The Dangerous Life of a Coach Driver in Georgian England

'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: access.historyhit.com/what-s-...
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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#historyhit #highwaymen #mikeloades

[@travisinthetrunk]

I love Mikes enthusiasm for history. It’s really infectious.

[@jdcage]

He’s really having fun.

[@pathicks28]

On a program years ago, I recall watching him dive off a ship in his street clothes (Viking style ship I think).

[@leebearfield1405]

Agreed! I always beeline straight for anything presented by Mike.

[@giorgoz]

Can't get enough of Mike Loades' enthusiasm for history.

[@magnusskallagrimsson6707]

Indeed!

[@jetsons101]

Never knew of the downhill "braking device" till today, thanks Mike.

[@emho5135]

One thing I love about Mike Loades is that no matter what the subject of the video is, you know that at some point he'll be holding a weapon.

[@canbrit4621]

Blunderbuss flared end doesn't increase spread at all. But does make it easier and faster to load while on horseback or atop a coach.

[@frankparsons1629]

That was really really interesting Mike. The Postal system came of age in Bath in 1720 when Ralph Allen negotiated a contract with the two Postmasters General. I'd advise anyone interested in "the Post" to visit the Postal Museum at 27 Northgate Street in Bath, it is well worth a visit. A small collection contains postal material illustrating the early days of the postal service initiated in the reign of Charles II.

[@varney2010]

The flared muzzle is more to assist loading on the move rather than to spread the shot. Very enjoyable video.

[@dlxmarks]

Yeah it always made sense as a built-in funnel when you were trying to load a handful of shot instead of a single slug. I don't know why even historians keep saying that when shot firearms are already prone to spread. Why would you want even more spread unless it was for riot control where you were trying to scare people off by wounding them?

[@williamromine5715]

@@dlxmarks It just goes to show that not everyone calling himself an historian really knows what he is talking about.

[@varney2010]

@@williamromine5715 In his defence I don't expect him to be an expert on firearms, it's just a common belief about flared muzzles that keeps getting repeated without correction. His videos are still great entertainment and informative.

[@hetrodoxly1203]

Blunderbuss flared muzzle is a two edged sword, easier to load and spreads the shot at a short distance, a shotguns patter at that distance is very tight, it works the opposite to having your barrel choked.

[@williamromine5715]

@@varney2010 I don't understand. He is telling thousands of subscribers why the muzzle flared like it did. If he doesn't know what he is talking about, he shouldn't have brought it up. The internet is supposed to educate people. That is what this channel claims to be doing.

[@ryanstewart9702]

I will never get tired of Mike! I can listen to him talk about the most boring subject and he will make it interesting.

[@midnightblack07]

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. :)

[@Lucius1958]

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.

[@justjones5430]

Mike Loades is my favourite historian! 😁

[@marks6928]

Mike Loades is such an awesome guy. Always a treat to watch.

[@Crusty_Camper]

Fascinating bit of history. One of my ancestors was Jack Rann, AKA 16 String Jack, the highwayman hanged at Tyburn in 1774.

[@anthonystevens8683]

A cracking video Mike, the guards job was clearly a lot more responsible, dangerous and much more difficult than we would think. From playing the horn to signal to other road users to surviving personal battles with the highwaymen at the time and in all weathers to boot. I take my hat off to the crew that maintained and more so to those that drove the coaches. Life seems so much simpler now with almost light switch reliability but it could so easily go back. The watch built into the guards bag is a great idea as time pieces worn on the wrist took a world war for them to become mainstream on a mans wrist although they were available earlier for the ladies of the day as pocket watches required pockets that the attire of the day did not have in abundance. Many thanks for sharing.

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

Mike Loades is one of the most enthusiastic historians out there. History Hit has a great lineup of personalities.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

In Denmark the mail coaches used a more pretzel-shaped horn, similar to a bugle. It remained the symbol of the postal service up until the 1990s when they decided it was too old-fashioned as few people still knew why they had the horn as a logo

[@2ndRatePetronius]

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!

[@tonyantoniou9271]

Mike Loades ALWAYS manages to bring the moments of history to you in a fashion that you can almost experience it for yourself. As he is expert enough to adopt the roles of the characters or the professions of his subject matter. Not mere expert narration. I can not think of the words to justify the praise he merits.

[@beardedlonewolf7695]

I really enjoyed this video, delivering mail was so much more interesting and fun (even though a bit more dangerous) than it is today.

[@bellakaldera3305]

Mike I love you dearly, but I have and shoot a blunderbuss, the barrels flare did not spread the shot, it's purpose is to facilitate loading on a moving coach, a ships deck or on horseback. My blunderbuss is .60 caliber, I also have a .60 flintlock smoothbore pistol (with no barrel flare), the spread of the shot is no different, as barrel length is about the same. You just have to love a blunderbuss!

[@robredz]

Superb video, more to the mail coach than you can imagine.

[@chivalricmedia]

Mike just makes every subject 'watchable'! Anything he's presenting is a must watch for me.

[@speakupriseup4549]

I was really hoping for Adam and the Ant's "Stand and Deliver" for the backing track.

[@allanburt5250]

Fantastic as always 👏

[@LBG-cf8gu]

i appreciate your "nuts & bolts" presentations. well done! thx

[@JohnRitson78]

So much that I never knew about coaches, and especially so the mail coach.

[@Oscarhobbit]

It's great to see Mike back bringing History back to life. I used to love his programs on the History Channel.

[@TankManHeavy]

Its always amazing to see something that you're completely unaware of. There's so much incredible history just waiting to be found. Makes me wish we could go back and experience these times & other times first hand. What a fascinating time to be alive it would have been.

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

As an American Truck driver, I have followed many of the Pony Express pathways now marked as state roads or highways. I-10 just past or before Van Horn has a pony express station in a rest area, Still standing with a holding cell.

[@paulmaryon9088]

Bloody brilliant that was, thanks

[@ENIGMAXII2112]

Jolly good stuff, thank you..!!!

[@mattheweburns]

This is awesome, thanks for the videos, cheers!

[@alanspooner3612]

What a fascinating and just brilliant video. I love my history and think I have a good sense of the past but it's details like this that bring it alive for me. Just great.

[@HistoryHit]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@FleurDoidge]

Wow, I learned so much from this!

[@trumpetrider565]

Love Mike!! He’s awesome 😊

[@soma4u289]

Great presentation, those horses are truly magnificent and you blokes too! Great restoration on the coach. What an adventurous life delivering the mail and passengers would have been and full of hazards, that's what life is made of. Don't know if I could rely on hearing that melodic horn out on the highway bend ,left side ,right side ,oops. Thanks.

[@ThroatSore]

Always a pleasure to see Mime Loades.

[@robertsansone1680]

Excellent again. Thank You

[@HistoryHit]

Thank you too!

[@highlandrab19]

The flare on the muzzle does not increase spread as is shown in tests it makes it easier to load on a moving carriage

[@robertrobert7924]

Beautiful Horses.

[@Stakan79]

Fascinating

[@murkyseb]

That was really interesting I liked learning about the mail coach

[@Optimusprimerib36]

I Fn love Mike Loades

[@katherinecollins4685]

Very interesting

[@davefellhoelter1343]

I noticed that all the guard's hand weapons would be at home on the decks of ships.

[@bigblue6917]

The early railways also had guards sat up on the top of the coach. You can imagine what it must have been like sat up there with all all the smoke and ash blowing back into the guards face. I read of one guard new to the job who almost choked to death from inhaling the smoke and ash while traveling some four times the speed a mail coach would. When they reached their destination they had to delay the train until the guard had recovered sufficiently for him to make the return trip. The solution was for the guard to cover his face with one or more scarves only leaving his eyes exposed. These would be covered by pulling the brim of his hat down and keeping his head down as well. This meant if anything went wrong with the train he would not be able to react immediately.

[@dragontengu]

More Mike Loades!

[@johndaarteest]

"But first a kiss from those sweet lips" "Never Sir, a man's lips are his own private kingdom"

[@peggybrem2848]

Fascinating video about the mail coaches of Georgian England 👍 Wasn’t there an old song that went: Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross? I wondered what it meant. Thanks for the lesson.

[@silverjohn6037]

If memory serves the guards on the Royal Mail had to have been nominated by a member of Parliament and were usually drawn from military veterans. Unlike the drivers, who might be swapped out so they could drive another coach heading back to their start point, the guard would stay with the mail all the way to the routes terminus. I could be a miserable job being out in British weather (so rainy and often freezing cold) but the pay was decent and the drivers might split their tip money so it was a decent income for a working class man in the period.

[@henry9406]

Thanks very interesting 🍻

[@robertcorradi8573]

Excellent. Thank you .

[@boogboog8097]

You would think all the jostling would be a problem for black powder weapons, wonder how they stopped everything from shaking out of position.

[@richardsawyer5428]

The hill within view of my house had a reputation as a good place for highwaymen to await stage coaches.

[@stop-the-greed]

The steamer PH in old Welwyn village in Hertfordshire is so called because of the steam coming of the horses towing up the hill

[@michaelpiggott7196]

Very interesting video as always, just makes you wonder did they strike like today royal mail

[@ElizabethDMadison]

what beautiful horses. Hackneys?

[@woltews]

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 !

[@hetrodoxly1203]

Blunderbuss flared muzzle is a two edged sword, easier to load and spreads the shot at a short distance, a shotguns patter at that distance is very tight, it works the opposite to having your barrel choked.

[@woltews]

@@hetrodoxly1203 the flared muzal thing was tested by G&A in the 90 and found to be indistinguishable to a cylindrical bore

[@hetrodoxly1203]

@@woltews If you shoot you know the narrower the barrel the tighter the pattern this can be achieved by chocking just the end, how it's loaded is also a big factor, if you put your shot straight on top of the powder as you would in a hurry i.e. no wadding the spread is massive.

[@purplebutterfly7257]

Excellent very informative right down to every little detail explaining every facet of it. 👍

[@podsmpsg1]

That's where "Riding shotgun" and "I call shotgun" comes from.

[@klackon1]

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.

[@davidpowell6098]

Most cross roads were at the foot of hills, so young boys would wait at the bottom with said "Cock Horses". ready to assist any waggon or coach waiting to ascend.

[@inesis]

In 200 year we'll have "The Dangerous Life of a FedEx Driver in new Carolean England"

[@grahambamford9073]

That blunderbuss is terrifying, even getting hit with one pellet would probably kill you, I can't imagine the modern day "postman" fighting it out to the death for a bag of mail....

[@robnewman6101]

Looking like a job for the Police.

[@francesbolt9024]

I still remember the T.V series that Mike did. Not 100% sure but think it was called The Weapons that made Britain. Excellent series.

[@abayasugen8446]

Mike enthusiasm history

[@wilshb]

What was the procedure for strike action?

[@pennpfautz2024]

Check out Chapter 2 of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" for another description of a mail coach journey.

[@CFinch360]

Great suggestion thanks

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Why were highwayman so common during this time? Was there a big recession or shortages of food and goods at this time?

[@frankparsons1629]

I think it started with the Civil War between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. With the Kings demise many of the King's mounted supporters were "out of a job" and took to the roads to make a "living". Some while ago there was a TV program but it is faint in my memory but actually very interesting and especially the story of the various highwaymen. Some very generous like the fellow who held up a farmer and robbed him of all his money about his person, and he complained that he had no money to buy a bull at Market that day. Over the next few days the lucky highwayman did so well that he had enough not only to repay the farmer but return double the money he stole from him. The farmer was well pleased. However not all highwaymen were so gallant!

[@dnstone1127]

There was always a shortage of food and goods for the poor, outlaws and robberies on roads existed going back to medieval times.

[@marcusmoonstein242]

Police didn't really exist as we know them today. Towns and cities had watchmen, who were basically private security guards who were hired to prevent crime but did little criminal investigation. Outside the cities you were more-or-less on your own, hence the need for a heavily armed guard on the coach. Coach robbing was a relatively low-risk way to make a lot of money if you could get past the guard. Of course, if you were caught you were hanged as a highwayman and your body placed in a gibbet as a warning to others.

[@hetrodoxly1203]

Someone will always fill the slot on a easy way of making money.

[@williamcoolidge9884]

Where is Adam Ant?

[@myview5840]

He was eaten by a vicious aardvark

[@ianbrighouse3056]

Incredible how many Jobs no longer exist.

[@DollySausage]

I wonder if that's where the term : Brake Shoes : came from

[@dlxmarks]

I wonder how often, if ever, trains were stopped by robbers in the early days of British rail even though that was vastly more common in Old West media than it ever was in real life. The Great Train Robbery of 1963 comes to mind but I don't know of any 19th century examples.

[@davidrenton]

there is a 1978 movie "the First Great Train Robbery" Sean Connery / Donald Sutherland that is based on a true story the Great Gold Robbery of 1855, where a train was robbed on route between London and Folkestone. Great film, the other thing it was directed by Michael Crichton, yes of Jurassic Park fame.

[@BigJoeChrisLewis]

Trains being held up by robbers was almost unknown in Britain, though I believe it did happen from time to time in other countries such as the US . In fact, the horse drawn mail coaches with their well-armed guards and strict timekeeping were a major factor in putting a stop to highway banditry, which had largely died out by the time the railways came along.

[@PhsykoOmen]

You'd think one skid shoe for the rear wheel would make it tend to slide quite abit

[@Cypher791]

10:33 I wonder if that has anything to do with the expression… “hang on” meaning… slow down or stop… 🤔

[@bigtex4058]

You want the mail? I'll give you the cold steel!

[@R3tr0humppa]

You never know when you will learn yet another meaning of the funny little word c*ck.

[@mattiasandersson2315]

Dennis Moore : give me your lupins!😎

[@markus717]

The brake shoe only fitted on one wheel. Were both wheels fixed to an axle that turned, so that braking on one wheel would slow both wheels equally?

[@petervankooij5770]

No, there is only one dragshoe for one wheel.

[@jonathanstempleton7864]

More reliable delivery than 2022

[@mattheweburns]

I bet the drag shoe going downhill made the track even worse for going back up hill

[@marniusvanderlubbe]

Barry Lyndon is that you?

[@drearyplane8259]

I think driving would be more pleasant if we brought mail horns back

[@georgem7502]

If you hit the Hiywayman they be deader than that squirrel 🐿️

[@wakeoftheflood2]

Aww man, I was excited to hear about the American colonial mail !

[@abelq8008]

I have heard of highwaymen that would steal lupin flowers from the coaches.

[@alb5840]

European culture is so amazing

[@ryanshaw5182]

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.

[@Channel-os4uk]

Would coaches have had puce coloured wheels? That's a bit - ooh get you, ducky, isn't it?

[@ChauncyFatsack]

Like the pony express

[@pfcsantiago8852]

On strike now lol

[@josephturner7569]

Not a lot of difference between a Coach Guard and a Train Guard.

[@josephturner7569]

Wish we had the weapons though.

[@robnewman6101]

Dick Turpin the most Famous Highwayman in 18th Century Britain.

[@robnewman6101]

Highwaymen Criminals.

[@robnewman6101]

No Law Enforcement Police Officers.

[@andrewallen9993]

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!

[@Tadicuslegion78]

British Coach Drivers: Guess I'll surrender American Coach Drivers: *pulls out shotgun* Say when

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Didn't watch the video then did you?

[@funkyneil2000]

Yes! Apart from the three firearms and a cutlass as detailed in this very video.

[@adam_p99]

The video shows you how they defend with guns. Also- The rifle was an English invention so that would have replaced that weapon shown

[@harryselwind]

I posted a rather smart reply to your inane comment but the knobheads at KZbin pulled it. No doubt they too are Americans or paid by them.

[@35manning]

First rule of firearm safety, ALWAYS treat the firearms as if they are loaded. Second rule, never point firearms at anything you don't want to kill / destroy. Third rule, never place your finger on the trigger unless you intend to pull the trigger. I understand that some rules need to be broken for filming, BUT there was absolutely no need to point two guns at a person (the cameraman) with fingers on triggers. I'm aware that these flint lock actions are effectively single action triggers and MUST be cocked first, but it still shows very bad form and habits.

[@aparrotformrpoirot8906]

u are right but don t worrie the amount of paper work it would of taken to fire the blunderbuss must have taken a week to fill in and the pistols were almost certainly replicas that could not be fired. things are very different in the uk owing to gun control so simple safety rules are completely unheard of and unnecessary. .

[@hetrodoxly1203]

How do you know there was anyone behind the camera?

[@DickTurpinEsq]

Brilliant! Mike Loades is superb. Now I want to ride in a Royal Mail coach and shoot a blunderbuss and fit the shoe downhill.

[@johnmh1000]

Great video. I learned so much in just 12 minutes!

[@user-xn2hf9re8r]

brill

[@stevenweasel2678]

LUPINS