before taxi cabs, policemen and even electricity.
One of the many hazards that could be encountered was flood water. This is near St Neots.
The people who could afford to travel were educated in - among other things - Latin!
Yes, they were common in the early 1800s. They’d all gone by the 1880s. Attitudes were different then!
What did it cost to make a long distance coach journey?
Young gentlemen often fancied themselves as coachmen. Unlike today, you could often ‘have a go’ with the reins.
Two Short Videos
Although we have no films from the time, modern producers have imagined coach travel for us.
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Anecdotes written by people who actually travelled on the coaches
The coachmen, the inns, the coach proprietors - they’re all here. Come in and meet them
Britain’s roads were pretty impassable for most of our history. Coach travel was very difficult until they improved
Wheeled transport evolved over many years. Find out how coaches developed
Sources and information about how I came to create this website
Home Page of the Coaching Website