Horses used in husbandry 330,500
„ belonging to small farmers 61,000
„ belonging to poor clergymen 1,250
„ belonging to poor traders 10,500
„ belonging to volunteers 13,000
„ used in untaxed carriages 15,000
„ used by waggoners for their
own riding 2,000
„ used by bailiffs, shepherds, &c. 1,060
„ used by masters, ditto 3,700
„ used by market-gardeners 2,000
„ in conveying paupers and criminals 250
„ kept for sale 7,000
„ kept for breeding 4,500
Colts not used 16,000
Post-horses 8,500
Stage-coach horses 9,600
London hackney-coach horses 3,600
-------
496,000
The owners of the 140,000 private riding and carriage-horses were
100,000 in number, and of these,
78,335 persons kept 1
17,358 „ 2
4,080 „ 3
1,624 „ 4
622 „ 5
380 „ 6
328 „ 7 to 8
81 „ 9
107 „ 10 to 12
54 „ 13 to 16
6 „ 17
8 „ 18
6 „ 19
67 „ 20
And upwards.
From this it will appear, that two persons in every seven of those who
are of independent means keep a riding or carriage-horse. The increase
and decrease in the number of carriages and horses, within the last
ten years, is a remarkable sign of the times. Since 1840, the number
of all kinds of horses throughout Great Britain has decreased 43,000.
But while some have declined, others have increased in number. Of
private riding and carriage-horses (where only one is kept) there has
been a decrease of 12,000, and of ponies, 700. Stage-coach horses have
declined 4000; post-horses, 2500; horses used in husbandry, 57,000;
breeding mares, 1300; colts, 7000; and horses kept for sale, 500. The
London hackney-coach horses, on the other hand, have increased in the
same space of time no less than 2000, and so have the draught-horses
used in trade, to the extent of 17,000; while those kept by small
farmers are 13,000 more, and the race-horses 400 more, than they were
in 1840.
Of carriages, those having two wheels, and drawn by one horse (gigs,
&c.), have decreased 15,000, and the post-chaises 700; whereas the
four-wheel carriages, drawn by one horse, and let to hire (broughams,
clarences, &c.), have increased 6000, the pony-phaetons 3000,
pony-chaises 2000, and the chaise-carts 19,000.
The total revenue derived from the transit of this country, by means of
carriages and horses, amounted in 1848 to upwards of 1,190,000_l._ This
sum is made up of the following items:--
Duty on carriages £434,334
„ horses 395,041
„ horses let to hire 155,721
„ stage-carriages 96,218
„ hackney-coaches 28,926
Licenses to let horses to hire 6,968
„ stage-coaches 9,606
„ hackney-carriages 435
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£1,127,249
From the foregoing accounts, then, it would appear, that the number
of carriages and horses for the use of the public throughout Great
Britain, two years ago, was as follows:
Job carriages 500
Broughams, clarences, flies, &c.
drawn by one horse 30,000
Pony-phaetons and pair 2,000
Post-chaises 5,500
------
Total carriages let to hire 38,000
Job horses 1,750
Post horses 8,500
Stage-coach horses 9,600
London hackney-coach horses 3,600
------
Total horses for public carriages 23,450