MAIL COACHES & INNS

By 1836, the time of the renowned 'Quicksilver' mail coach and the zenith of the stage coach, Blackwater had severe competition from what is now Camberley. The Royal Military College had opened at Sandhurst in 1812 with Yorktown springing up first to house workmen. Camberley then developed as a 'new town'. William Belsher Parfett, the Eversley brewer married to the eldest daughter of William Terry of Yateley, played a part in the development of Camberley's inns and pubs. He built the Duke of York in 1816 and already owned the Three Post Boys opposite the Turnpike gate at Laundry Lane. By 1898 there were 15 pubs and inns in Camberley along the London Road.

In 1836 Blackwater even had its own coach. F. Rickards ran the 'Union' from the Bolt-in-Tun in London‘s Fleet Street, departing daily at 3:00 pm. The distance was 32.5 miles and it arrived five hours later at 8:00 pm. Next morning it departed from Blackwater at 8:00 am to arrive at one o'clock. It was licensed (number 2059) for four persons inside and eight outside.

There was no shortage of coaches in 1836. There were 19 each way through Blackwater. Eight per day went to or through Exeter. Others terminated at Basingstoke, Southampton, Salisbury, Taunton and Bridgwater. One of the most famous was the 'Quicksilver' Royal Mail. The horses were changed every six to fifteen miles depending on the terrain. Each change took less than one minute. The driver brought the coach between the waiting fresh horses, and the exchange was made. Mr Demezy of the White Lyon at Hartfordbridge had the contract to supply the horses between the Jolly Farmer, Bagshot and the White Lyon. The Quicksilver and the faster coaches averaged over ten miles per hour for the whole journey. The stage across Hartfordbridge Flats was known by coachman as one of the best galloping grounds in England. Macadamed roads had finally made coaching faster and safer, just in time for them to lose out to the Railways.

In round terms only about a quarter of the traffic was stage coaches. Another quarter was private fast carriages, and half was ordinary traffic. Excise duty was payable on all conveyances travelling faster that 4 mph, except the Royal Mail. In order to avoid this excise duty waggons for the ordinary traveller therefore travelled at 3 mph. Poor travellers often walked beside the lumbering 'Fly-vans' of Russell and Co. Soldiers and sailors too walked the highway to rejoin their regiments or their ships. At that pace it took two hours to traverse the six miles between the main inn locations, so a stop for beer was inevitable.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY MORE RECENT RESEARCH TO UPDATE THESE EXTRACTS?