The Old Coaching Days in Yorkshire ... Illustrated by the author

Front matter

The Finest Pianoforte Saloon in the Kingdom. ' Nearly 400 Instruments to Select from. Archibald Ramsden's PIANOFORTES, Organs and Harmoniums, SOLE importer of the famous Schiedmayer, & Knauss & Sohne's Pianofortes His Three Years' System is the fairest and most equitable in use. See Archibald Ramsden's Specialise Piano, in beautiful walnut case, good check action, for cash, £19 10s., or 12/9 per month. 12, PARK ROW, LEEDS. THE OLD COACHING DAYS IN YORKSHIRE, BY TOM BRADLEY. ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR g e e & a : Yorkshire Conservative Newspaper Co. ("The Yorkshire Post"), 23, Albion Street. 18S9. ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Old Coaching Bill ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Pack-IIorses... ... ... ... ... ... ...

I3 The Old Swan Inn, Bawtry ... ... ... ... ... 14 The Blue Bell Inn, Barnby Moor ... ... ... ... 16 The White Horse Inn, Barnby Moor ... ... ... ... 17 The Crown Inn, Bawtry ... ... ... ... ... 21 The Crown Inn Yard, Bawtry ... ... ... ... ... 22 Rossington Bridge Inn and Toll Bar .. ... ... 23 The New Angel Inn, Doncaster .. ... ... ... 25 The Old Angel Inn, Doncaster ... ... .. ... 26 The Red Lion Inn, Doncaster ... ... ... ... ... 27 Thomas Pye... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 The Ram and the Reindeer Inns, Doncaster ... ... ... 30 The Black Boy Inn, Doncaster ... ... ... ... 3I The Salutation Inn, Doncaster ... ... ... ... 34 Old Postboys ... ... ... ... ... ... 39 Robin Hood's Well ... ... ... ... ... ... 40 York Bar and Inn .. ... ... ... ... ... 41 The Red House Inn ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 The Robin Hood and New Inns, Robin Hood's Well ... 43 Barnsdale Bar ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 44 The Angel Inn, Ferrybridge ... ... ... ... 48 The Swan Inn, Ferrybridge ... ... ... ... 49 The Greyhound Inn, Ferrybridge ... ... ... ... 30 George Barker ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51 The Boisterous Traveller ... ... ... ... ... 55 The Old Post Office, Tadcaster ... ... ... ... 56 The Old Fox Inn, Brotherton ... ... ... ... 57 The Red Bear Inn, Sherburn ... ... ... ... ... 58 The Angel and White Horse Inns, Tadcaster ... ...

PAslE The Rose and Crown Inn, Tadcaster ... ... ... ... 61 Mail Coach... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64 Monk Bar, York ... ... ... ... ... ... 65 The York Tavern ... ... ... ... ... ... 67 Tom Holtby ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 69 The Edinbro' Mail ... ... ... ... ... ... 72 The Black Swan Inn, York ... ... ... ... ... 75 The George Inn, York ... ... ... ... ... 7S The White Horse Inn, York ... ... ... ... ... 80 The White Swan Inn, York ... ... ... ... 81 Old Entrance to the White Swan, York ... ... ... 82 Bootham Bar, York... ... ... ... ... ... 85 The Rose and Crown and New Inns, Easingwold ... ... 86 Tommy Hutchinson ... ... ... ... ... ...

Preface

. The original articles which constitute this small work appeared from time to time in The Yorkshire Weekly Post. During their progress came numerous demands from many and various places tor their re-publication in a concise and collective form, and those demands are chiefly responsible for the present issue. The work has been considerably augmented, the main object being to keep some record of the old Yorkshire coaching times, before the few remaining men who were connected with them shall have put on the " skid " for the last time and have passed off the road of life for ever. PAGE CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Down the Road; The Progress of Coaching before 1786; Early Travelling; Stage Waggons; State of the Roads in the 17TH Century ; First York and Hull Coach ; First York, Wakefield, and London Coaches ; Old Coaching Bill ; Thoresby on Coach Travelling ; Turnpike Riots ; First North Mails 1

Chapter II

The Blue Bell at Barnby Moor ; Amateur Coachmen ; George Clarke of Barnby Moor ; His Fame as a Breeder of Blood Stock; His Courtesy as a Yeoman Innkeeper; From Barnby Moor to Bawtry ; Old Scrooby Inn ; The Swan at Bawtry ; The Crown ; The Highflyer ; From Bawtry to Doncaster ; The Finest Road in England ; The Gipsy King ; Rossington Bridge ; Flying Childers ; Doncaster ... 15

Chapter III

Doncaster ; The Old Angel Inn ; Corporation Feastings thereat ; The Red Lion Inn ; The New Angel Inn ; The Ram and the Reindeer Inns ; The Black Boy Inn ; Thomas Pye; "Dickey" Wood; Number of Daily Coaches from Doncaster; John Frederic Herring; His Arrival at Doncaster; His Career as a Coachman and Sign Painter; His Ultimate Success as an Artist ; Old Postboys ; The Father of the Yorkshire Postboys PAGE 40

Chapter I

V. From Doncaster to Ferrybridge ; York Bar ; Red House Inn ; Robin Hood's Well; The New Inn; The Robin Hood; Barnsdale Bar; Wentbridge; The Bay Horse; Scotch Drovers ; The Old Blue Bell ; The Oldest Inn on the Road ; Wentbridge Cutting ; Ferrybridge ; The Angel at Ferrybridge ; The Swan and the Greyhound ; Ferrybridge Postboys ; Hoisting the Wellington Coachman ; The Three Jolly Postboys; The Boisterous Traveller ...

CHAPTER V.

From Ferrybridge to Tadcaster ; The Old Fox at Brotherton ; The Red Bear at Sherburn ; Messrs. Mathew Kidd, Father and Son ; The White Horse Inn ; William Backhouse ; The Old Post Office, Tadcaster ; John Hartley ; The Royal Mails; The Alexander; The Rose and Crown Inn ; Mathew Kidd, Junior ; Tom Holtby and Mundig's Derby; Racing News; Tadcaster to York 56

CHAPTER VI.

York ; Its Coaching Inns ; The York Tavern ; Cattle & Maddocks ; Mr. Harker ; Tom Holtby ; His Career as a Coachman ; The Edinbro' Mail ; A Monthly Mail Settlement; The Death of the Edinbro' Mail; The Black Swan ; James Barber ; List of Daily Coaches from York ; The Old George; Etteridge's Hotel; Tommy Etteridge; The White Horse ; The White Swan ; Minor Coaching l Inns 6-

CHAPTER VII.

From York to Easingwold; Easingwold; The Rose and Crown; The New Inn ; Tommy Hutchinson, the Easingwold Postboy; His Feats in the Saddle; From Easingwold to Thirsk; The Crown, Thirsk; The Three Tuns; The Fleece ; William Hall ; Peter Elliot and the Pig ; Billy Baines, the Fleece Postboy g- 10S

CHAPTER VIII.

-!_* t- PAGE * rom Thirsk to Northallerton and Croft Spa; The Golden Lion, Northallerton ; The Black Bull ; Leeds and Newcastle Diligence; The King's Head; The Old Golden Lion ; The Hero ; The Wellington ; Racing with Opposition Coaches; Thomas Layfield; The Last Coach onthe Road ; The Blacksmith's Arms, Great Smeaton ; Enter Common; Croft Spa 99

CHAPTER IX.

From Ferrybridge to Boroughbridge ; The Swan at Aberford ; The " Ferrybridge Gentleman " ; The Glasgow Mail ; Monthly Settlement ; Mail Coachmen ; Tom Medley ; Wetherby ; The Swan and Talbot Inn ; The Angel ; Mural Paintings thereat ; Fenton Scott and the Swearing Postboy ; The Old Fox ; The Half-way House to Edinburgh ; The New Inn at Allerton ; Boroughbridge ; A Perfect Coaching Inn; The Crown; The Greyhounds

CHAPTER X.

Boroughbridge to Westmorland ; Watling Street ; Leeming Lane ; The New Inn, Leeming Lane ; The Oak Tree Inn, Leeming Lane ; The Telegraph ; Opposition Coaches ; The Joint Stock ; The Red Rover ; The Economist ; Catterick ; The Angel ; The Golden Lion ; Catterick Bridge Race Meeting ; The George at Catterick Bridge ; Dan Ferguson ; " COCKINGS " AT THE SALUTATION ; THE HERALD ; Greta Bridge ; The George and the New Inns ; Mr. Wackford Sqiieers ; The Express ; Bowes ; Jack Ainslie and the Runaway Couple 123

CHAPTER XL

Leeds ; Map of its Coaching Inns ; Its Early Coaching History ; The Late Period at which Regular Coaches began to Run ; The Execrable State of the Roads ; Passing of the Turnpike Acts; The Turnpike Riots; The Mob at Yeadon and Otley ; The Battle at Harewood X PAGE Bridge ; The Assault on the King's Arms ; Rioters Killed and Wounded ; The Improved State of the Roads ; Early Leeds Coaches ; The London and Leeds Old Stage Coach ; The New Fly ; Coaching Progress ; List of Leeds Coaches in the Best Days of its Coaching History 136

CHAPTER XII.

Leeds (continued); The Old King's Arms; Flying Machines; Early London Coaches ; The Leeds Mail ; Other Old King's Arms Coaches ; The New King's Arms ; The Hotel ; The Royal Hotel Stables ; The London Express ; Peculiar Accident to the Express ; The Birmingham Pilot ; Old Tom Johnson and the Parsons ; Minor Royal Hotel Coaches 150

CHAPTER XIII.

Leeds (continued) ; The Old George, Briggate ; The Saddle, Briggate ; Coaches from the Saddle ; The White Horse, Boar Lane; Early Coaches from the White Horse; The Hollings' ; The White Horse Stables ; The Union ; White Horse Coaches 165

CHAPTER XIV.

Leeds (continued); The Rose and Crown; Its "Cockings"; Coachmen of the Old London Stage Coach ; Landlords at the Rose and Crown ; The Mails ; The York and Manchester Highflyers ; London Coaches ; Numerous other Coaches ; The Richmond Courier ; The Talbot Inn, Briggate ; Its Sporting Characteristics ; Its Coaches ; The Star and Garter in the Calls ; Minor Coaching Inns in Leeds 175

CHAPTER XV.

Leeds (continued); The Bull and Mouth; The Old Stage Waggons ; Its Early Coaches ; The Bull and Mouth Stables; The True Briton; The Manchester Commercial Union; Newcastle Coaches ; Sundry other Coaches iSS PAGE 197

CHAPTER XVI.

Leeds (continued) ; The Albion ; The Joint Stock Coach Company ; The Albion Coaches ; The Golden Lion ; Its Landlords ; The Paul Jones ; The Forerunner of the Rockingham; The Rockingham; Peter Mountain; Rockingham Coachmen ; Wm. Mortram ; Favourite Guard ; The Irishman and Chesterfield Church Spire; "Dickey" Wood; The Old True Blue; The Prince Blucher; The Lesser Lights; Rail v. Road

CHAPTER I.

Down the Road— The Progress of Coaching before 1786— Early Travelling— Stage Waggons— State of the Roads in the 17th Century— First York and Hull Coach— First York, Wakefield, and London Coaches— Old Coaching Bill— Thoresby on Coach Travelling— Turnpike Riots — First North Mails. HE coach was none of your steady-going coaches, but a swaggering, rakish, dissipated London Coach; up all night, and lying by all day, and leading 'a devil of a life.' It rattled noisily through the best streets, took the worst corners sharpest, went cutting in everywhere, making everything get out of its way; and spun along the open country road, blowing defiance out of its key-bugle, as its last glad parting legacy. " It was a charming evening : mild and bright. The four greys skimmed along as if they liked it ; the bugle was in as high spirits as the greys ; the coachman chimed in, sometimes, with his voice ; the wheels hummed cheerfully in unison ; the brass work on the harness was an orchestra of little bells ; and thus, as they went clinking, jingling, rattling B smoothly on, the whole concern, from the buckles of the leaders' coupling reins to the handle of the hind boot, was one great instrument of music.

" Yoho, past hedges, gates, and trees ; past cottages and barns, and people going home from work. Yoho, past donkey-chaises, drawn aside into the ditch, and empty carts with rampant horses, whipped up at a bound upon the little water-course, and held by struggling carters close to the five barred gate, until the coach had passed the narrow turning in the road. Yoho, by churches dropped down by themselves in quiet nooks, with rustic burial grounds about them, where the graves are green, and the daisies sleep — for it is evening — on the bosoms of the dead. Yoho, past streams, in which cattle cool their feet, and where the rushes grow ; past paddock fences, farms, and rick-yards ; past last year's stacks, cut, slice by slice, away, and showing, in the waning light, like ruined gables, old and brown.

Yoho, down the pebbly dip, and through the merry water-splash, and up at a canter to the level road again. Yoho ! Yoho ! " Yoho, among the gathering shades ; making of no account the deep reflections of the trees, but scampering on through light and darkness. Yoho, beside the village green, where cricket players linger yet, and every little indentation made in the fresh grass by bat or wicket, ball or player's foot, sheds out its perfume on the night. Away with four fresh horses from the Bald-faced Stag, where topers congre gate about the door admiring ; and the last team, with traces hanging loose, go roaming off towards the pond, until observed and shouted after by a dozen throats, while volun teering boys pursue them. Now, with clattering hoofs and striking out of fiery sparks, across the old stone bridge, and down into the shadowy road, and through the open gate, and far away, away, into the wold.

Yoho ! " Yoho, behind there ; stop that bugle for a moment ! Come creeping over to the front, along the coach roof, guard, Down the Road. 3 to make one at this basket ! Not that we slacken our pace the while, not we ; we rather put the bits of blood upon their mettle, for the greater glory of the snack. Ah ! It is long since this bottle of old wine was brought into contact with the mellow breath of night, you may depend, and rare good stuff it is to wet a bugler's whistle with. Only try it. Don't be afraid of turning up your finger, Bill ; another pull ! Now, take your breath, and try the bugle, Bill. There's music ! There's a tone ! ' Over the hills and far away,' indeed. Yoho ! The skittish mare is all alive to-night. Yoho ! Yoho ! " See the bright moon ? High up before we know it ; making the earth reflect the objects on its breast like water.

Hedges, trees, low cottages, church steeples, blighted stumps and flourishing young slips have all grown vain upon the sudden, and mean to contemplate their own fair images till morning. The poplars yonder rustle, that their quivering leaves may see themselves upon the ground. Not so the oak; trembling does not become him ; and he watches himself in his stout old burly steadfastness, without the motion of a twig. The moss-grown gate, ill poised upon its creaking hinges, crippled and decayed, swings to and fro before its glass, like some fantastic dowager ; while our own ghostly likeness travels on, yoho ! yoho ! through ditch and brake, upon the ploughed land and the smooth, along the steep hill side and steeper wall, as if it were a phantom hunter. " Clouds, too ! and a mist upon the hollow !

Not a dull fog that hides it, but a light, airy, gauze-like mist, which, in our eyes of modest admiration, gives a new charm to the beauties it is spread before, as real gauze has done ere now, and would again, so please you, though we were the Pope. Yoho? Why, now we travel with the moon herself. Hiding this minute in a grove of trees ; next minute in a patch of vapour ; emerging now upon our broad, clear course ; with drawing now, but always dashing on, our journey is a counterpart of hers. Yoho ! A match against the moon ! " The beauty of the night is hardly felt when day comes leaping up. Yoho ! The country roads are almost changed to a continuous street. Yoho, past market gardens, rows of houses, villas, crescents, terraces, and squares ; past waggons, coaches, carts ; past early workmen, late stragglers, drunken men, and sober carriers of loads ; past brick and mortar in every shape ; and in among the rattling pavements, where a jaunty seat upon a coach is not so easy to preserve !

Yoho, down countless turnings, and through countless mazy ways, until an old inn yard is gained ! " How vividly the foregoing brilliant piece of word paint ing, from " Martin Chuzzlewit," recalls the past glories of the road and the delights and pleasures of the good old coaching days. Although both the men and manners of those days have all but passed away, there are still left to us a few gentlemen of the old school, and numerous landmarks on the road, which form the last connecting link between the demise of the rattling pole-chain and splinter-bar and the long-drawn musical echoes of the "yard of tin" and the advent of the carbon-snorting steam horse and the shrill shriek of its demon whistle. Coachmen and coach-guards are almost extinct, the great majority of them have long ago worked their last stage, and are off the road for ever; coaches and chaises are demolished ; the old-fashioned postboy, with his high white choker, gorgeous yellow waistcoat, and won drous pearl buttons, has disappeared, vanished, evaporated ; for, according to Sam Weller, no one ever yet saw a dead donkey or a dead postboy ; ancient hostelries have been converted into private residences ; old roadside inns into farmsteads ; pikes and their querulous keepers have long since ceased to be the traveller's bugbear ; whilst who shall say what has become of the vast army of horsekeepers and helpers that horsed the coach and worked the change at each successive stage.

Stage coaching is not so old as is generally supposed, Early Modes of Locomotion. 5 and the year 1786, when Mr. Palmer's system of carrying the mails was completed, saw the commencement of that era marking the real glory of the road, which reigned and fell in little more than half a century. Of course, coaches were running long before that date. The first coach of any description seen in England was in the year 1555, when the Earl of Rutland had a State carriage built for him by one Walter Rippon, but the progress of locomotion was so slow, and met with such a vast amount of opposition, that it was almost a century later before the advent of any public stage coach. It was the custom for travellers, before setting out on a long journey, to assemble in gangs, and set forth together for company and protection.

The modes of conveyance were various, horses being the principal, many of the travellers riding their own, although at one time there was a system of hiring horses in stages, somewhat similar to that pursued by the coaches at a later date, whilst the course followed by some speculators was to lend the horses, which they had stationed at different stages of the journey, free of charge, conditionally that the traveller paid for the horse's keep and rested at such houses of entertainment on the road as the proprietor should nominate. For ladies who did not ride, or invalids, the old-fashioned horse litter was called into use, which was a kind of couch with a canopy, under which the rider reclined. The body was placed on two long poles, the two ends of which were fixed to the backs of the horses.

Goods were carried by pack horses, a means of transit of which the poorer class of travellers also availed themselves. About the year 1600, the long, lumbering, broad-wheeled waggons came into use, and it was to these cumbersome pieces of locomotion that the name of stage was first applied. Goods and travellers who could not afford to ride post were their chief burdens ; but it was slow, tiresome work travelling by these stage waggons, the roads being execrable, and the great breadth of the wheels impeding the general progress, although it was the first and earliest step in the direction of the stage coach, or, as they were called, the flying machines, which followed half a century later. The waggons were usually drawn by a team of eight or ten horses, in charge of a driver, who was armed with a very long whip, and mounted on a sturdy pony, which was in no way attached to the waggon.

Stage coaches did not commence to run until 1640, but their advent was not marked by any particular rapidity of progress, as more than twenty years later there were only six stages running in the whole of England. In showing the progress of stage coaching so far as the county of Yorkshire is concerned, the earliest mention to be found of stages running through Yorkshire dates from about eighteen years after their first introduction into Eng land, as will be seen from the following copy of an old advertisement : — From the 26 April, 1658 there will continue to go Stage Coaches from the George Inn without Aldersgate London into the several Cities and Towns for the rates and at the times hereafter mentioned and declared Every Monday Wednesday and Friday. To Salisbury in two days for XX.s. and Exeter in four clays for XI. s. To York in four days for XI. s. Once every fortnight to Edinburgh for IV.I. apeece.

The roads throughout the entire country were in a frightful condition, which was probably the principal cause of the slow progress of stage coaching. The following extract from a letter written in 1663 by Mr. Edward Parker to his father, at Browsholme, Bolton-by-Bowland, Lancashire, gives some idea of the state of the roads and the hardships of travelling in the early coaching days. Writes Mr. Parker : — ■ " My journey was noe ways pleasant, being forced to ride in the boote all the waye. Ye company yt came up with mee were persons of great quality as knights and ladyes. My Thoresby on Coach Travelling. 7 journey's expense was 30s. This travel hath so indisposed mee yt I am resolved never to ride up againe in ye coatche. I am extremely hott and feverish. What this may tend to I know not. I have not as yet advised my doctor."

As early as 1678 there was a coach running between York and Hull in the summer time, which same coach is mentioned by Ralph Thoresby, the historian, in his diary, on his arrival from Holland, as follows: — "Nov., 1678. From Hull we came by coach to York, and thence on horseback to Leeds. The stage coach being over for the winter," his father, who met him on his arrival at Hull, hired one to conduct him safe through, " It proved a mortification to us both that he was as little able to endure the effeminacy of this way of travelling as I was to ride on horseback." In 1683 there was a London coach running from York, through Tadcaster, Ferrybridge, and Doncaster ; and Leeds passengers were obliged to ride on horseback to either York or Ferrybridge to join the coach. After this coach was estab lished it continued to run regularly, and is the same coach mentioned in the sac-simile coaching bill given on the adjoining page.

Thoresby described his journey to Town and back by this coach at some length: — "Feb. 19, 1683. — Up pretty timely preparing for a journey, and somewhat concerned about company, and fearful of being confined to the coach for so many days with unsuitable persons." They stayed at Doncaster the first night, Newark the second, Stamford the third, Bugden the fourth, Stephenage the fifth, and London the sixth, and it must have been an awfully slow concern to have taken six days to do the journey ; but we find him returning on April 4th in the same year, the return journey occupying only four days, the difference being due probably to better weather as the year advanced, and therefore better roads and an improved rate of travelling. "Ap. 4, 1683, Morning. Up pretty early making preparations for journey home.

About six or seven took places in stage coach. Route :— Highgate, Barnet, Welwyn (dined) ; Stephenage, Baldock, Biggleswade (slept ist night); Thaneford, Eaton, St. Neots, Bransford, Huntingdon (dined) ; Stilton, Stamford (slept 2nd night) ; Bridge Casterton, Grantham, Newark (dined) ; Tuxford, Sherwood Forest, Barnby-on-the-Moor (slept 3rd night) ; Bawtry, Doncaster, Wentbridge, Ferry bridge (dined), and thence not finding a horse according to expectation through Sherburn to Tadcaster, where left the coach and rode to Healey for my sister with whom returned safe though very late to Leeds." Sir Walter Calverley, of Calverley, also mentions in 1 69 1 and several other occasions riding to Ferrybridge to meet this coach, the journey between that place and London occupying times varying from three to six days.

In 1695 he also mentions another regularly-established coach which ran from Wakefield, through Barnsley, Sheffield, &c, to London. Sir Walter made repeated journeys by this coach, the Wake field and London coach being the most patronised in the early coaching days. In 1695-6 the journey by this route occupied seven days, but in 1697-8 we find the coach doing the journey in five days. In 1662 the first Act of Parliament was passed for making turnpike roads, and from that date a slight improve ment may be said to have set in, as very shortly after there were additional coaches running between London, York, Chester, and Exeter, each having forty horses on the road, but still the roads remained very bad, ratepayers being strongly opposed to the Turnpike Act. According to Sir Walter Calverley's diary in 1694, it took about four days to go from Doncaster to London, and the state of perfection to which coaching was brought, when in the height of its glory, will be seen from the fact that in 181 5 the Leeds Union did the distance between London and Doncaster (one hundred and sixty-two miles) in sixteen-and-a-half hours, which Old Coaching Bill. 9 included two hours for stoppages.

There was no improvement made in the rate of travelling up to the year 1706, as will be seen from the following copy of an old coach bill which was preserved at the Black Swan at York : — YORK Four Days Stage-Coach. Begins a" Friday lie 1 2tb. of April 1 706. ALL that are desirous to pass from London to Tori\, or from Tor\ to London, or any other Place on that Road, Let them Repair lo the tHaeh^Sroanva. Holbotim in London; and to the Btzc^Saxj/i m Coney flreet in Tbr^ At bothwhich Places, they may be received ma Suee Coach every Monday, Wednejday and Friday, which performs the whole J ourneym Four Days, (ff God permits.) And lets forth at Five m 'heMorning. And returns from Tori\ to Stamford in two days, and from Stamford by Huntington to London, m two days moTe. And the lite Stages on their return.

Altnsmg eAcJi PafsugCT xl, wng-ljt, and all above jitaHoal. s Benjamin Kingman, Performed By «' Hairy Harrison,. \Wcdltr Boyites, Also th is gives Notice that Newcastle Stage Coach , fets out from York, every Monday, and Friday, and from Newcastle every Monday, and Friday. There is no mention of any Leeds coach running in •connection with either of the above London coaches until 1708, when a coach appears to have been started between Leeds and London or Leeds and York in connection with the London coach, which Thoresby says was so popular that all the places were sometimes booked a fortnight in advance. A few years later there seems to have been another coach started from Leeds in connection with the Wakefield coach,. and touching these coaches we give the following extracts from Thoresby's Diary.

"May 17, 1708. — Preparing for a journey to York. Lord, grant thy favourable presence from sin and all dangers. We found the way very deep, and in some places dangerous for a coach (that we walked on foot), but the Lord preserved us from all evil accident, that we got to our journey's end in safety, blessed be God." On the return journey from York, Thoresby tells us that he had to rise between three and four in order to catch the coach, which was hastened on its journey by Captain Crome, who happened to be travelling by the same coach on the Queen's business, so that they "got to Leeds by noon, blessed be God for mercies to me and my poor family." "May 2, 1714. — Surprised by a message from Wakefield that the coach could not reach this town (Leeds)." The state of the roads around Leeds must have been something frightful, as it is clear that in bad weather the coaches could not get to and from Leeds.

On this occasion Thoresby, who was going to London, sent his clothes on to Wakefield by the messenger and himself rode forward to that place, where he joined the coach, which did not travel the usual route of the Wakefield coaches, by Barnsley and Sheffield, but came on to the Great North Road at Red House and went forward by way of Doncaster and Barnby Moor, where they slept. Thoresby continues: — "May 4, 17 14. We dined at Gran tham. Plad the annual solemnity (this being the first time the coach had passed the road in May) of the coachman and horses being decked with ribbons and flowers, the town music and young people in couples before us. We lodged at Stamford, a scurvey dear town." Turnpike Riots. 11 "May 5, 1714. — Had other passengers, which, though females, were more chargeable in wine and brandy than the former part of the journey, wherein we had neither, but the next day (May 6) we gave them leave to treat themselves."