Pat here. There are days when I’m quite certain no one, other than our few brilliant history experts here, cares about historical accuracy. It doesn’t matter. I have an obsession with trying to be as correct as possible without time travel, even if there are only three people in the world who notice. Let us call it a need to educate and not obsession. OK, that’s an obsession too!
But I completely understand how tempting it is to make up my own little fantasy world and let my people go.
And to a certain extent, I do exactly that. My Gravesyde Village and 
Wycliffe Manor do not exist, although I’ve built up a detailed explanation of their existence and location. And, of course, I make up characters, unless I’m bringing in actual historical figures. I’m pretty sure Wellington is unlikely to visit a village near Birmingham that doesn’t even have a signpost on the highway, so that is not my current concern.
My current problem is that my made-up people have to travel occasionally, and I have this ridiculous need to understand what they’re riding in. I have just enough memory to know some vehicles have two wheels, some have four, there are one to four horses pulling them, and not all have tops. This kind of detail matters when racing after villains or escaping the rain or even when stopping at the inn. I can’t just say “they pulled up the drive and got out” without wondering where the horses go or if the seats will be wet when they leave.
I could have sworn the wenches had a blog about carriage types but our new search engine is peculiar and isn’t turning up anything. And it would take pages to describe just the various coachman-driven carriages. Think of the Regency carriage in terms of today’s vehicles—do you really want me to describe taxis and buses and limos?
My rural characters are mostly poor. They won’t be driving an enormous berlin anytime soon, and they have no hackneys to hire. But if my impoverished gentleman appropriates a carriage to transport his family in comfort and doesn’t mind playing the part of coachman, he might drive an old barouche or landau with two to four horses and some form of hood. He certainly couldn’t afford to buy one, and keeping those horses would break the bank if he didn’t have his own stable. The reality of the expense of horses and carriage is seldom mentioned when a story says “he galloped off in his curricle.” How did he afford that curricle and where did he keep it and the horses? He probably needs
wealthy friends—like the super-rich today, they kept stables of carriages and horses.
I have managed to provide one of my better-off gentlemen and some very well-heeled dowagers with comfortable barouches—not new ones, mind you. A basic two-wheeled carriage (today’s economy model Kia?) might cost over 300 pounds new, likely a gentleman’s entire annual income. A covered, four-wheeled vehicle that can take two to six horses like a barouche. . . I’m not even gonna guess the cost. Like I said above, look at it in terms of modern-day vehicles. Poor people do not drive cars that take six years of their entire income to buy, plus suck gas by the bucket (let us not discuss the cost of hay and stables!). Most folks would rather eat and have a roof over their heads.
And this is where I start digging around to find out what an average person might drive to
get to the next town, when there are no rentals available. That’s when vehicle types get even more out of hand. In general, cabriolets and curricles are the smaller, less expensive sort: two wheels and one horse, seats two with platform for servant. Outside its fashionable city environs, a cabriolet might be used to pop down to the neighbors for a cup of sugar. The curricle might go a bit further, but two wheels, one horse, maybe no roof. . . not comfortable for a long drive on bad roads.
We all know about high-perch phaetons, the sporty Jaguars of their time, lovely for racing around the park but recklessly useless on rutted rural roads in a rainstorm. Even it’s shorter, less dangerous version (convertible Chevy?) would not be viable for long journeys. Ladies loved phaetons, however, making the cup of sugar run more likely.
So if my gentleman is out in the country and traveling alone, his horse is his best bet. With a family. . . the landau was probably the SUV of its time. Low-slung and wide so even the oldest and heaviest passengers might climb in, room for four people, hoods that could be raised or lowered, and a sturdy body to handle the ruts— but now we’re straying into coachman-driven vehicles. Keeping a chauffeur along with two to four horses really exceeded the means of most.
And then, voila, there is the versatile gig—the ever-adaptable Ford of its time. Gentlemen designed their own gigs, modified and customized to their needs—or the speed to which they desired to drive them. Two wheels, some with boots, most with high seats for the drivers to see over traffic, sometimes a hood, only one horse necessary, ideal for a single gentleman to wheel about in, and depending on how much work one put into it, possibly
less expensive.
So my people in 1815-1816 had a variety of vehicles to choose from, plus the new designs that were popping up all over as springs, and the bars the horses strained against, and the wheel designs improved. But I still can’t figure out how they’ll ever afford anything more than a horse or a lovely ambulatory stroll across the fields.
Sigh, which is why so many of us give up and just say he hopped in the carriage and rode off. But even in contemporaries, I need to know what kind of vehicle my characters drive, because cars, like clothing, do say something about personalities and circumstances, don’t they?
So I cling to the notion that historicals ought to include history, even though I have utterly no memory of Darcy driving a carriage or what he drove, if he did. Do you recall what carriages your favorite characters drove? Shall I get help for my obsession?
Huh. I’ve never done any research on this, and I’m not a historian. My general impression is that in bigger cities, if you didn’t have your own vehicle, you could rent a vehicle and horse, or take a hackney cab. I have no idea how far back cabs were available. I remember reading about them in “Forever Amber”, and I think Kathleen Winsor did a lot of careful research for that book. Before that, I have no clue.
As for traveling between cities, there was the mail coach, I think. And I have no idea when mail coaches started in England – the eighteenth century maybe? And before that, I have the impression that people traveled in convoys to discourage highwaymen, probably riding on horses or mules. Or walking?
I foresee that I’ll be doing some intense googling.
Good on you! I know the answers but have forgotten much and have to dig out my research as a reminder. Mail coaches are good from posting inn to posting inn, but my poor little village has none. Austen had her characters walking for miles to reach a neighbor–good healthy exercise in good weather!
I recall a lot of books where a character will catch a ride to the next town in a farm wagon.
good idea! I need to generate more wagons.
I have occasionally tossed my characters onto the back of a farm cart!
I probably need to consider that more often!
Great post, Pat. I have a document that I have added to over the years with bits and pieces about the various forms of transport in the regency. I’m now adding some of your info — thank you.
And by the way, I found the old word wench post about carriages that you mentioned — by Jo Beverley. https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2016/02/getting-around.html
THANK YOU! How did you find it? I don’t get along well with search engines. I miss Jo so much… and her blog included a link to a 1796 book I should read: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qqpdAAAAcAAJ&source=gbs_book_other_versions
TYPEPAD was closed for business when I tried to access file. I wonder if Jo Beverly can update it?
Jo, sadly, is no longer with us. All our Typepad files were supposed to transfer to wordpress, but this one apparently didn’t make it. There is an interesting one still available from Susanna Kearsley at https://wordwenches.com/by-carriage-on-the-continent/#more-734 See if that is of any help!
I love that you are obsessed, Pat. Details make historicals come alive. What makes me shudder are novels that have coaches before there were coaches (medieval ladies traveled in a sort of fancy wagon) or warships on the wrong side of London Bridge (the drawbridge didn’t raise in Tudor times) or (major sin in my opinion) don’t bother getting forms of address right. Basic research isn’t that hard. Mostly it’s fascinating and fun.
Kathy–anyone who doesn’t find historical research fun should probably switch to writing contemporaries!
I ditto Mary Jo. Why write about history if one doesn’t enjoy looking into it? And the forms of address… there is so much entertainment in that alone! I can remember when research was extremely hard for me, when we lived in a small town with a limited library with limited funds. But these days… all those old books are at our fingertips online!
“don’t bother getting forms of address right”
100%. As a reader. I have noped out of books which mess this up too badly (generally when it’s accompanied by sloppy writing overall).
yeah, once the author bumps the reader out of their book world, they’ve lost them. It’s a shame.
I also love that you are obsessed, Pat. i wish more writers were! I loved your post on carriages and transport and the illustrarions you added. I also like it when a writers says what kind of vehicle the character is riding in or getting into, makes it more interesting. These little details make the story and period come alive rather than a generic reference of, he/she got into a carriage. Too many writers have gotten very lazy about their historical references and use language and other things that didn’t exist yet. As Kathy said, basic research isn’t hard. Mostly I remember characters using curricles(inc. racing ones), phaetons, barouches, mail coaches, gigs, and horse carts
I’m not one to do a lot of description, but some basic detail is needed to differentiate all those weird carriages!
Oh but i love all those weird carriages! I have vusited many carriage museums and it is fascinating to see all the different types. I have even gotten to ride in sone of them! Telling peopke what kind if vehicle they are in gives a fuller picture for the readerto visualize.
very true! and now I know I can customize them!
What fun! What do you add or take away? Do you give the wheels different colors?(I read about a curricle that had its wheels picked out in blue!)
So many types of conveyances, Pat! And that isn’t even getting into the more plebian pony carts and various forms of wagons.
exactly! They had choices. How they make them is the story.
Great informative post Pat! I like my historical reads to be accurate. I appreciate when an author goes to the trouble of all the research. I think if I was a writer I too would be obsessed with details most likely detrimental to the writing it self 🙂 I do like research.
I hate these massive emojis but can’t get them to work properly.
I gave up on them. Can’t figure out how to make them go away even from the innards of wordpress.
Yes, research is often detrimental to getting words on page. But it’s great for procrastinating when the words aren’t ready for the page!
Thank you! I always wondered what the difference is between the conveyances used during the Regency. Your descriptions and the illustrations made it all clear, thank you!
keeping in mind that not all Chevys and Fords look alike… There was undoubtedly a wide variety to choose from, and some of the images were later than the Regency, so they’re a bit more modern.
I echo Linda’s sentiments. Just the right amount of historic detail enriches the story without losing the audience. Even in more modern vehicles have come and gone. Does anyone remember the Edsel?
No, but I remember the DeLorean from Back to the Future!
Correction: …even in more modern times…
What about traveling “post,” hiring a vehicle and changing horses at inns?
definitely a traditional means of traveling down the main roads, where the inns are stationed. But my guys are living on very rural roads with no posting inns. People in London had it made!