TRAVELLING CARRIAGES (part III - VIII) - Four-Wheeled Carriages - Early open carriage - Chaise, Calash, Phaeton - Carosse, Carosse-Coupé - Landau - Four-Seater Closed Berlin, Berlin-Coupé, Berlin-Calash, Berlin-Phaeton, Berlin-Chaise - English Coach, English Coupé - German Travelling Carriage - Stage-Wagons and Stage-Coaches - Steel Springs . (part V : The English Coupé or Post Chariot)

Four-Wheeled Carriages.

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    The characteristics of the Berlin do not concern the various forms of bodies but the undercarriage: this had for the first time two perches, and eventually a new kind of suspension with flat stretched leather-straps (technical term: thoroughbraces). The first vehicles of this kind were travelling carriages. The oldest known picture with such an undercarriage, for a "Calèche" in Paris, was made by Christian Huygens in 1667 (Wackernagel, in: Treue, p.224). Also, a definition in Bailey's Dictionary, London 1730, refers the use for travelling and the different bodies (Goodwin, p.i): "a sort of travelling carriage, chair, chariot &c. such as is used in Berlin in Prussia."
    How did the name "Berlin" to be established? In 1769, the editor from Berlin Friedrich Nicolai contended that hundred years ago (more exactly: between 1661 and 1663 (Kugler, in: Treue, p.238) a carriage made (not "invented"!) in Berlin met with such approval in Paris that there were those carriages imitated and then called "Berlins". Indeed the name appeared for the first time in Paris in 1699 and was repeated in connection with this town continously in the following years (Kugler, in: Treue, p.238 f.). The owners were of high rang (otherwise there were no sources like that) and used their Berlins also for travelling. The further development of the Berlin, in particular to the State Carriage, also began in Paris.
    However, what was the reason for constructing this new kind of undercarriage? Joachim Christoph Nemeitz in 1726 quite clearly explained an old practice at German borders: two-wheeled Italian Chaises were equipped with fore-undercarriages (with a pole). The reason for that we find at Casanova who came with a chaise from Holland (HL,vol.X,p.38): German "post horses were not accustomed to shafts" (in fact I have never found pictures of two-wheeled posting carriages in German countries). Hence the two perches of the Berlin were nothing more than the shaft of a two-wheeled chaise, put on a fore-undercarriage.
    From the practice of international travelling, in any German or other country, a provisional arrangement (the "trouble solution" with the fore-undercarriage) might have established as a new kind of carriage. Then, having paid attention to a carriage of a person from Berlin in Paris could have happened by chance.

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To the English Coupés: detailled description Part V.

    The leading position of English, French and, to some extent, Italian coach-building compared with all other countries cannot be better illustrated than by the story of Nicolai's travelling carriage. In 1781, three decades after Casanova had bought the first of his several modern English Post Chariots or Coupés, the well-known bookseller and publisher Friedrich Nicolai (1733 - 1811) of Berlin set off on a long journey through Germany and Switzerland. For that purpose, he did not buy a really good vehicle like a new English Coupé for 100 guineas (24,000 Pence), but instead ordered a new open carriage for 70 ducats (8,400 Pence) from a coachmaker in Berlin. He praised his carriage in the highest tones, evidently not knowing what really good and elegant coachbuilding meant beyond the German borders. The carriage was no doubt good but rather like a Second World War American Jeep compared to a Mercedes.
    The following are some excerpts from his very good travellers' guide (Beschreibung einer Reise durch Deutschland und die Schweiz im Jahre 1781. 12 vols [vol I, p 6 ff.: building of his carriage]. Berlin/Stettin 1783-1796.), of which many annotations are of great value for carriage and travel research (the bold print is my own).

At the beginning Nicolai states: "During a long journey, a comfortable travelling carriage is equivalent to a comfortable lodging." But, a further "main quality" was "that it can move forwards smoothly." This was not the case with "totally closed coaches," because of their weight, and particularly not if it was a question of Berlins with their small fore wheels. Nevertheless "in many of these carriages, very great journeys were done." They never needed less than four post horses, and often eight were not enough to "move them on in sand, or to drag them up steep hills." - "Much expense and, what is even worse (sic!), considerable loss of time" were the consequences.
"Therefore, it is necessary on a travelling carriage mainly to have an undercarriage which is durable, but light; with high fore wheels, and the length of the carriage of good proportion. These qualities cannot be united without very considerable cost, and in no other sort of carriage than the kind of half-covered ones which here are called Vienna Carriages."
This carriage had one strong perch made of birch, with iron fittings, which was "better than the usual two perches." - "The body lies on the fore axle-tree, and at the rear side it is suspended by braces." It could be closed with the help of four iron supports and "leather hoods with four small windows." All the wheels could be arranged for three different rails, or spurs (according to a particular country's usage). The body had two roomy boxes for storage which were used as benches for four persons. Equipment included a winch, a hatchet, and a drag-chain.
The carriage was so light that the post masters allowed the use of only two horses (while the regulation everywhere in Europe for all four-wheeled carriages was for at least four horses). "With a carriage not so perfectly built, I had to take three horses; and therefore with this carriage on this particular journey, I saved the payment of one horse for about 400 miles, and in consequence more than half the sum which it had cost me new."

    In conclusion I would state that the undercarriage was about as good as an English one; but gentlemen like Casanova bought such carriages only in case of emergencies (as happened in Switzerland), and it is interesting to note that he obtained good second-hand Coupés for travelling in Wesel (1764) and Warsaw (1767).

    Following the researches of Thomas Ryder, the editor of The Carriage Journal, New York, the stage coach was introduced in England in 1657: the London and Chester Stage [Harper, Chronological Summary]. In 1662, there already were said to be six stage coaches. Then, in 1681, stage coaches became general: 119 were in existence. The method of changing teams of horses can first be documented in the year 1734. In the same year (and in consequence) a quick service was advertised: Edinburgh to London in 9 days. 1742: London to Oxford in 2 days. In 1754, springs to coaches were first mentioned: the Edinburgh Stage. Finally, in 1784, the mail-coach system was established, that meant that letters also were transported by stage coaches which now became faster than riding postboys.

On Thursday, 27th April 1727, "The Daily Post" published the following advertisment (collection Gillian Rees) : NEWBERRY FLYING STAGE COACH IN ONE DAY
Sets out from the White Horse Inn in Fleet Street, at 4 o'clock in the morning, to the Bear Inn in Maidenhead to dine, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from thence to the White Heart Inn in Newberry*, and returns from thence Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Each passenger to carry fourteen pounds weight and to pay Nine Shillings** a-piece full pay, and to all other places on that route at proportionable rates. Performed, if God permit, by John Baker, Edward Gregory and James Hall.
N.B. The coach carries only four passengers. [* London - Newberry about 100 km. ** 108 d.; 1.08 d. per km.]

    On the continent, Italy, the motherland of the post, seems to be the forerunner in the introduction of stage coaches. The Roman courier, and later, postmaster of Castelnuovo di Porto (near Rome), Giuseppe Miselli (1637 - 1695), published in 1682 his European travellers' post-guide, "Il Burattino Veridico" (many thanks to Furio Luccichenti who published Miselli's autobiography). The chapter on the prices for horses, carried chairs, carosses and calashes (p.218 ff.) informs us also about the situation concerning stage coach lines in Europe (not in England) and, to some extent, the types of carriages.
    In Italy, "calashes", "coaches" or "carosses" plied between Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna and Milan; between Florence, Pisa and Livorno; as well as between Mestre and Treviso. Carried chairs were available everywhere "but", Miselli states, "these were not so common after the calashes appeared".
    In France, there was only the connection between Paris and Lyons, available in two "classes":
1. the "land-coach" (stage coach), for 5 Doublons [1,125 d.]; and
2. the "Diligence de Lyon", called by Miselli "quick post" [engl. flying stage coach; ital. diligenza; fr. Diligence], "a carosse and 6 horses, which delivers one in five days to Paris", for 6 Doublons [1,350 d.].
    In Holland, a "Carrette" plied between Utrecht and Nimegen (1 day).
    In Spain, a "Carosse and 6 mules" plied between Barcelona and Madrid (taking 14 - 15 days) and carried chairs (which took only 13 days).
    In other countries, such as Germany, Hungary and Switzerland, there were "only post horses", with the exception of Poland; there the courier Miselli had to travel from the border to Warsaw by changing carriages in every town. - However, we know that in Germany, already in about 1670, the first stage wagon line was opened connecting Nuremberg and Hamburg.

    Concerning the vehicles, the Calash and the Carrette were presumably two-wheeled and open or half-open simple post-chairs, like the old Italian Sedia.
    The four-wheeled ones were open wagons, used as Land or Stage Coaches, as well as the Carosse, which was used as the faster flying coach, the body of which was closed and suspended by braces between four supports, thus a "proper" coach. As far as I know, the earliest illustrations of those carosses, we find on a painting by Hogarth (1730) and in the Encyclopédie, the "Diligence de Lyon" (Paris, 1769).
    But it is certain that comfortable stage and flying coaches were not widespread before the early 19th century, when highway (chaussée) building had advanced everywhere. Until then, most passengers in Germany and other countries, had to content themselves with unsuspended and open post-wagons.

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    It stands to reason that a much-travelled gentleman like Casanova not only used the most famous stage coach of his time but also described it in detail. About his ride with the Diligence de Lyon in 1750 he says (HL,vol.III,p.118) :

"We engaged two places in the diligence which would take us to Paris in five days; Balletti informed his family of the time of his departure, so they knew the hour at which we should arrive.
We were eight in the conveyance, which is called a "Diligence"; we were all seated, but all uncomfortably, for it was oval; no one had a corner seat since it had no corners. I thought this poorly considered; but I said nothing, for as an Italian it was my part to consider everything in France admirable. An oval coach: I bowed to the fashion, and I cursed it, for the strange movement of the vehicle made me want to vomit. It was too well sprung. I should have found a jolting less trying. The very force of its speed over the fine road made it rock; hence it was called a "gondola"; but the true Venetian gondola propelled by two oarsmen goes smoothly and does not cause a nausea which turns one inside out. My head was spinning. The swift motion, which at least did not jolt me in the slightest, affected my intestinal vapors and made me throw up everything I had in my stomach. My fellow passengers thought me bad company, but none of them said so."

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    The best steel springs were produced in France, and in particular in England, the leading country in the manufacture of iron and steel. As examples one has only to look at the springs mounted on the berlin-coupé in Compiègne (about 1775, springs à la Polignac), and at those of the "Lister Chaise" which are still in good condition. English coach springs of this quality were probably forged from about 1740 onwards and were the basis for a new generation of undercarriages and bodies: that means carriages which were lighter, more comfortable, and faster to drive.

    The different types of coach springs are also designated by capital letters which are symbols referring to the shapes of the springs. The most important are:

    1.) Dalesme - springs: French double under-body and F-springs; in use from the end of the 17th century until about 1750.
    2.) F - springs, also called whip-springs: in use from about 1740 until about 1810.
    3.) Polignac - springs: a sort of C - spring; in use in France from about 1740 until about 1790.
    4.) S - springs: in use from about 1760 until about 1810.
    5.) C - springs: first reference: a Landau by Webley in 1763; in use from about 1795 until about 1850 on town and travelling carriages, and on State and other noble coaches for the rest of the coaching age, often mounted together with horizontal (elliptic) springs.
    6.) Elliptic springs: in England, elliptic springs were known since about 1790. In 1805, Obadiah Elliott of Lambeth, England, invented the carriage without a perch, that is the self-carrying body, put upon improved elliptic springs (Treue,p.344).

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