‘The Dangerous Life of a Coach Driver in Georgian England’
Mike Loades climbs aboard a high-speed transport revolution. 250 years ago the Mail Coach was a sensation, the fastest vehicle on the road – carrying with it the promise of news from afar.
This video is an extended trailer for the History Hit TV documentary: Quicksilver: The Magnificent Mail Coach. You can watch it here: https://access.historyhit.com/what-s-new/videos/quicksilver-mail-coach
It was the symbol of a modern, more connected world – at the vanguard of a social revolution.
for the first time, letters could be sent from one end of the country to another by return of post – instead of taking days, weeks or even months. Newspapers published in London could be read in distant towns the following morning.
Mike makes a hands-on exploration into how this fabulous machine changed so many things that made the modern world possible, from communication and the spread of news, to the very roads we travel on today.
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the flare of the barrel has no effect on the shot spreading out , its to make it easier to reload the blunderbuss while in motion !
the size of the group indicates aiming is in fact important !
You never know when you will learn yet another meaning of the funny little word c*ck.
I have heard of highwaymen that would steal lupin flowers from the coaches.
More reliable delivery than 2022
A point about candles:
Until around the mid-19th century, when the self-consuming wick was developed, candles still had to be 'snuffed' (trimmed); otherwise the flame would grow dim, and eventually go out. I do not know how long the average 'stage' on a mail coach was; but they would probably have had to trim the candles every time they stopped to change horses, when traveling at night.
"But first a kiss from those sweet lips" "Never Sir, a man's lips are his own private kingdom"
9:49 "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse"… now I understand.. took 55 years 🙂
Mike Loades is such an awesome guy. Always a treat to watch.
The mention of a cock horse reminded me of a poem:
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.
When I moved near to Banbury. I learned that the "fine lady" was actually the "Fiennes Lady", a member of the aristocratic Saye and Sele family and owners of nearby Broughton Castle.
Fascinating
Superb video, more to the mail coach than you can imagine.
now nothing works and it needs a huge battery.
Not a lot of difference between a Coach Guard and a Train Guard.
Great video. I learned so much in just 12 minutes!
Dick Turpin the most Famous Highwayman in 18th Century Britain.
Highwaymen Criminals.
brill
Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fair maiden upon a white horse
On strike now lol
so when will we get the rape and murder into the show "isoviha anyone"?
I love the enthusiasm for history in these videos! Georgian/Regency travel is one of my favorite topics, and this video really brought the stagecoaches I've read so much about to life. 🙂
Rubbish! The bell mouth is to allow easy reloading of a muzzleloader on a bouncing rattling coach. Hand full of powder, handful of shot, difficult prime and bang, a quick reload!
Dennis Moore : give me your lupins!😎
What was the procedure for strike action?
3:35 those horn calls seem waayyy too long to serve as a useful real time traffic signal. You’d crash half way through the third repeat.
This is one of the coolest videos I think I've ever watched on your channel. It's a subject that's so pervasive in all my favorite period literature and films, but I knew almost nothing about it! It really drives home–no pun intended–the fact that people died from carriage accidents on a regular basis!
Jolly good stuff, thank you..!!!
Contrary to common belief a short barrel do NOT spread the shots! Everything else equal it just make a lauder BANG and shoot slower pellets.
The short barrel is, however, handier than a long barrel.
de SA3BOW