improved greatly in Beauty, Strength, and Convenience; and a Carriage
is now considered as a distinguishing mark of the taste of its
Proprietor.
There are few works of Art which require the aid of so many
different Artists as the constructing of a Carriage; there are
Wheel-wrights,--Spring,--Axle-tree,--Step,--and Tire,--Black
and White Smiths,--Brass Founders,--Engravers,--Painters,
--Carvers,--Carpenters,--Joiners,--Trimmers,--Lace Makers,--Lamp
Makers, --Curriers,--Collar Makers,--Harness Makers, &c. &c.; and upon
the quality of the Materials, and the capacity of these Workmen to
execute their respective parts in a perfect manner, and upon the taste
and skill of the Coachmaker in combining them, depends the Beauty and
the Durability of the Carriage.
ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES.
_The best time to bring out a New Carriage_, is about April or May,
before the extreme heat comes on; moreover, the Taxes are reckoned from
one 5th of April to another: and if you enter a Carriage on the 5th of
March, you will have to pay for a whole Year, for only one Month’s use
of it.
If you have any thing peculiar about a Carriage, it will require much
more time in building, than if you are contented with merely ordering
“a fashionable Vehicle.” In the former case, do not hope to get it
under Three, nor be surprised if you wait Four Months for it.
However, if you have no particular desire to be disappointed, summon to
your assistance the aid of those powerful refreshers of a perfunctory
Memory, the _Goose_, the _Calf_, and the _Bee_;[9] _i. e._ take _Mr.
Jervis’s_ advice, and bind the Builder in a written contract, made by
your Attorney, and duly Stamped, Signed, Sealed, and Witnessed, &c.,
to deliver the Carriage, Harness, &c. completely finished on a certain
day--or that he shall forfeit, and that day shall pay to You, One
Hundred Pounds, and keep his Carriage himself.
Be careful that your Contract contains a full and very particular
description of every part; for
MEM.--If you order the least Alteration or Addition afterwards, it will
be charged _Extra_, unless you discreetly insert a sweeping clause,
that the Whole shall be completed to your entire satisfaction, for the
Money, and at the Time agreed upon.
_An Honest Man_ will have no more objection to sign a written Agreement
than to make a Verbal Promise, and _a Prudent Man_ will never take
the latter when he can get the former:--the Expense of a written
Agreement is Money expended in preventing Anxiety, which is like
sacrificing a Pebble to preserve a Diamond:--those who wish to avoid
disappointments and litigation, will not stir one step without _a
Written Agreement_--’tis a pretty bit of Paper, that makes men Honest,
and keeps them so.
After you have settled what is to be the price of the New
Carriage--then, before you sign the Agreement respecting it, make your
Bargain as to what Sum the Builder shall allow you for your Old One,
provided you do not previously otherwise dispose of it.
_The Money allowed for an Old Carriage_, is less than a Novice will
expect. I sold one Chariot, which I had in use only Five years, for
only £15., nor could I get more for it, although I kept it for several
Weeks.
I sold another Chariot, which had been in wear about the same time, for
£30.,--and it is not often that a Builder will allow much more for a
Carriage that has been in use for five or six Years:--by that time, the
shape of the Body is out of Fashion, the Lining is shabby, and before
it can be sold again to a particular person, it must be thoroughly
repaired, which will cost a considerable Sum.
The following is an Estimate which was given to the Gentleman who
bought my last Chariot.
AN ESTIMATE OF REPAIRING A CHARIOT
£. _s._ _d._
And putting in all New wood work, neatly
carved--fresh fitting, filing, and fixing the
old Iron Work with new bolts--taking the
Springs to pieces--fresh fitting the plates,
and re-fixing Springs with new rivets and
bolts--altering the Iron work of the Barouche
seat--putting a New Foot-board and fresh
hanging it and the Body 26 0 0
Handsome new Patent Lamps 2 8 0
Repairing braces, pole-pieces, &c., new covering
roller, bolts, and pole with New Leather 1 14 0
Altering and re-fixing the frame of Dash Iron,
and covering it with New Leather 4 12 0
Covering the whole of the inside with new
cotton false lining 5 10 0
New Carpets to the Bottom and the Steps 1 8 0
New Plating the Commode Handles and rivetting
the Door Handles 1 6 0
New pair of Web Holders 0 14 0
New Painting the Body of a Chariot 14 0 0
New Wheels 15 0 0
New Lining 35 0 0
Fresh Stringing and Painting Blinds 1 15 0
New covering Glass Frames 1 15 0
New Silk to Green Curtains 1 5 0
Under-Springs 25 0 0
-------------
137 7 0
-------------
Now, if the Body had not been a beautiful piece of Work, it would not
have been worth while to have bestowed this large sum in renewing the
Carriage part: but the whole of the exterior of the Old Body, although
it had been built some Years, was more sound and unwarped, than most
new Bodies are on the first day they are turned out; it was elegantly
formed, and the Interior so admirably constructed for Comfort, that
from it I learned the dimensions, &c. which I have given in the
following description of what I think a Chariot ought to be.
Coachmakers sometimes shew _Drawings of Carriages_ for their Customers
to choose from,--it _is more satisfactory, not only to see, but to take
a ride in a pattern Carriage_; this your Coachmaker can take you to
see, or, if you see a Carriage which pleases your Eye, your Coachman
can easily learn where it is put up; go with your Coachmaker and see
it, and have _a written Particular_ of all its peculiarities, _an exact
Measurement_ of its dimensions, and _an Estimate_ in Writing of the
cost thereof, similar to the one given in CHAP. I. Estimate No. 9.
OF THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A CHARIOT.
The Novice in these things may think that the following description
is unnecessarily minute, and that he need only go to a Coachmaker and
order “_a Chariot_,” and that Word will procure him all he wishes.
The form of Carriages is as absurdly at the mercy of Fashion, as the
Cut of a Coat is;--however, if the Reader is willing to let the Builder
please himself with the form of the Exterior, he will perhaps not be
quite so polite as to submit the construction of the Interior entirely
to the caprice of his Coachmaker.--If “as easy as an old Coat” be a
true Aphorism, “as easy as an Old Carriage” is equally so:--by riding
three or four Years in one, you become so used to it, that any change
is extremely unpleasant--and if the Elbows or the Seat are too high, or
too low, or too narrow, or too wide, &c. when the Body is built, it is
always difficult, and often impossible, to alter it; therefore, if you
like your Old Body, measure it, and order your New one accordingly.
_If you build a Body_, pay a visit to your Coachmaker while it is
in progress, especially just before it is put into the hands of the
Painter.
All Coachmakers, do not, always, go to the expense of covering the
Roof, Back, and Sides with one piece of Leather, as they ought to
do;--the common practice is to cover the Roof only with Leather, and
leave the Upper sides and back of pannel board, with a groove run in
the Roof where the Leather is nailed in covering the nails and filling
up the groove with Putty, which the Summer’s Sun and Winter’s Rain will
soon crack, and the Water entering will soil the Lining, and the Inside
of the Body will become damp:--the whole of the upper part of a Body
should be enveloped in one large hide of strong Leather, and neatly
worked in, so that it is one solid surface of Leather to paint on,
which neither Heat nor Wet can affect for many Years.
_The Breadth of a Body_, to contain three persons comfortably, should
not be less than 4 feet 3 inches.
_From Back to Front_, 4 feet are enough.
_The Height of the Seat_ from the bottom, about 1 foot.
_From the Seat to the Roof_, not less than 3 feet 6 inches; the
Cushions, which are commonly about three inches in thickness, not
included.
A few Inches in Width and Breadth add but a few Pounds to the Weight,
but contribute greatly to the Convenience of a Carriage, especially to
well-grown and full-fed persons.
The little thoroughly-ugly humpty-dumpty Chariot, which looked
something like a Champion Potatoe set on wheels, but which was the
grand rage with Children of the Largest Growth about 30 Years ago,
would not admit a small person to sit with his hat on, nor a tall one
with his Hat off:--these foolish little wee Vehicles weighed only a few
pounds less than the large commodious Chariots, in which the Lords and
Ladies of the Creation transport themselves in at the present day.
_The Elbows_ should not be more than 6 inches above the Cushion, and
should be so entirely in recess, that you may lean comfortably against
the side of the Carriage:--in some ill-contrived modern bodies, they
are placed too high, and project out, and as often as you loll towards
them, remind you that you should not, and force you back into your
perpendicular, by giving you a Punch in your Side.
In a Chariot Body of the size just described, there should be a
_Front Seat_ about 10 inches in width, which will occasionally carry
Two persons:--this addition is especially desirable in a Travelling
Chariot, as by sitting in one corner of the Carriage, you may put your
Legs upon it, and take a Nap very comfortably. This Front Seat is
doubly better than the old fashioned _Bodkin Seat_ which drew out from
the centre; and when you have Two fellow Travellers, in order to induce
one of them to sit upon this accommodation seat, you may tell them that
they will sit three times as comfortably there as on the front seat;
for if they sit on that, they will be crowded themselves, and crowd two
other persons also; but if one sits on the other seat, all may ride
comfortably enough:--it should be fixed on with Slip-Hinges, so that
it may be taken off at pleasure.
_The Door Lights or Windows_ are sometimes contracted on the Seat side
about 4 inches; however, some people like them as large as possible,
and besides, have the back of the Carriage stuffed eight or ten inches
deep, which is exceedingly convenient for those who are anxious to
exhibit themselves like Articles for sale in a Shew Glass.
Take care that _the Glasses_ are of the best Quality, well Polished,
White, and as free as possible from Specs and Veins.
These Glasses are commonly bound with Cloth of the same Colour that
the Carriage is lined with, or with Black Velvet, which wears better,
and works in the grooves more pleasantly than any binding:--the most
elegant binding is Lace like that of the Glass-holders, or in which the
Crest or Arms are woven.
_The present fashion of Stuffing_ is preposterous; it reduces a Large
Body to the size of a small One: however, if you like to ride about
for the benefit of public inspection, as your friends, my _Lady
Look-about_,--the _Widow Will-be-seen_,--and _Sir Simon Stare_, do,
pray study Geoffrey Gambado on the Art of sitting politely in Carriages
with the most becoming attitudes, &c. and choose wide Door Lights and
full Squabbing;--if you wish to go about peaceably and quietly, like
_Sir Solomon Snug_, and are contented with seeing without being seen,
adopt the contracted Lights and common Stuffing, which, among others,
have this great advantage, that when you sit back, you may have the
side Windows down, and a thorough Air passing through the Carriage,
without its blowing in directly upon you: this, to Invalids who easily
catch Cold, is very important.
_The Back Light_ must not be more than 27 inches from the surface of
the Cushions, or it will be too high for a person to look through it
without rising up--it is convenient to have this made to Open, as
it affords an easy opportunity of giving directions to the person
behind the Carriage, and is a desirable aperture for admitting Air in
very hot weather:--tell the Builder to give you a fine clear plate
for this purpose, and not to glaze it with a semidiaphanous “_Old
Accident_,”--a technical term for those “Odds and Ends” of broken Coach
Glasses which are sometimes used for this purpose, and which having
been continually cleaned every day for thirty or forty years, have
become so scratched, that you can hardly see through them.
I recommend _the Lining to be Green_, with Lace to correspond, and
the Green _silk Sun shades_ of the same Colour--Green is pleasant to
the Eye, and Superfine _Cloth_ or Tabinet, is, during nine months out
of the twelve, much more comfortable in this Cold climate, than the
chilling _Leather_ which has lately been the fashion: in Summer this
may be covered with what is commonly called a _False Lining_, which is
generally made of Gingham, and is equally useful to preserve a New or
hide an Old Trimming:--it should only be applied to the back and those
parts of the sides that are leaned against; the Front, Roof, and Doors,
should be left uncovered.
The Elegance of the Interior of a Carriage depends much upon the
pattern and breadth of _the Lace_ with which the Lining is bordered,
of which there are a great variety.--Lace-making is a distinct branch
of Manufactory; and as “every Eye makes its own Beauty,” the person who
builds a Carriage should desire his Coachmaker to furnish him with some
patterns to choose from:--there are several Coach Lace-makers in Long
Acre.
Some Carriages are fitted up with Squabs, _i. e._ Cushions stuffed with
Wool and covered on one side with Cloth, and on the other with Silk,
Linen, or Leather; the former side for Winter, the latter for Summer
use.
_The Seat Cushions_ should be covered on one side with Leather, and on
the other with Cloth.
Let _the Stuffing at the Back_ be no thicker than necessary to make it
easy, _i. e._ about 2½ inches in thickness.
Have _the Lid of the Sword Case_ to fall down with the back attached,
instead of lifting up, being much easier to put in a parcel without
troubling the passengers to rise.
_The Seats_, which are usually boarded, I would recommend to be, on
one side, Caned or Girt-webbed, for ease in Sitting--the other half
may be fitted up with a Case for containing Grog and Prog, &c. for a
Rusticating Party:--they _should be about 22 inches deep_--not more,
or Short people cannot sit upon them comfortably:--they will be much
easier if made on a bevil, and about an inch lower behind than they are
before: if not originally so constructed, the stuffing of the Cushions
may be easily adjusted so as to produce that effect.
_The Green Silk Spring Sun Shades_ should be fixed upon the Doors; this
saves the trouble of putting them up every time you open the Door,
which must be done when they are fixed to the Body;--if the Blinds
are fixed on the Door, take care to shut it when you get out of the
Carriage in Wet Weather, or they will be spoiled:--_when the Silk
becomes faded_, if it is turned upside down, the part most in sight
will look almost as well as new.
If the Ground Colour of the Body is good, _New Varnishing_ will
sometimes do almost as well as New Painting.
I am told that the best Colour for Wear is _Midgley’s Chrome Yellow_.
In consequence of the vivid brilliancy of this pigment, in all the
variety of its shades, from the pale Lemon colour to the full Orange,
it has of late come into general use. When properly prepared, it
possesses all the desiderata of perfect Colours, Smoothness, Body,
Extensibility, and ready Mixture with Oil or Water, and dries well and
blends well.
_Venetian Blinds_ are delightful shades in warm Weather, as they admit
the Air while they exclude the Sun; and when closed, serve as a shutter
to prevent dust from soiling the Carriage while it is standing by. They
should be painted on the Inside, of a Verdigrise Green, and on the
Outside of the same Colour as the Carriage.
If these are not made of _extremely well-seasoned Wood_, they rattle
very much in Dry, and swell in Damp weather.
These Blinds should have _Bolts_ affixed to them, which, when fastened
within, if you have _Locks_ on the Carriage Doors, enable you to fasten
up the interior of your Carriage completely.
There is a great deal of Rain falls during the warmest months in this
Country, and our Chariots very much want _an Exterior Blind_ (a Hood
as it were) in the front, which would exclude Rain, while it would
admit Air:--many of our Wet days are so warm, that our Carriages are a
shower Bath if the Windows are open, and a Vapour Bath if they are Shut!
_The Handle of the Door Latch_ should be double--that is, it should
have an additional Handle within side, the position of which will
afford you the satisfaction of seeing that the Door is properly
fastened, and also the power of easily opening it in case of an
Accident, &c.
It is a very great convenience to have _the power of opening the Door
from the inside_. This Handle should be made to turn towards the Door,
so as to be within the Door when the Door is opened, it will then be
out of the way of being struck against the Body in shutting; which, if
it turns to the Right, will sometimes happen when the Door is shut by
perfunctorious persons.
The spindles of these Handles during the first Year, till time has worn
them a little, will occasionally move too stiffly: the remedy for this
is a drop of Oil.
Never permit officious Strangers to shut your Carriage Door; in order
to save their own time and trouble, and to accomplish this at once,
some idle and ignorant people will bang it so furiously, one almost
fancies that they are trying to upset the Carriage, the pannels of
which are frequently injured by such rude violence; therefore, desire
your Coachman to be on the watch, and the moment he sees any one
prepare to touch your Door, to say loudly and imperatively “_Don’t
meddle with the Door!_”
Have _Locks_ to the Doors--they are very necessary when travelling, or
when your Carriage is waiting for you at Night: _a Latch_ inside that
will fasten the Door so that it cannot be opened on the outside, is
also desirable, especially in Travelling Chariots.
In Landaulets the door opening without the window frame, particular
directions to the Footman are necessary that he observe the Glass is
entirely down before he attempts to open the Door, or the pane will
be infallibly broken. When the glass is quite up there is no danger,
for in rising it releases a Spring which fastens the Door; the blind
does the same; so that if the Servant keep the blinds up while the
Carriage is waiting, a lock may be dispensed with. I would recommend
the addition of this contrivance to Coaches and Chariots.
_A Town Carriage_ should not be more than three feet from the Ground,
so as to require only _One Step_; to which should be fixed _a Strap_,
by which any person within the Carriage may very easily pull it up, and
with the help of the _Inside Handle_, may, with equal facility, finish
the Footman’s Work, and fasten the Door.
The above is an invaluable contrivance, and well deserves to be
called “_a Dumb Footman_;” it entirely prevents the necessity of the
Coachman’s leaving his Box; from which rash act, many lives have been
lost, and many Carriages destroyed by the Horses running away[10]:--All
will adopt it, excepting those persons who are so unfortunate, as
to be more Proud than Prudent. _Mr. Jervis_ was extremely earnest in
recommending these excellent appendages; and to impress the importance
of them upon the imagination of the Editor as strongly as possible,
he closed his arguments by averring, that for a Coachman to leave his
Reins would be as desperate an act of rashness as for a Cook to leave
her Kitchen while her Spit was going round, and equally likely to
produce the most tremendous and irreparable Evils!
If such a plan be adopted, the Body must not be hung further than
twenty-two inches from the Dickey, _i. e._ near enough to the Coach Box
to allow the Coachman to put his hand on the top of the Door when it is
opened, and hold it so while the Passengers get in and out. Till the
Hinges are worn a little, they will occasionally get rusty and move too
stiffly, and require a little Oil.
The present fashionable _Door Handle_ is too big by half, and is also
extremely inconvenient on account of the Hinge in it, which requires
an additional action, which in the course of a little wear becomes
ricketty and rattles, and you can hardly tell to a certainty whether it
fastens the Door completely or not.
The simple Handle without a Hinge, which was in vogue some years ago,
is infinitely more convenient and safe, because its single action is
more certain.
_The Crest or Arms_ in the Centre, is an elegant ornament for the Head
of the Handle.
_A Boot or Budget_ fixed on the fore Carriage between the front Springs
is useful to carry Horse Cloths, Luggage, &c.
_Hind Standards_ are very useful for town work, to keep the Horses and
Pole of other Carriages from injuring your Hind Pannels; but as they
are a heavy weight, they should be made to take off for the country.
A _Dickey Coach Box_ is the most convenient; it is less impediment to
the view of those who are inside the Carriage, and more comfortable to
the Coachman. They should be fixed on the Boot, and entirely detached
from the Body. Let it be large enough to contain Two persons. It is not
quite so easy as the Body; but for those who love Air and Exercise, and
a view of the Country, it is in Summer the pleasantest place.
_The Seat_ thereof to hold Two persons, should be thirty Inches wide
and twenty Inches deep, inside measurement. _The Cushion_ should be
of equal thickness, and not higher on the Driving side, as it is in a
Gig, because when only the Coachman is on the Box, he should sit in the
middle of it. There should be a Pocket on each side in the lining, for
putting Tickets in.
This kind of Coach Box may be so made as to take off, and fix on
behind the Carriage. Under the Seat, for the Coachman, should drop in
a Box to serve as a Tool Budget, and contain a few spare Bolts, Nuts,
Linch-Pins, Nails, a Wrench, a Winch that will fit your axle, Hammer,
Chisel, a Pair of Pincers, &c.; by help of which, a trifling accident
on the Road may be remedied without delay.
_Take care that your Coach Box is strongly and properly fixed on_,
and frequently examine the state of the Bolts and Nuts, &c. For want
of sufficient strength, or of the efficient state of the supports to
it, many dreadful accidents have happened; one of which we relate as a
warning:--
“On Tuesday morning last, while the Coachman and the Footman, in the
service of F. P. Ripley, Esq., 12, Woburn Place, Russell Square, were
driving their Master’s carriage along Tavistock Place, Tavistock
Square, the box on which they were sitting broke down, and precipitated
them to the ground. The carriage wheels passed over the right leg of
the Coachman and the left breast of the Footman. They were conveyed to
their master’s with the greatest alacrity, where they received such
treatment as their situations required. The coachman’s leg is bruised
and lacerated extremely. The footman, on being raised from the ground,
was excessively convulsed. We are sorry to add there are no hopes of
his recovery.”--_Times_, June 2, 1826.
_Spikes to fix on the Hind Standards._
These spikes may be so contrived as to be put on and off very easily,
with Three Nuts, in as few minutes;--the Footman’s Step should be fixed
on in the same manner.
_Do not permit Strangers to place themselves behind your Carriage_
at any time, or under any pretence whatever. There are innumerable
instances of Carriages having been disabled from proceeding, and
Travellers robbed and finished, by allowing such accommodation. The
Collectors of Check Braces, and Footmen’s Holders, assume all kind of
Characters, and are so expert, that they will take these articles off
in half the time that your Coachman can put them on; and will rob you
of what you cannot replace for a Pound, though they cannot sell them
for a Shilling.