The Holyhead Road: The Mail-coach Road to Dublin. Vol. 1Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
History
The Holyhead Road: The Mail-coach Road to Dublin. Vol. 1
Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
A5 Road (England and Wales); England -- Description and travel; England -- Social life and customs
1834, October.—Shrewsbury “Union” overturned at Overley Hill, near
Wellington. The coach was heavily laden and one of the hind
wheels collapsed. One of the outsides, a Mr. Newey, of
Halesowen, jumped off, but not far enough, and the coach and
luggage fell on him, killing him. He died the next morning, at
the Haygate inn.
1834, October.—“Nimrod.” Coachman thrown off near Haygate, and killed
on the spot.
1834, October.—Lichfield and Wolverhampton coach. A jockey, named
Calloway, had his leg broken by being thrown off in an upset.
In August 1835 he was awarded £210 damages.
1835, September.—“Emerald,” London and Birmingham coach, upset at 2
a.m. near Little Brickhill, owing to axle-tree of near
fore-wheel breaking. The five outsides were pitched into a
hedge, and not seriously hurt, but the coachman, John Webb,
was entangled with the apron, and was crushed to death by the
coach falling on him. His body was found to be terribly
mangled when carried into the “Peacock and Sandhill Tavern.”
1836.—Sawyer, the beadle of Apothecaries’ Hall, returning from
Birmingham on outside of coach (name not specified) fell
asleep. A jerk flung him off, and he was killed.
1837, August.—“Emerald,” London and Birmingham coach. Horses dashed
away up Plumb Park Hill, near Stony Stratford, and coach upset
in the succeeding valley. Outside passengers thrown a distance
of twenty feet, and two of them killed.
1837, October.—Birmingham and Shrewsbury Mail upset on entering
Wolverhampton, and coach smashed to pieces. All passengers
severely injured.
1837, December.—Holyhead Mail upset at Willenhall, owing to
obstructions in the road during alterations. Coachman’s skull
fractured, and one outside passenger injured. The “Swallow”
coach had been upset on the same spot the day before.
Besides these instances, there was the sad case of Yates, a guard on the
“Wonder,” who at Christmas time, in one year not particularised, was
thrown off the coach at Wolverhampton. The coach was overloaded with
game and Christmas hampers, and he occupied a makeshift perch over one
of the hind wheels. The vehicle gave a lurch, and he fell out; his feet
catching in the straps, he was dragged some distance on his head until
the hind wheel caught him and crushed his thigh. He died the next day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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