the life of thomas telford- 第7部分

price　on　his　arrival　in　Edinburgh。



Nearly　all　the　commercial　gentlemen　rode　their　own　horses；　carrying

their　samples　and　luggage　in　two　bags　at　the　saddle…bow；　and　hence

their　appellation　of　Riders　or　Bagmen。　　For　safety's　sake；　they

usually　journeyed　in　company；　for　the　dangers　of　travelling　were

not　confined　merely　to　the　ruggedness　of　the　roads。　　The　highways

were　infested　by　troops　of　robbers　and　vagabonds　who　lived　by

plunder。　Turpin　and　Bradshaw　beset　the　Great　North　Road；　Duval；

Macheath；　Maclean；　and　hundreds　of　notorious　highwaymen　infested

Hounslow　Heath；　Finchley　Common；　Shooter's　Hill；　and　all　the

approaches　to　the　metropolis。　　A　very　common　sight　then；　was　a

gibbet　erected　by　the　roadside；　with　the　skeleton　of　some

malefactor　hanging　from　it　in　chains；　and　〃　Hangman's…lanes〃　were

especially　numerous　in　the　neighbourhood　of　London。*＇15＇　　It　was

considered　most　unsafe　to　travel　after　dark；　and　when　the　first

〃night　coach〃　was　started；　the　risk　was　thought　too　great；　and　it

was　not　patronised。



＇Image＇　The　Night　Coach



Travellers　armed　themselves　on　setting　out　upon　a　journey　as　if

they　were　going　to　battle；　and　a　blunderbuss　was　considered　as

indispensable　for　a　coachman　as　a　whip。　　Dorsetshire　and　Hampshire；

like　most　other　counties；　were　beset　with　gangs　of　highwaymen；　and

when　the　Grand　Duke　Cosmo　set　out　from　Dorchester　to　travel　to

London　in　1669；　he　was　〃convoyed　by　a　great　many　horse…soldiers

belonging　to　the　militia　of　the　county；　to　secure　him　from

robbers。〃*＇16＇



Thoresby；　in　his　Diary；　alludes　with　awe　to　his　having　passed

safely　〃the　great　common　where　Sir　Ralph　Wharton　slew　the

highwayman；〃　and　he　also　makes　special　mention　of　Stonegate　Hole；

〃a　notorious　robbing　place〃　near　Grantham。　　Like　every　other

traveller；　that　good　man　carried　loaded　pistols　in　his　bags；　and　on

one　occasion　he　was　thrown　into　great　consternation　near　Topcliffe；

in　Yorkshire；　on　missing　them；　believing　that　they　had　been

abstracted　by　some　designing　rogues　at　the　inn　where　he　had　last

slept。*＇17＇　　No　wonder　that；　before　setting　out　on　a　journey　in

those　days；　men　were　accustomed　to　make　their　wills。



When　Mrs。　Calderwood；　of　Coltness；　travelled　from　Edinburgh　to

London　in　1756；　she　relates　in　her　Diary　that　she　travelled　in　her

own　postchaise；　attended　by　John　Rattray；　her　stout　serving　man；　on

horseback；　with　pistols　at　his　holsters；　and　a　good　broad　sword　by

his　side。　　The　lady　had　also　with　her　in　the　carriage　a　case　of

pistols；　for　use　upon　an　emergency。　　Robberies　were　then　of

frequent　occurrence　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Bawtry；　in　Yorkshire；

and　one　day　a　suspicious…looking　character；　whom　they　took　to　be　a

highwayman；　made　his　appearance；　but　〃John　Rattray　talking　about

powder　and　ball　to　the　postboy；　and　showing　his　whanger；　the　fellow

made　off〃　Mrs。　Calderwood　started　from　Edinburgh　on　the　3rd　of

June；　when　the　roads　were　dry　and　the　weather　was　fine；　and　she

reached　London　on　the　evening　of　the　10th；　which　was　considered　a

rapid　journey　in　those　days。



The　danger；　however；　from　footpads　and　highwaymen　was　not　greatest

in　remote　country　places；　but　in　and　about　the　metropolis　itself。

The　proprietors　of　Bellsize　House　and　gardens；　in　the

Hampstead…road；　then　one　of　the　principal　places　of　amusement；　had

the　way　to　London　patrolled　during　the　season　by　twelve　〃lusty

fellows；〃　and　Sadler's　Wells；　Vauxhall；　and　Ranelagh　advertised

similar　advantages。　　Foot　passengers　proceeding　towards　Kensington

and　Paddington　in　the　evening；　would　wait　until　a　sufficiently

numerous　band　had　collected　to　set　footpads　at　defiance；　and　then

they　started　in　company　at　known　intervals；　of　which　a　bell　gave

due　warning。　　Carriages　were　stopped　in　broad　daylight　in　Hyde

Park；　and　even　in　Piccadilly　itself；　and　pistols　presented　at　the

breasts　of　fashionable　people；　who　were　called　upon　to　deliver　up

their　purses。　Horace　Walpole　relates　a　number　of　curious　instances

of　this　sort；　he　himself　having　been　robbed　in　broad　day；　with　Lord

Eglinton；　Sir　Thomas　Robinson；　Lady　Albemarle；　and　many　more。

A　curious　robbery　of　the　Portsmouth　mail；　in　1757；　illustrates　the

imperfect　postal　communication　of　the　period。　　The　boy　who　carried

the　post　had　dismounted　at　Hammersmith；　about　three　miles　from　Hyde

Park　Corner；　and　called　for　beer；　when　some　thieves　took　the

opportunity　of　cutting　the　mail…bag　from　off　the　horse's　crupper

and　got　away　undiscovered！



The　means　adopted　for　the　transport　of　merchandise　were　as　tedious

and　difficult　as　those　ordinarily　employed　for　the　conveyance　of

passengers。　　Corn　and　wool　were　sent　to　market　on　horses'

backs；*＇18＇　manure　was　carried　to　the　fields　in　panniers；　and　fuel

was　conveyed　from　the　moss　or　the　forest　in　the　same　way。　　During

the　winter　months；　the　markets　were　inaccessible；　and　while　in　some

localities　the　supplies　of　food　were　distressingly　deficient；　in

others　the　superabundance　actually　rotted　from　the　impossibility

of　consuming　it　or　of　transporting　it　to　places　where　it　was

needed。　　The　little　coal　used　in　the　southern　counties　was

principally　sea…borne；　though　pack…horses　occasionally　carried　coal

inland　for　the　supply　of　the　blacksmiths'　forges。　　When　Wollaton

Hall　was　built　by　John　of　Padua　for　Sir　Francis　Willoughby　in　1580；

the　stone　was　all　brought　on　horses'　backs　from　Ancaster；　in

Lincolnshire；　thirty…five　miles　distant；　and　they　loaded　back　with

coal；　which　was　taken　in　exchange　for　the　stone。



＇Image＇　The　Pack…horse　Convoy



The　little　trade　which　existed　between　one　part　of　the　kingdom　and

another　was　carried　on　by　means　of　packhorses；　along　roads　little

better　than　bridle…paths。　　These　horses　travelled　in　lines；　with

the　bales　or　panniers　strapped　across　their　backs。　　The　foremost

horse　bore　a　bell　or　a　collar　of　bells；　and　was　hence　called　the

〃bell…horse。〃　　He　was　selected　because　of　his　sagacity；　and　by　the

tinkling　of　the　bells　he　carried；　the　movements　of　his　followers

were　regulated。　　The　bells　also　gave　notice　of　the　approach　of　the

convoy　to　those　who　might　be　advancing　from　the　opposite　direction。

This　was　a　matter　of　some　importance；　as　in　many　parts　of　the　path

there　was　not　room　for　two　loaded　horses　to　pass　each　other；　and

quarrels　and　fights　between　the　drivers　of　the　pack…horse　trains

were　frequent　as　to　which　of　the　meeting　convoys　was　to　pass　down

into　the　dirt　and　allow　the　other　to　pass　along　the　bridleway。　The

pack…horses　not　only　carried　merchandise　but　passengers；　and　at

certain　times　scholars　proceeding　to　and　from　Oxford　and　Cambridge。

When　Smollett　went　from　Glasgow　to　London；　he　travelled　partly　on

pack…horse；　partly　by　waggon；　and　partly　on　foot；　and　the

adventures　which　he　described　as　having　befallen　Roderick　Random

are　supposed　to　have　been　drawn　in　a　great　measure　from　his　own

experiences　during；　the　journey。



A　cross…country　merchandise　traffic　gradually　sprang　up　between　the

northern　counties；　since　become　pre…eminently　the　manufacturing

districts　of　England；　and　long　lines　of　pack…horses　laden　with

bales　of　wool　and　cotton　traversed　the　hill　ranges　which　divide

Yorkshire　from　Lancashire。　　Whitaker　says　that　as　late　as　1753　the

roads　near　Leeds　consisted　of　a　narrow　hollow　way　little　wider　than

a　ditch；　barely　allowing　of　the　passage　of　a　vehicle　drawn　in　a

single　line；　this　deep　narrow　road　being　flanked　by　an　elevated

causeway　covered　with　flags　or　boulder　stones。　　When　travellers

encountered　each　other　on　this　narrow　track；　they　often　tried　to

wear　out　each　other's　patience　rather　than　descend　into　the　dirt

alongside。　　The　raw　wool　and　bale　goods　of　the　district　were　nearly

all　carried　along　these　flagged　ways　on　the　backs　of　single　horses；

and　it　is　difficult　to　imagine　the　delay；　the　toil；　and　the　perils

by　which　the　conduct　of　the　traffic　was　attended。　　On　horseback

before　daybreak　and　long　after　nightfall；　these　hardy　sons　of　trade

pursued　their　object　with　the　spirit　and　intrepidity　of　foxhunters；

and　the　boldest　of　their　country　neighbours　had　no　reason　to

despise　either　their　horsemanship　or　their　courage。*＇19＇

The　Manchester　trade　was　carried　on　in　the　same　way。　　The　chapmen

used　to　keep　gangs　of　pack…horses；　which　accompanied　them　to　all　the

principal　towns；　bearing　their　goods　in　packs；　which　they　sold　to

their　customers；　bringing　back　sheep's　wool　and　other　raw　materials

of　manufacture。



The　only　records　of　this　long…superseded　mode　of　communication　are

now　to　be　traced　on　the　signboards　of　wayside　public…houses。

Many　of　the　old　roads　still　exist　in　Yorkshire　and　Lancashire；　but

all　that　remains　of　the　former　traffic　is　the　pack…horse　still

painted　on　village　sign…boards　　things　as　retentive　of　odd　bygone

facts　as　the　picture…writing　of　the　ancient　Mexicans。*＇20＇



Footnotes　for　Chapter　II。



*＇1＇　King　Henry　the　Fourth　（Part　I。）；　Act　II。　Scene　1。



*＇2＇　Part　of　the　riding　road　along　which　the　Queen　was　accustomed

to　pass　on　horseback　between　her　palaces　at　Greenwich　and　Eltham　is

still　in　existence；　a　little　to　the　south　of　Morden　College；

Blackheath。　　It　winds　irregularly　through　the　fields；　broad　in　some

places；　and　narrow　in　others。　　Probably　it　is　very　little　different

from　what　it　was　when　used　as　a　royal　road。　　It　is　now　very

appropriately　termed　〃Muddy　Lane。〃



*＇3＇　'Depeches　de　La　Mothe　Fenelon；'　8vo。；　1858。　　Vol。　i。　p。　27。



*＇4＇　Nichols's　'　Progresses；'　vol。　ii。；　309。



*＇5＇　The　title　of　Mace's　tract　（British　Museum）　is　〃The　Profit；

Conveniency；　and　Pleasure　for　the　whole　nation：　being　a　short

rational　Discourse　lately　presented　to　his　Majesty　concerning　the

Highways　of　England：　their　badness；　the　causes　thereof；　the　reasons

of　these　causes；　the　impossibility　of　ever　having　them　well　mended

according　to　the　old　way　of　mending：　but　may　most　certainly　be

done；　and　for　ever　so　maintained　（according　to　this　NEW　WAY）

substantially　and　with　very　much　e