Amateur driving—“The Whip Club”—Their dress—“The Four in Hand
Club”—Their dress—Other driving clubs—“Tommy Onslow”—Rotten Row.
CERTAIN of the _jeunesse dorée_ took to driving, probably arising from
the fact of riding outside the stage coaches, and being occasionally
indulged with “handling the ribbons” and “tooling” the horses for
a short distance—of course for a consideration, by means of which
“the jarvey”[39] made no mean addition to his income, which, by the
by, was not a bad one, as every traveller gave him something, and
all his refreshment at the various inns at which the coach stopped
was furnished free. These young men started a “Whip Club,” and the
following is a description of a “meet”:
“The WHIP CLUB met on Monday morning in Park Lane, and proceeded from
thence to dine at Harrow-on-the-Hill. There were fifteen barouche
landaus with four horses to each; the drivers were all men of known
skill in the science of charioteering. Lord Hawke, Mr. Buxton, and the
Hon. Lincoln Stanhope were among the leaders.
“The following was the style of the set out: Yellow-bodied carriages,
with whip springs and dickey boxes; cattle of a bright bay colour,
with plain silver ornaments on the harness, and rosettes to the ears.
Costume of the drivers: A light drab colour cloth coat made full,
single breast, with three tiers of pockets, the skirts reaching to
the ankles; a mother of pearl button of the size of a crown piece.
Waistcoat, blue and yellow stripe, each stripe an inch in depth. Small
cloths corded with silk plush, made to button over the calf of the leg,
with sixteen strings and rosettes to each knee. The boots very short,
and finished with very broad straps, which hung over the tops and down
to the ankle. A hat three inches and a half deep in the crown only, and
the same depth in the brim exactly. Each wore a large bouquet at the
breast, thus resembling the coachmen of our nobility, who, on the natal
day of our beloved sovereign, appear, in that respect, so peculiarly
distinguished. The party moved along the road at a smart trot; the
first whip gave some specimens of superiority at the outset by ‘cutting
a fly off a leader’s ear.’”[40]
“ON THE WHIP CLUB.
“Two varying races are in Briton born,
One courts a nation’s praises, one her scorn;
Those pant her sons o’er tented fields to guide,
Or steer her thunders thro’ the foaming tide;
Whilst these, disgraceful born in luckless hour,
Burn but to guide with skill a coach and four.
To guess their sires each a sure clue affords,
These are the coachmen’s sons, and those my Lord’s.
Both follow Fame, pursuing different courses;
Those, Britain, scourge thy foes—and these thy horses;
Give them their due, nor let occasion slip;
On those thy laurels lay—on these thy whip!”[41]
According to the _Morning Post_, April 3, 1809, the title of the “Whip
Club” was changed then to the “Four in Hand Club,” and their first
meet is announced for the 28th of April. “So fine a cavalcade has not
been witnessed in this country, at any period, as these gentlemen will
exhibit on that day, in respect to elegantly tasteful new carriages and
beautiful horses; the latter will be all high bred cattle, and their
estimated value will exceed three hundred guineas each. All superfluous
ornaments will be omitted on the harness; gilt, instead of plated
furniture.”
The meet took place, as advised, in Cavendish Square, the costume of
the drivers being as follows: A blue (single breast) coat, with a long
waist, and brass buttons, on which were engraved the words “Four in
Hand Club”; waistcoat of Kerseymere, ornamented with alternate stripes
of blue and yellow; small clothes of white corduroy, made moderately
high, and very long over the knee, buttoning in front over the shin
bone. Boots very short, with long tops, only one outside strap to each,
and one to the back; the latter were employed to keep the breeches in
their proper longitudinal shape. Hat with a conical crown, and the
_Allen_ brim (whatever that was); box, or driving coat, of white drab
cloth, with fifteen capes, two tiers of pockets, and an inside one for
the Belcher handkerchief; cravat of white muslin spotted with black.
Bouquets of myrtle, pink, and yellow geraniums were worn. In May of the
same year, the club button had already gone out of fashion, and “Lord
Hawke sported yesterday, _as buttons_, Queene Anne’s shillings; Mr.
Ashurst displayed crown pieces.”
Fancy driving was not confined to one club; besides the “Four in Hand,”
there were “The Barouche Club,” “The Defiance Club,” and “The Tandem
Club.”
One of the most showy of these charioteers was a gentleman, who was
irreverently termed “Tommy Onslow” (afterwards Lord Cranley), whose
portrait is given here. So far did he imitate the regular _Jehu_ that
he had his legs swathed in hay-bands. Of him was written, under the
picture of which the accompanying is only a portion—
“What can little T. O. do?
Why, drive a Phaeton and Two!!
Can little T. O. do no more?
Yes, drive a Phaeton and Four!!!!”
[Illustration: “TOMMY ONSLOW.”]
One of his driving feats may be chronicled (_Morning Herald_, June
26, 1802): “A curious bet was made last week, that Lord Cranley could
drive a phaeton and four into a certain specified narrow passage,
turn about, and return out of it, without accident to man, horse, or
carriage. Whether it was Cranbourn, or Sidney’s Alley, or Russell
Court, or the Ride of a Livery Stable, we cannot tell; but, without
being able to state the particulars, we understand that the phaetonic
feat was performed with dexterity and success, and that his Lordship
was completely triumphant.”
In London, of course, the Park was the place for showing off both
beautiful horses, and men’s riding, and the accompanying illustration
portrays Lord Dillon, an accomplished rider, showing people
[Illustration: HOW TO BREAK IN MY OWN HORSE.]
The costume here is specially noteworthy, as it shows a very advanced
type of dandy.
That this was not the ordinary costume for riding in “the Row,”
is shown in the accompanying illustration, where it is far more
business-like, and fitted for the purpose.
[Illustration: ROTTEN ROW—1803.]
As we see, from every contemporary print and painting, the horses were
of a good serviceable type, as dissimilar as possible from our racer,
but closely resembling a well-bred hunter. They had plenty of bottom,
which was needful, for they were often called upon to perform what
now would be considered as miracles of endurance. Take the following
from the _Annual Register_, March 24, 1802, and bearing in mind the
sea passage, without steam, and in a little tub of a boat, and it is
marvellous: “Mr. Hunter performed his journey from Paris to London in
twenty-two hours, the shortest space of time that journey has ever been
made in.”
[Illustration]
[Illustration]