1610. Patent granted for an Edinburgh and Leith waggon-coach. 1648. Southampton weekly stage casually mentioned. 1657. Stage-coaches introduced: the London and Chester Stage. 1658. First Exeter Stage. ” First York and Edinburgh Stage. 1661. First Oxford Stage. ” Glass windows first used in carriages: the Duke of York’s carriage. 1662. Only six stage-coaches said to have been existing. 1665. Norwich Stage first mentioned. 1667. Bath Flying Machine established. ” London and Oxford Coach, in 2 days, established. 1669. London and Oxford Flying Coach, in 1 day, established. 1673. Stages to York, Chester, and Exeter advertised. 1679. London and Birmingham Stage, by Banbury, mentioned. 1680. “Glass-coaches” mentioned. 1681. Stage-coaches become general: 119 in existence. 1706. London to York in 4 days. 1710 Stage-coaches provided with glazed windows. (about). 1730. “Baskets” or “rumble-tumbles” introduced about this period. 1734. Teams of horses changed every day, instead of coaches going to end of journey with same animals. ” Quick service advertised: Edinburgh to London in 9 days. 1739. According to Pennant, gentlemen who were active horsemen still rode, instead of going by coach. 1742. London to Oxford in 2 days. ” London to Birmingham, by Oxford, in 3 days. 1751. London to Dover in 1½ days. 1753. Outsides carried on Shrewsbury Stage. 1754. London and Manchester Flying Coach in 4½ days. ” Springs to coaches first mentioned: the Edinburgh Stage. ” London and Edinburgh in 10 days. 1758. London and Liverpool Flying Machine in 3 days. 1760. London and Leeds Flying Coach advertised in 3 days: took 4. 1763. London and Edinburgh only once a month, and in 14 days. 1776. First duty on stage-coaches imposed. 1780. Stage-coaches become faster than postboys. 1782. Pennant describes contemporary travelling by light post-coaches as “rapid journeys in easy chaises, fit for the conveyance of the soft inhabitants of Sybaris.” 1784. Mail-coach system established. 1800 Fore and hind boots, framed to body of coach, became general. (about). ” Coaches in general carry outside passengers. 1805. Springs under driving-box introduced. 1819. “Patent Safety” coaches come into frequent use, to reassure travelling public, alarmed by frequent accidents. 1824. Rise of the fast day-coaches: the Golden Age of coaching. ” Stockton and Darlington Railway opened: first beginnings of the railway era. 1830. Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened: coaching first seriously threatened. 1838. London and Birmingham Railway opened: first great blow to coaching; coaches taken off Holyhead Road as far as Birmingham.