Monday 21st June 1819,
The Sketch of a Tour through Wales Scotland and The Lakes
At a ¼ after 8 on the morning of the 21st of June 1819 we departed from Gunnersbury on our long projected northern expedition. Our party consisted of my Father and mother my three brothers myself and a man and maid. We
slept at Marlborough the first night after having passed through Reading and Newbury between which stage a a rather serious accident occurred the box behind the carriage on which two of my brothers were sitting suddenly broke down they were thrown out but fortunately
not hurt: a man that was passing having lent us some cords and straps the box was after some delay fastened on again sufficiently safe for us to reach Marlborough where we were met by a large party of our Uphaven and Charlton Friends.
OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS
Gunnersbury Park was purchased and developed by Alexander Copland, Lucy’s father in 1802. Lucy, born the following year, was brought up at Gunnersbury
Lucy’s father, Alexander Copland (1774 – 1834) - biography
Lucy's mother (1777-1849) - biography
Lucy’s brothers Alexander (1797-1845), William (1798-1836) and Francis (1801-1848) -
The family, in their own personal carriage, followed the "Bath Road", which was kept in very good repair and transport was fast and efficient. Although John Louden Macadam was appointed “surveyor-general” of the Bristol roads in 1815 Lucy would not have travelled on a macadamized road as the first was not built until 1823 in USA. Although Macadam undertook numerous experimental projects during this time the excellent Bath Road is likely to have benefitted from the discoveries of Thomas Telford, named the ‘Colossus of Roads’ by his friend, Robert Southey (the future poet laureate as a pun on his poem celebrating the huge Greek Titan statue, the ‘Colossus of Rhodes’) whose road building techniques were advanced for the day. https://www.history.co.uk/biographies/thomas-telford
Greg Roberts's article, "Stagecoach Travel: Information on Porters, Goods & Luggage (1819)" provides an excellent description of travel in Lucy's year. http://www.wickedwilliam.com/tag/stagecoach-travel/
The Copland’s would have stopped at Posting Inns for refreshment and for changing horses and taking on post-boys for guidance or Coach drivers to the next stop. They followed the route of the public Stage and Royal mail coaches and would usually try to stay at a suitable Inn for the night, setting out early the next morning for breakfast at the next posting stop.
Useful links to help us understand the challenging conditions and state of travel in Lucy’s day can be found at: http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2015/03/regency-posting-inns-and-post-coaches.html , http://www.carlscam.com/coachindustry.htm and for Wiltshire roads, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp254-271 These give us an idea of the condition of roads in the first few days of Lucy’s travel. We will discover, as we read on, that the roads were often in a very poor state as they moved into Wales and beyond.
Marlborough thrived from the passage of travellers to Bath, and at it pinnacle 44 coaches changed horses per day benefitting local inns and traders. More details on Marlborough can be found at https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol12/pp199-229
For dangers of Regency coach travel see “Regency Road accidents” at https://about1816.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/regency-road-accidents-1816/ Fortunately Lucy’s two brothers suffered no ill from being thrown from their carriage when the strapping holding the box on which they were seated broke down
Old Images of Reading: 1734: The South Prospect of Reading in the County of Berks, Artists & Engravers Buck, Simon and Nathaniel Buck, from Buck's Cities & Towns http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/4806
The South Pospect of Reading in the County of Berks, Artists & Engravers Buck, Simon and Nathaniel Buck, Publisher: R. Baldwin Junr. at the Rose in Pater-Noster-Row http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/19799
Circa 1850: St. Lawrence Church & Market Place, Reading, Engraver: Kershaw & Son http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/6340
Old Images of Newbury: 1723: Ad Spinas. Prospect of Newberry from the South between Winchester and Silchester Road by William Stukeley from Itinerarium Curiosum http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/21361
Can you help us?
Reading and Newbury: We would love to know about the Regency Posting Inns that operated in Reading and Newbury in 1819 and about any maps of coaching routes.
Coaches: We do not yet know what coaches the Copland’s would have owned and travelled in for their epic journey and would like to learn about the larger private coaches that “new-money” Regency families like the Copland’s would have used to both show off their wealth, travel in style and remain in relative comfort for the day
Marlborough: We shall be exploring Marlborough and the Castle Inn where they stayed in the next blog.
Old Regency Prints or Pictures: Do you have access to any prints or pictures showing what Reading, Newbury and Marlborough would have looked like when Lucy travelled through?
New Pictures: Do you have any modern pictures of the areas and streets Lucy would have seen?
Please click here if you can help