Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations
in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other
spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
Italics are represented thus _italic_.
THE
TRAVELLER’S ORACLE;
OR,
MAXIMS FOR LOCOMOTION:
CONTAINING
PRECEPTS FOR PROMOTING THE PLEASURES,
AND
HINTS FOR PRESERVING THE HEALTH
OF
TRAVELLERS.
* * * * *
PART II.
COMPRISING THE
HORSE AND CARRIAGE KEEPER’S ORACLE;
RULES FOR PURCHASING AND KEEPING OR JOBBING
HORSES AND CARRIAGES;
ESTIMATES OF EXPENSES OCCASIONED THEREBY;
AND AN EASY PLAN FOR
ASCERTAINING EVERY HACKNEY-COACH FARE.
By JOHN JERVIS,
AN OLD COACHMAN.
THE WHOLE REVISED
By WILLIAM KITCHINER, M.D., &c.
_SECOND EDITION._
LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
1827.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY J. MOYES, TOOK’S COURT, CHANCERY LANE.
THE
HORSE AND CARRIAGE KEEPER’S
ORACLE;
OR,
RULES FOR PURCHASING AND KEEPING
OR
JOBBING HORSES AND CARRIAGES;
ACCURATE ESTIMATES
OF
EVERY EXPENSE OCCASIONED THEREBY;
AND
AN EASY PLAN
FOR
ASCERTAINING EVERY HACKNEY-COACH FARE.
CONTENTS OF PART II.
INTRODUCTION 3
Estimate of Keeping a Groom and one Horse
in your own Stable 11
Estimate of the Expense of Keeping one Horse
at a Livery Stable 15
Estimates of various Carriages 16
Expense of Keeping a Coachman, a Carriage, and two Horses
in your own Coach-House and Stable 19
Liberal Plan of Keeping a Carriage 33
Estimate of Hiring a Carriage for any short Period 39
Estimate of Jobbing Horses 44
Estimate and Description of a Handsome Town Chariot 50
Carriages and Coachmaking 59
Of the Construction of a Chariot 65
Of Axle-Trees 93
Of the Wheels 99
The Ornaments of Carriages 104
Cautions against Purchasing of Cheap Second-hand Carriages 112
Of the Harness 119
Of Second-hand Harness 121
Travelling Carriages 123
Description of Buonaparte’s Travelling Chariot 127
Duties on Male Servants, Carriages, and Horses 131
The Art of Managing Coachmen 133
Of Evening Parties 136
Of Coachmen and Orders 142-150
Of Punctuality 151
Of Lending your Carriage 160
The Fifteen Things which a good Coachman Won’t Do 165
Coachman’s Tools 170
Of the New Road and Regent’s Park 173
Of Driving 184
Of Care of the Carriage 201
Of Repairing Carriages 212
On Horses 218
Hints to Purchasers of Horses 223
To Preserve the Health of Horses 238
To Make a Horse have a Fine Coat 246
On the Food of Horses 249
On sending Horses to Grass 257
Colds of Horses 261
Of Stables 266
Management of Horses in case of Fire 272
Hints to Horsemen 273
On the Rough Shodding of Horses in Frosty Weather 281
Of the Comparative Expense of a Private Carriage and of
Hiring of Hackney Coaches 286
An Easy Plan of Ascertaining every Fare of a Hackney Coach 292
When and How to Call a Coach 312
Hackney Coach and Chariot Fares 318
Specimen of Cary’s New Guide for Ascertaining
Hackney Coach Fares 324
MUSIC TO PART II.
TRIO to face page 90
THE TRAVELLER’S ORACLE, PART II.
THE
HORSE AND CARRIAGE KEEPER’S
ORACLE.
INTRODUCTION.
The following Estimates of the Expense of keeping Horses and Carriages,
are Accurate Statements, they cannot be well kept for less, and they
need not cost more:--the Reader will have no difficulty in finding a
Hackneyman, and a Coachmaker, who will furnish him with them on the
terms herein set down; for we have adopted a mean between thoughtless
Extravagance on the one hand, and rigid Parsimony on the other.
It is a very frequent, and a very just complaint, that _the Expense of
a Carriage_ is not so much its _First Cost_, as the charge of _Keeping
it in Repair_. Many are deterred from indulging themselves therewith,
from a consciousness that they are so utterly unacquainted with the
management thereof, they are apprehensive the uncertainty of the
Expense, and the Trouble attending it, will produce Anxiety, which will
more than counterbalance the Comfort to be derived from it.
Few Machines vary more in quality than Carriages, the charge[1]
for them varies as much;--the best advice that can be offered to
the Reader, is, to “Deal with a Tradesman of Fair Character, and
established circumstances.--Such a person has every inducement to
charge reasonably, and has too much at stake, to forfeit, by any silly
Imposition, the Credit that he has been years in establishing by
careful Integrity.”----_Dr. Kitchiner’s_ HOUSEKEEPER’S LEDGER, 8vo.
1826, p. 20.
Those Carriages which cost least, are not always _the Cheapest_, but
often turn out, in the end, to be the _Dearest_.
Of Chariots, that appear to be equally handsome to a common Eye, which
has not been taught to look minutely into the several parts of their
machinery; One may be _cheap_ at 250_l._, and Another may be _dear_ at
200_l._: notwithstanding, the Vender of the latter may get more Profit
than the Builder of the former.
_The faculty of Counting_, too frequently, masters all the other
Faculties, and is the grand source of deception which Speculating
Shopkeepers are ever ready to take advantage of;--for catching
the majority of Customers, _Cheapness_ is the surest bait in the
World,--how many more people can count the difference between 20 and
25, than can judge of _the Quality_ of the article they are about to
buy?
_Quantity_ strikes the eye at once.--It is recorded, that a certain
King having commanded his Treasurer to give an Artist a Thousand
Pounds for some work which his faithful Minister knew would be most
liberally paid for with half that sum; the sagacious Treasurer ordered,
Five Hundred Pounds in Silver to be laid upon a Table in a Room which
he knew that his Majesty would pass through with him. On seeing the
heap of Silver, the King exclaimed, “What’s all that Money for?” The
Treasurer replied, “Sire, it is half of the Sum which your Majesty
commanded me to give to the Artist.”--On which, the King said, “Hey,
hey! a deal of Money--a deal of Money--Half of that will do!!!”
_Quantity_ may be estimated by an uneducated Eye--to discern _the
Quality_ of things, requires Experience and Judgment--capital Guides;
but with which the purchasers of Horses and Carriages are Years before
they acquire sufficient acquaintance to derive any benefit from them,
and their chief security is, to deal with Persons who have justly
acquired, and long maintained, an unblemished Reputation.
I must here protest against a Custom which it is high time was
abolished, that of asking _Guineas_ instead of _Pounds_,--as Guineas
are coined no more, there is no pretence for continuing this trick of
charging 5_l. per Cent extra_! Those who do it, know that nobody would
give them 105 _Pounds_; but, under the jingle of 100 _Guineas_, they
contrive to poke an additional Five Pounds out of your pocket!
As we have earnestly advised, that _the Coachman_ may be made
independent of _the Coachmaker_, so let the latter be entirely
independent of the former.
Be not so perfunctory, as to permit your Coachman to order what he
pleases. If you send a Carriage to be repaired, with the usual Message,
“To do any little Jobs that are wanted,” you will most likely not have
a little to pay.
When any Repair is required, desire your Coachman to tell you; examine
it with your own Eyes, and with your own hand write the order to the
Coachmaker, &c. for every thing that is wanted; and warn him you will
not pay for any Jobs, &c. not so ordered, and desire him to keep such
Orders and return them to you when he brings his Bill, that you may see
it tallies therewith, and you may keep a little Book yourself, into
which you may copy such Orders.
_Counsellor Cautious_ went one step further; and before any work was
begun, required a Note, stating for how much, and in how long, the
person would undertake to completely perform it.
However well built originally, the Durability of the Beauty and the
Strength of Carriages, depends much upon how they are managed;--they
are as much impaired by those to whose care they are entrusted, not
understanding, or not performing, the various operations which preserve
them, as they are by the Wear occasioned by Work.
_In hiring a Coachman_, his having a due knowledge of how to take care
of a Carriage, is of as much importance as his experience in Horses, or
his skill in Driving.
Persons who order Carriages, are frequently disappointed in the
convenience and appearance of them, from not giving their Directions
in terms sufficiently explicit;--when those who buy Carriages make
any such a mistake, it is said, that those who sell are not always
remarkably anxious to rectify it, unless at the expense of the
proprietor.
An Acquaintance of the Editor’s, ordered that the interior of a New
Chariot should be arranged exactly like his former Carriage:--when
it was finished, he found that there were several very disorderly
deviations from the old plan, which were extremely disagreeable to
him:--the Builder said, civilly enough, that he was exceedingly sorry,
and would soon set it all right--which he did; but presented a Bill of
Ten pounds for mending these mistakes, which having arisen entirely
from his own Inattention to the fitting up of the Old Carriage, his
Customer successfully resisted the payment of, having been prudent
enough to have the Agreement for building the Carriage, worded, “That
it should be finished _in all respects to his entire satisfaction, by a
certain Time, for a certain Sum_.”
To the end of this work is added a Copious _Glossary_, and an _Index_,
which will readily conduct the Reader to the various subjects, and be
found extremely useful in explaining the Technical terms, &c. commonly
used by Coachmakers.
The Editor has endeavoured to explain the various points in so plain a
manner, that persons who are previously entirely unacquainted with the
subject, may calculate exactly what will be the Expense, and ascertain
pretty accurately the best manner of managing, and of estimating the
pretensions of those they are about to employ, either to build or to
take care of a Carriage, &c., in almost as little time as they can read
this little Book; in which it is hoped that they will find Amusement
blended with useful Instruction, and soon gain such a general knowledge
of the subject, as will effectually protect them from Imposition:--at
all events, the Editor is quite sure, that it will soon save the
Purchaser more than double what he has been so good as to give his
friend the old Coachman for the following advice.--Now _Cent per Cent_,
even in these times, when it is said that Cash is scarce, is quite as
large a profit as can be made by most Purchases! Therefore, the Editor
sends _Mr. Jervis’s_ Book to Press, with a contented conscience, and a
hearty wish, that all who buy it may be able to invest all their Money
to equal advantage.
ESTIMATE No. 1.
EXPENSE OF KEEPING A GROOM AND ONE HORSE IN YOUR OWN STABLE.
A Saddle-Horse being but of little service during November, December,
January, and February, during these four Months Economical Equestrians
send their Nags to a Straw-Yard.
Sportsmen say, that nothing does a Horse more good than a Winter’s Run
once in Two or Three years--it far exceeds turning to Grass in Summer,
when the Flies are troublesome.
_The Price at Straw-Yards_ varies from 3_s._ 6_d._ to 5_s._ a week,
depending upon the Straw, which is contingent on the Corn Crops: some
Horses sleep in at Night, and have Hay given them, or at least ordered
for them, in which case, 7_s._ per Week is charged.
£ _s._ _d._
The Straw-Yard for one Horse, for 17 Weeks,
say at 4_s._ 6_d._ per Week, will be 3 16 6
This Holiday is very beneficial to the Horse, especially to his Legs
and Feet, which, when worn down by hard work, or cut up by flinty Roads
or bad Shoeing, are thereby greatly refreshed and strengthened.
“_Rest makes a New Horse._”
For the remaining 35 Weeks, the allowance of Provisions per week
_cannot be less_ than
£ _s._ _d._
1 Truss of Straw[2], at 36_s._ per Load 0 1 0
1 Truss and a half of hay, at £5 per Load 0 4 2
¾ peck of Oats per Day, is per Week 5¼ pecks,
and at 25_s._ per Quarter 0 4 2
------------
Food per Week 0 9 4
35
------------
Food for 35 Weeks 16 6 8
Expense of Horse in Straw-Yard, brought forward 3 16 6
Taking to and from the Straw-Yard 0 10 0
------------
Annual Keep 20 13 2
A Saddle-Horse, on an average, is shod about
Once in four weeks, and the set of Shoes costs
5_s._; Nine Sets of Shoes 2 5 0
The Annual Duty 1 8 9
------------
Annual Expense £24 6 11
------------
OBS.--This Allowance for Provision is hardly sufficient for _Horses
that do hard work_, which require a Peck of Oats per Day, a Truss and a
half of Straw, the same of Hay, with some good Chaff, and occasionally
a little Bran; also a handful of Beans in Wet Weather, especially to
Horses that work at Night.
A Hackneyman’s allowance for Two Horses is a Sack of Oats per week,
which give, if good measure, Four good feeds a day; Country measure,
will run nearly five feeds.
The above is the Annual Expense--exclusive of
Stable Rent--Interest of Money paid for the
purchase of the Horses--Saddles--Bridles--Horse
Cloths, &c.--Farrier’s Bills for Physic--Turnpikes--Travelling
Expenses--Groom’s Wages and Livery, &c., which, excepting
the difference of charge between
a Coachman’s Box Coat, and a Groom’s
Great Coat, and the difference of Rent
and Taxes on a Single Stall Stable,
(which it is often excessively difficult to obtain
contiguous to your House), and on Two
Stalls and a Coach-house, is, according to the
£ _s._ _d._
Expense of keeping a Groom or Coachman
given in Estimate No. 4, about 95 0 0
Annual Keep 24 6 11
---------------
Total £119 6 11
---------------
N.B.--The Hackneyman’s Charge for _Jobbing a Saddle Horse_, and finding
Stabling, &c. is, _per Annum_, about £70.
ESTIMATE No. II.
EXPENSE OF KEEPING ONE HORSE AT A LIVERY STABLE.
At some _Livery Stables_, your Horses will be taken as much care of as
they can be in your own: at others, they fare very sadly;--therefore,
cautiously inquire into the Character of the person keeping
them;--moreover, if his Rent is in arrear, your Carriage and Horses may
be seized and sold by his Landlord.
£ _s._ _d._
Four Feeds per Day, at £1. 1_s._ per Week 54 12 0
Hostler, 1_s._ or 1_s._ 6_d._ per Week--a Gratuity of a
shilling now and then to the Under Hostler,
who looks after the Chaise, or attends to the
Horse, together, perhaps, equal to about 4 0 0
Shoeing, and Duty per Annum 4 13 9
-------------
£63 5 9
-------------
ESTIMATE No. III.
A CABRIOLET AND HARNESS,
£ _s._ _d._
When quite new, if Jobbed, will be, for one
Year, from £30 to 40 0 0
Tax thereon 3 5 0
For Standing, and care at a Livery Stable, per
Week, 1_s._ 6_d._ 3 18 0
--------------
£47 3 0
--------------
The Price of a new Two-Wheel One Horse
Chaise--Dennett--Tilbury--Stanhope, &c. is from £40 to £90.
Of a Cabriolet, from £100 to £130.
Of a Four-Wheel One Horse Chaise, with head to it, from £100 to £150.
Of a Pair of the best Strong Gig Wheels, with Ash felleys and patent
hoop tires, about £7.
Wheels, at first, want only new Shoeing, or turning the Tire, as they
wear upon one edge principally: this is done for about 20_s._ or
25_s._, and they will last almost as long as at first.
New-tireing a Pair of Gig Wheels with Patent hoop-tire, costs about
£2. 10_s._
MEM.--_When going to Drive_, not only inquire, but give a look yourself
at the Wheels, &c. before you set off--trust this to no one--make sure
that the Bridle and the Bit fit easy to the Mouth, and see that the
Collar and every part of the Harness fit comfortably:--if your Horse
tosses his head up and down continually, he is not easy.
“Safe bind, Safe find,”
is at no time a better maxim than when preparing for a Journey.
“_A Carriage with but two Wheels_ should be built so that the principal
part of the weight is on the Axle-Tree, (instead of the Horse’s back),
and the Carriage part of the Vehicle ought to be on Springs, as well
as the Body: this prevents the Bolts and Nuts working loose, and the
Joints opening, &c. _The Lamps_ should be at the sides; but the Dashing
Iron ought to have in front a socket on each side to place the Lamps
in at Night, which will throw the light before the Horse’s head, and
prevent any shadow from the Wheels--when they are used at the Sides,
you see your danger just too late. _The Shafts_ should be plated
underneath with Iron, or if your Horse falls, they are apt to break,
which may occasion a dangerous fall to the Persons in the Vehicle.”--A.
E.
CARRIAGES WITH TWO[3] WHEELS
Are the cheapest, and have the advantage over all others for Lightness
and Expedition; but MEM. If the Horse be ever so sure-footed, and the
Driver be ever so skilful and steady, they are still but Dangerous
Vehicles--which will only be used by those who are compelled to
sacrifice Safety to Celerity, and Comfort to Cheapness:--if risks,
however, are incurred by this mode of conveyance, Expense is certainly
diminished, for the rate of charges in Travelling is considerably less
in proportion for one Horse and Two Wheels, than for two Horses and
Four Wheels.
ESTIMATE No. IV.
EXPENSE OF KEEPING A COACHMAN, AND A CARRIAGE AND TWO HORSES, IN YOUR
OWN COACH-HOUSE AND STABLE.
£. _s._ _d._
A Peck of _Oats_ per Day for each Horse, when
Corn is 25_s._ per Quarter; say 24 Quarters
per Annum 30 0 0
A Quarter of a Truss of Hay for each Horse
per Day, at £5 per Load; say 5½ Loads per
Annum 27 10 0
One Truss of Straw each Horse per week; say
three Loads per Annum, at 36_s._ 5 8 0
_Beans_, which are only wanted when Horses are
worked very hard; and _Physic_, which (excepting
the _Persuader_ prescribed--see Index)
is as little wanted by a Horse, as it is
by a Man. See OBS. _to Estimate No. I._ 4 0 0
Twenty-eight sets of _Shoes_, at 5_s._ per set 7 0 0
_Farriers’ Bills_,--the Risk of your Horses
turning out unsound and inefficient,--the
Expense of hiring other Horses while your
own are Ill, &c., and the Interest of the Money
paid for the purchase of the Horses, &c.,
cannot be estimated at less than £20. per
Annum for each Horse 40 0 0
-----------
113 18 0
Those Persons who are most dependent upon their Carriage, frequently
require it to carry them only a Mile or Two, and may save the expense
of hiring another Horse while one of their own is Ill, or is in want of
a Day’s rest, by having a pair of Shafts made to fit on, and so use it
with only one Horse--which will do all the work required by many infirm
persons, almost as easily as Two:--we wonder that more Chariots are not
so constructed.
The preceding Calculation shews that the Expense of keeping Two Horses,
and the Risk of loss by Horses, &c. cannot well be set down at less
than £113. 18_s._ per Annum.
A Hackneyman will furnish a pair of Horses, take all the Hazards, and
bear all the expenses enumerated above; at from £135. to £160. _per
Annum_, according to the quantity of Work, and the Age, Colour, and
Quality of the Horses required.
If a Pair of Horses are hired for a Year, and they are given up at any
time within that period, it is customary to give a couple of months’
notice, or a couple of months’ money. Have a written agreement about
this.
The following is my Agreement for hiring Horses:--
“MEMORANDUM. Mr. Thurston agrees to furnish Dr. Kitchiner with a Pair
of Horses at £140. per Annum, to be paid Quarterly; and if Dr. K.
wishes to give them up, he must give two months’ notice, or two months’
money: _i. e._ £24.
“From January 5th, 1827.
WM. KITCHINER.
JAS. THURSTON.”
I would not recommend a Carriage Horse to be less than Seven years old,
especially if to be driven in _Crowded Streets_:--Horses that have not
been taught how to behave in such situations, are extremely awkward and
unmanageable, and often occasion Accidents.
As I have said, the Price charged for Job Horses varies as the goodness
of the Horses, and as the Work required, does. Some persons do not
Exercise their Horses enough;--others require Two Horses to do as much
Labour as should be done by Three. Again, the price of Horses varies
from less than £80. a Pair, to twice £80. a piece.
_If you keep Horses for useful purposes_, you must not be too nice
about either their Colour, or the condition of their Coats.
_The ordinary Town Carriage Work_ can be done just as well by a Pair of
Horses, which may be had for £70. or £80. as with those that cost three
times that Sum; indeed it will most likely be done better. If you have
Horses worth an hundred pounds a piece, you will be afraid of using
them when you most want them; _i. e._ in Cold and Wet Weather, for fear
of their catching Cold and breaking their Coats, &c. Moreover, _the
Elegance of an Equipage_, in the Eyes of most people, depends more
upon the Carriage, Harness, and Liveries, than upon the Horses:--all
can judge of the former, but few of the latter; and, provided they are
the same Size and of the same Colour, the Million will be satisfied.
_Horses in Pairs_ are sometimes worth double what they are, singly--and
Horsedealers do not like to buy any but of the most common Colours; _i.
e._ Bays and Browns; because of the ease in matching them. Horses of
extraordinary Colours may be purchased at a proportionably cheap rate,
unless they are in Pairs, and happen to be an extraordinary good match,
when they will sometimes bring an extravagant price.
_An Ancient Equestrian_ gives the following advice; and also gave us
all those Paragraphs to which are affixed the initials A. E.:--
“_If you have occasion to match your Horse_, do not let the Dealer know
you are seeking for a _Match_ Horse, or he will demand a higher price;
nor do not send your servant to select for you.”--See the “_Hints to
Purchasers of Horses_,” in CHAP. IV.
If you will be contented with the useful Qualities of your Horses, _i.
e._ their Strength and Speed, and are not too nice about their matching
in Colour, you may be provided with capital Horses, at half the cost
of those who are particular about their Colour; and moreover, you may
easily choose such as will do double the service.
The Judgment and Liberality of the Proprietors are not so questionable
on account of the _Horses_ (which all the Wit and all the Wealth in
the World cannot always procure exactly what may be wished) as they
are about those works of Art, a _Carriage_ and a _Livery_; these, good
Taste and Liberality can always command. The difference in the charge
for the hire of an elegant New Carriage and a shabby Old one, does not
exceed £25. _per Annum_; and £10. _per Annum_ more will defray all the
extra expense incurred by giving a handsome Livery; so there is not 10
per Cent saved in the Shabbiest turn out.
As most people Job their Carriage Horses, we shall continue our
Estimate, and set down--
£. _s._ _d._
For a Pair of Jobbed Horses (the lowest price
at present) 135 0 0
The Duty on Two Horses 4 14 6
On a Four-Wheeled Carriage 6 0 0
On the Coachman 1 14 0
Wages[4] of the Coachman, not less than 10_s._ per
week 26 0 0
Board, ditto, ditto, at 14_s._ per week 36 8 0
N.B. If there are no Lodging Rooms over the
Coach-house, it is customary to allow a Coachman
about 4_s._ per Week, _i. e._ about £10. per Year,
to pay his Lodging.
Allowance for Oil and Grease, Towels and
Leathers, to clean the Carriage, _at least_ 1_s._
per Week 2 12 0
Rent of Coach-house and Stable 25 0 0
Tax on ditto 3 0 0
--------------
240 8 6
--------------
The advice of our great Dramatic Bard cannot be quoted more aptly than
in the following Maxim for choosing a Livery:--
“Costly thy Habit as thy Purse
Can buy, but not expressed in fancy,
Rich not gaudy: for the Apparel oft proclaims
The Man.”
_Shakespeare._
We recommend a Blue, Brown, Drab, or Green Livery, the whole of the
same Colour. To have a Coat of one Colour, and lined with another, a
Waistcoat of another, and the other Clothes of another Colour, claims
the Poet’s censure--it is “Gaudy”--unless for a full Dress Livery on
a Gala Day:--we equally disapprove of the Capes of a Box Coat being
alternately Blue and Yellow, or Brown and Red, &c.
_Coachman’s Livery._
Those who affect an elegant Equipage, usually give their Coachman
annually, say Two handsome Suits of what is termed the best Second
Cloth (what is called Livery Cloth is a little cheaper, but much
coarser, and not half so serviceable).
£. _s._ _d._
Brought forward 240 8 6
Light Blue Cloth Double-breasted Coat, edged
with Crimson, and lined with Shalloon same
colour as the Coat, with Gold-laced Collar
and Button Holes--
_Waistcoat_, Blue Kerseymere, with Shalloon
Sleeves;
_Plush Breeches_, lined, and gilt Knee Buckles 14 14 0
30 Large and 18 Small Buttons with Crest[5] and
Motto, &c. thereon 0 13 6
_Working Dress_, (once a Year), Drab Cord
Breeches, Coat, Waistcoat, and Overalls
(Drab Fustian, lined,) &c. 3 13 0
--------------
259 9 0
For those who make but little use of their Carriage, ONE LIVERY a
Year, or Two in Three Years, is enough, especially if you give a
Working-dress, as the Livery is then worn merely when he mounts the Box
to drive.
Those who give only ONE LIVERY IN A YEAR, should do that in April, so
that they may have the credit of it during the Summer months, while it
is seen: during the Winter it is almost always covered by the Box Coat;
when the Coat the man does his work in, will do as well as any. If a
Livery Coat has a Laced Collar, wearing the Box Coat over it, will soon
cut it to pieces.
_Counsellor Cautious_ never gave a Coachman a Livery till he had served
him for Three Months. Some Persons, instead of a Livery, allow 3_s._ or
4_s._ per Week extra, and the Coachman finds his own Clothes, a plain
Blue Coat; they giving him only a Hat and Great Coat.
£. _s._ _d._
Brought forward 259 9 0
A good full-made _Box Coat_, with six real Capes,
and lined with Shalloon, about £7. (according
to the number of Capes and the quality of the
Cloth, the price varies from £5. to £8.), once
in Three Years, at the end of which it is given
to the Coachman, per Annum 2 7 0
_Plain Liveries_, without Lace, &c. one-third
less, _i. e._ about £5. per Suit.
Two Plain _Hats_ 2 10 0
-----------
£264 6 0
With Gold Lace Binding, and a neat narrow Gold Band, they cost about
double the above sum.
Some give, Annually, one plain Hat for common use, and one edged with
Gold Lace and a Gold Band as a Dress Hat.
Those who like to see their Coachman neat and nice, give him a _Clothes
Box_ as well as a Clothes Brush, or, which is infinitely better, a
Cupboard six feet high, about three feet deep, and three feet wide,
with pegs to hang his Box Coat, Hat, and other Clothes on, which,
without such a case, are soon spoiled by the Dust of the Hay Loft.
£. _s._ _d._
Brought forward 264 6 0
The Yearly hire of a handsome new Chariot or
Coach and Harness, from £70. to £84.: if it
is hired for only three or four Years, and fitted
up with _Under-springs_, _Collinge’s Axles_, &c.,
and finished in the best style, as described in
Estimate No 9, it will be about 84 0 0
-------------
Total 348 6 0
To the above Estimate is to be added the charges of Turnpikes--Short
Baits[6]--Travelling Expenses, &c., extra Visiting, and numerous other
Expenses, which would not be incurred without a Carriage to carry you
to them: these will make the total amount of outgoings from keeping a
Carriage come up to not less than £400 _per Annum_.
The Editor is aware that the foregoing Computations are rather higher
than those random-guess Estimates, which some inexperienced persons
have published: however, his Calculations are neither more nor less
than the actual amount which he has himself paid; and he does not
believe that the business can be done properly for less than the Sums
set down;--therefore,
Prudent Peruser of the present Page,
To keep a Coach will add but Care to Age,
Unless your Annual Income is quite clear
Full Fifteen Hundred Pounds a Year.
ESTIMATE No. V.
The former is _The Usual and Liberal Plan of Keeping a Carriage_--it
cannot be kept so comfortably on any other; but we must also tell our
Readers _The Cheapest Plan_, which is about £100 per Annum less.
£. _s._ _d._
1st. Instead of giving £84 per Annum for a New
Carriage and Harness, made in the best style,
as per Estimate No. 9, you may hire an inferior,
or a vamped-up second-hand one for
about 60 0 0
A Hackneyman will supply a Pair of Horses, and
keep them, &c. in his Livery Stables, for 135 0 0
Standing of Carriage, and charge for cleaning
and greasing, &c. as in Estimate No. 6, per
annum, not less than 11 16 0
Duty on Horses and Carriage 10 14 6
A Grand managing Economist informed me
that he pays the Hostler at a Livery Stable 8_s._
per week additional, _i. e._ £20 per annum, to
do all the work usually done by the Coachman,
except driving the Carriage--he comes
for orders as a Coachman does, and brings
the Carriage to the Door, when his Man
Servant, who acts as Coachman[7], mounts the
Box and drives it; on its return, the Footman
drives it to the Stables, and the Hostler
does all the rest of the business usually done
by a Coachman 20 0 0
Extra Wages to a Footman for Driving, and
Box Coat, &c. not less than, per annum 8 0 0
------------
245 10 6
------------
OBS.--Few People but those who have either a very Strong Purse, or a
very Weak Person, really require a Carriage every day.
Twice, or Thrice in a week would be quite enough for many;--such will
do wisely, to find a Friend who will pay half of the Expense, and use
the Equipage on alternate days--and on Sundays let it rest.
ESTIMATE No. VI.
For those who wish for a Carriage merely as a matter of occasional
Parade, rather than of continual Convenience, and hardly require
it perhaps Two days in a Week, the cheapest plan is to purchase a
Carriage, and keep it at a Stable Yard, where, as often as they wish,
they can hire a pair of Horses: but a good Carriage must not stand in
a Public Yard, unless it is put into a private Coach-house, where it
can be carefully locked up:--if you pay a little extra for this, it is
money well spent.
£. _s._ _d._
The Expense then will be, the Interest of the
Money paid for the purchase of the Carriage
and Harness, (which we will suppose may
be bought second hand for about £200), and
keeping it in Repair, which, as it is but
seldom used, may be set down together at
(not less than,) per annum 30 0 0
Standing of it, at 3_s._ per week, per annum 7 16 0
For Oil and Grease, and to the Hostler for
cleaning the Carriage, from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 6_d._ per
week, per annum 4 0 0
Tax 6 0 0
-----------
47 16 0
And £1. 1_s._ per Day for Hire of Horses, and 5_s._ the Coachman. See
ESTIMATE NO. 7.
Thus, it appears, _To keep a Carriage, and to use it once in a Year,
costs £48. 2 s._!!!
The Hackneyman’s Charge for a Pair of Horses for three or four hours in
the middle of the Day, say from One till Five o’clock, is about 15_s._
From Four till Twelve at Night, that is, to take you to the Theatre or
out to Dinner, and to bring you Home after, is 12_s._
The Coachman’s fee for these Short Jobs, is about 2_s._ 6_d._
Many people do not require a Carriage more than twice in a Week; nor
then, more than for Three or Four hours: to such, the Saving will be
very great.
£. _s._ _d._
Standing charges of the Carriage, &c. as per
Estimate above 47 16 0
Horses and Coachman, for Four Hours, Twice
a Week, at 17_s._ 6_d._ each time 91 0 0
------------
Per Annum 138 16 0
------------
ESTIMATE No. VII.
HIRING FOR A SHORTER PERIOD THAN A YEAR.
If a Carriage be hired for a Day, a Week, or a Month, or for any time
less than a Year, the person who let it out pays the Duty.
The customary charge for those common Carriages, whether of Two or Four
Wheels, which are let out, is about 5_s._ per Day, or £5. per Month (28
Days).
_Open Carriages_ are charged higher, as the whole Year’s Duty is paid
upon them, though they are only used for a few Months.
When Coaches or Chariots are let by the Day or Week, the _Harness_ is
not included in the charge for them. Harness for a Pair of Horses is
charged 1_s._ per Day, or 5_s._ per Week.
Hired Carriages are expected to be turned out clean, greased, and fit
for immediate use:--examine them well before you take them; for if
any part breaks while in your use, you will be expected to pay for the
Repair thereof, unless you make a previous Agreement that it shall be
done by the person letting it.
Tell the person you hire of, how long you want the Carriage, and how
far you are going to travel:--he has then no excuse for not giving you
a sufficient Carriage.
The price of a Job during the dear Months, when the Town is full,
_i. e._ in April, May, and June, for a Chariot or Coach, a Pair of
Horses and Coachman, his Wages and Board Wages, the standing at the
Hackneyman’s, &c., and all charges included, is, (a little more or
less, according to the quality of the Horses and the Carriage), per
Month, (reckoning 28 Days), about £26.
The usual sum for _the Hire of a Coach or Chariot and Harness_, is,
according to the condition thereof, from £5. to £7. per Month:--if you
hire them of a Coachmaker, you will have more choice, and may get a
better Carriage.
_A Glass Coach_, or Chariot and Horses, not to travel beyond eight
miles from Town, may be hired, per Day, for from £1. 1_s._ to £1. 5_s._
The Coachman’s Fee is 5_s._
If he is employed all Day, especially if you go into the Country, it is
usual to give the Driver his Dinner.
For a distance exceeding eight miles from the place of letting, the
charge is 1_s._ 6_d._ per Mile out, and half that sum in returning.
For Three or Four Hours in the middle of the Day, 18_s._
The Coachman will expect about Half-a-Crown.
From Four till Twelve in the Evening, to take you out to Dinner, and to
bring you Home, 15_s._--Coachman, 2_s._ 6_d._
In either of the above cases, _if you find the Carriage_, the charge
will be from 3_s._ to 5_s._ less.
We subjoin a List of the charges for these things in Ireland.
MEETING OF THE COACH PROPRIETORS AND POST-MASTERS OF DUBLIN.
The Job Coach Proprietors and Post-Masters respectfully beg leave to
inform the Nobility, Gentry, their Friends, and the Public, that at a
Meeting of their Trade, held on Tuesday, the 25th of July, 1826, it was
Resolved--That in order to meet the exigency of the Times, the change
of Currency, and the advanced price of every article necessary for
their Trade, particularly forage, that from and after the 1st of August
next, the prices of Posting and Job Carriages will be as follow, in
British Currency.
POSTING.
_s._ _d._ British.
Chaise and Pair, with one or two passengers 1 1 per Mile.
Chaise and Pair, with three passengers 1 4 ditto.
Chaise and Four 2 2 ditto.
Coach and Four 2 6 ditto.
Pair of Horses to Gentlemen’s Chaise, one
or two passengers 1 4 ditto.
Ditto, with three passengers 1 6 ditto.
Ditto Gentleman’s Coach 1 6 ditto.
Four Horses to ditto 2 6 ditto.
Four Horses to Chaise 2 2 ditto.
JOB CARRIAGES.
Carriage and Pair for Town, from ten until
five, evening 12 0
Ditto, ditto, until twelve at night 17 0
Ditto, from six in the evening until twelve
at night 12 0
Pair of Horses to Gentlemen’s Carriages, same rates.
Resolved--That the sum of Ten Pence, demanded by Messengers sent to us
for Carriages, be discontinued.
Resolved--That we will not hire or employ any Coachman who has not a
written recommendation from his last employer to produce.
Resolved--That the foregoing List of Prices, together with the
Resolutions, be published in _The Dublin Evening Mail_, &c.
ESTIMATE No. VIII.
JOBBING HORSES.
We think that it is quite as Cheap, and are sure it is by far the most
Comfortable plan, to _Job Horses_:--if one of them falls sick or lame,
the Hackneyman immediately furnishes you with another--and you avoid a
vast deal of Inconvenience and Anxiety. This begins to be so generally
understood now, that not only Coach, but Cart and Waggon Horses are
_Jobbed_ by the Year,--and Carts and Waggons also.
_To Job Horses_, is particularly recommended to persons who are
ambitious of having an elegant Equipage;--a pair of fine Horses that
match exactly are always expensive to purchase; and if one of them
dies, it is sometimes, to a private Gentleman, extremely difficult to
find a fellow to it.
Horses cannot work equally, nor at ease to themselves, if they are not
nearly of the same Size, of the same Temper, and of the same Strength,
and have the same Pace, and Step well together.
A Hackneyman or Horsedealer, who is in an extensive way of business,
has so many opportunities of seeing Horses, that he can match a Horse
with much less Expense, and more exactly, than any Gentleman or any
Groom may hope to do: therefore, those who are particular about the
match of their Horses, will find it not merely more expensive, but much
more troublesome, to Buy than it is to Job.
Job Masters, in general, Sell, as well as Let Horses;--therefore,
stipulate in your Agreement, that you shall, be supplied with various
Horses till you are suited to your satisfaction; and then, that neither
of them shall be changed without your consent:--for this, a Hackneyman
may demand, and deserves, a little larger price; but it is Money paid
for the purchase of Comfort,--is the only way to be well served, and
prevents all disputes. If you do not make such an Agreement, and your
Hackneyman happens to be offered a good price for one of your Horses,
he may take it; and Your’s, like many other Carriages in London, will
be little better than a Break:--nothing is more disagreeable, nay,
dangerous, than to be continually drawn by strange Horses.
_While the Job is travelling in the Country_, the Hackneyman is allowed
what is called Night, or Hay Money, _i. e._ an addition of 1_s._ 6_d._
per Night for each Horse, every Night the Horses are out.
This is considered as a compensation for the increased price charged
for Corn at Inns, which is much more than it costs the Hackneyman at
Home.
MEM.--_Make some previous agreement in Writing about all these things._
Some people who wish their Horses to be in high condition, yet desire
to avoid all Risk and Trouble, &c. hire Horses, and find them in Corn,
&c. themselves. A good Pair of Horses, without keep, are charged about
£70. _per Annum_.
The Old Proverb tells us, that “_The Eye[8] of the Master makes the
Horse Fat._”
“The next care a man should take, after he has found a Horse to his
mind, and purchased him, should be to provide a Stable so situated,
with respect to his house, that he may see him very frequently, and
to have his Stall so contrived, that it may be as difficult a task
to steal his Horse’s provender out of the _Manger_, as to take his
own victuals out of the _Larder_.”--From _Zenophon’s Treatise on
Horsemanship_, translated in Berenger’s Entertaining and Instructive
Book upon Horsemanship, 4to. 1771. p. 231.
If you have valuable Nags, do not think it time lost, occasionally to
visit the Stable, and see that they are comfortably taken care of,
have their proper allowance of Corn, and are well bedded, &c., and see
that the Corn be not brewed.--A smart Son of the Whip says, that “some
Hostlers are so clever, that they can turn Oats into Ale.”
The Word _Hostler_, I find in the most learned Lexicon in our Language,
which explains some thousands of words more than Johnson, is written
Oat-stealer--which this learned lexicographer says it must be allowed
appears to be the true word.
The Dictionary above alluded to is a very deep work:--instead of its
containing more words by thousands than are in Johnson,--Johnson does
not give us ten words that are in it--nor does it contain much above
ten words that are in Johnson: this admirable and elegant Dictionary
is entitled “A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, by F. Grose,
Esq., F.R.S. &c.”
Some people fancy that they have made a capital Bargain, by stipulating
that the Hackneyman shall let their Carriage and Horses stand in his
Livery Yard, and so save part of the charge of a private Coach-house
and Stable:--if Hackneymen have plenty of Room, they have sometimes no
objection to this; however, you must take into the reckoning, that your
Carriage, while standing in an open Coach-house, and even while being
cleaned in a Public Yard, is unavoidably exposed to continual danger
from being carelessly run against by other Carriages passing to and
fro: moreover, it is often injured by the dirty Mops and Cloths, and by
the careless manner in which it is cleaned. If you wish your Carriage
to be turned out in nice condition, you must have your own Coach-house
and Stable; it is much more advisable, not only for your own Advantage,
but for the Comfort of your Coachman, which you will consider also, if
you expect him to consider your Interest.
It is extremely desirable to have Stables, &c. adjoining your House;
because a Coachman, when your Carriage is not wanted, has many spare
hours in which he may be very useful in carrying Messages, &c.
ESTIMATE No. IX.
DESCRIPTION OF AND ESTIMATE FOR A HANDSOME TOWN CHARIOT.
A Chariot built with the very best Materials and of the best
Workmanship,--the Body made with convex sides, lined with fine cloth
and silk lace, and lace Footman’s holders, Morocco head Cushions and
Squabs, colour of Lace Cloth and Morocco, &c. to choice: handsome
Venetian Blinds, best lute-string Spring Curtains, double folding steps
trimmed with black Spanish Leather, lined with Cloth, and concealed in
Doors; best Brussels Carpet to the bottom of Body, and Steps and Oak
seat box.
The Body hung on a Carriage with compass perch, best Town-made Springs
and Iron work; the Wood work of Carriage beaded and carved; Axle-trees
turned and case hardened with solid pipe boxes; Wheels with the best
seasoned Ash felleys, and Patent hoop-tire rivetted: Barouche Dickey
Coach Box set on a Boot and attached to the Carriage by handsome Iron
Work, and made to take off in case of travelling; trimmed with the best
patent Leather borders, and lined with Cloth; large splashing Iron in
front of Body, covered with double patent leather; Mail Lamps; brass
moulding to Body; Swage Door handles; the Body, Carriage, and Wheels
painted to fancy; Arms painted in ornamented shields on Doors; and the
best plate Glasses to Windows; the whole made of the best materials,
and finished in the most complete manner,
£. _s._ _d._
240 0 0
If the following Extras are required:--
Handsome C springs with carved blocks, stays,
&c. &c. 10 0 0
Handsome carved hind Standards 10 0 0
Under-Springs 25 0 0
Collinge’s Patent Axle-trees 20 0 0
New Pair of very Handsome Harness, with
Patent Leather Water decks complete 36 15 0
-----------
341 15 0
-----------
The Coachmaker will keep the above Carriage and Harness in Repair, and
find Wheels, &c. for four Years, for £10. per Annum: this, at the end
of that time, would make its expense £381. 15_s._, and it might then be
worth about £100.; so that if you purchase, it will cost at least £70.
per Annum, besides the Interest of the Money advanced: moreover, you
will have more than common luck, if you get £100. for it at the end of
Four Years.
If such a Chariot, with its appendages and Harness, as explained in the
above Estimate, be taken on a Job, (the longer the period you hire it
for, the less will be the annual charge,) for Four Years, the charge is
about £84. per Annum. It is not advisable to agree to take a Carriage
for a longer period than it will look well without being repainted, &c.
After three or four Years, Carriages that are in continual use require
to go into Dock for a thorough repair.
_A Landaulett_ or a Landau is charged £10. per Annum more.
_A Landau_ is a Carriage in the form of a Coach, the upper part of
which may be opened for the advantage of air and prospect in Summer
time, and is principally intended for Country use, and is the most
convenient Carriage of any, as so many persons may be accommodated with
the pleasure of an Open and a Close Carriage in one, without the care
of Driving, as in other Open Carriages, or the expense and incumbrance
of keeping Two.
_A Landau or Landaulett_ is not only more expensive to build, but more
troublesome to keep nicely clean; and its Leather Roof much sooner
wears shabby, than the Japanned Roof of a Coach or Chariot.
NOTA BENE. It is customary for the Builder to warrant his Work for
the first Twelvemonths, and to undertake to make good all failures
happening within that time, which arise from the Timber or Iron
work’s breaking, but not those decays which necessarily follow from
reasonable use and wear, or damages by Accident. However, to prevent
all Misunderstanding, insert the following lines in your Contract for
Building:--also, that “after the Carriage has been out about two or
three months, and the Varnish has got thoroughly dry, the Builder
shall Polish it free of further expense.” This process can be performed
much better after a few months have elapsed, than it can when the
carriage first comes out, as the Varnish is not then sufficiently
hardened.--See _Cautions on Building Carriages_, at p. 65 et seq. of
this Work.
TO JOB OR HIRE A CARRIAGE
Is the most convenient and cheapest way of proceeding.
Carriages are usually hired for such a time as they may be expected to
last in Fashion, that is for about four or five years.
_A One Horse Chaise_ with Two Wheels may be jobbed for £20. to £40. per
Annum.
_A Four Wheel Chaise_ from £30. to £50.
The present charge for the hire of a Coach or Chariot, (see Estimate
No. IX.), Landau or Landaulett, and Harness, per Annum, is from £60. to
£100. One year of which is paid in advance.
Coachmakers will build a New Carriage for this purpose, and finish it
to your own fancy; exactly the same as if you were to purchase it, and
will paint it at the end of two or three years, if you hire it for a
longer period.
Persons who constantly require the use of a Carriage will do wisely
to _Hire_, and not for a longer period than Three or Four Years. The
frequent Repairs which are constantly wanting to Older Carriages,
occasion many Inconveniences, although the expenses of them are avoided
by Hiring.
Carriages are never better built than those which are made expressly
to be let on a Job. A Coachmaker takes care to choose materials and
workmen of the best kind for his own sake, to avoid those subsequent
charges, which, as has been observed before, constitute the evil of
inferior Carriages.
MEM. _In the Agreement for Hiring_, stipulate for the option of
purchasing the Carriage at the end of the First Year, at a certain
Sum, _i. e._ if the original price was £300., and you paid £80. per
Annum, for £220. _After a Year’s wear, you will be able to see pretty
clearly what kind of a Carriage you have got, and whether it is worth
purchasing._
_Harness_ is usually engaged with the Carriage, which is kept in
Wheels and all Repairs, excepting those which are required from
Accidents.
When Carriages are let by the Year, the following engagement is usually
entered into by the contracting Parties:--
COPY OF AGREEMENT.
Articles of Agreement made and entered into this 13th Day of April,
1826, between A. B., Gent., of ------- in the county of ------- on the
one part, and C. D., Coachmaker, of ------- in the county of ------- on
the other; and this certifies that the said C. D. doth agree to build,
and preserve in good and substantial repair, a Carriage with Harness
for the use of the said A. B. until the full expiration of Four Years,
from the date hereof, after the following manner:--(here is to be
inserted the manner in which the Carriage is to be built, see Estimate
No. IX., with all the particulars of keeping the same in repair, the
time of New Painting, New Green silk Blinds, Hammerclothing, &c.):--to
furnish New Wheels when the said A. B. desires them, and to supply him
with a good Chariot while this is repairing--and that A. B. shall have
the option of purchasing the said Carriage and Harness at the end of
the first Year for the sum of -------.
In consideration whereof the said A. B. doth agree to pay, or cause
to be paid, to the said C. D. the sum of ------- annually; the First
Year’s payment on the receipt of the said Carriage and Harness, the
Second on the commencement of the Second Year, and each Year’s hire to
be paid in advance; and at the expiration of the Four Years, the said
Carriage with Harness to be returned to the said C. D. with Glasses
whole, and every part of the said Carriage and Harness complete and
whole, excepting such deficiencies as may be expected from reasonable
use and wear, provided always, and on condition, that if the said
A. B. shall, during the said term of four Years, pay the said C. D.
the sum of thirty Guineas, and give up the said Chariot and Harness
complete, then this Agreement shall be void, any thing to the contrary
notwithstanding.
In witness hereof, each party hath set their hands and Seals this day
of
A. B.
C. D.
Witness, F. G.
This agreement must be on a Stamp, or Stamped within fourteen days; or
if a question arise, and it should come into Court, the Stamping then
would cost £20.
CARRIAGES.