Are you trying to keep track of all the wide varieties of conveyances used in the Regency Era. If so, this cheat sheet should help you immensely. My list is complied of the most commonly used carriage types. Enjoy!
Regency
Era Carriage Types Cheat Sheet
Buggy – light, un-hooded, one-horsed vehicles with two
wheels– carried a single passenger.
Carriages- A carriage usually refers
to any private, four-wheeled passenger vehicle drawn by two or more horses.
Cart- Typically a two-wheeled
wagon with no suspension, a cart was maneuverable and drawn by a single horse.
It was a general-purpose trade or farm vehicle.
Chaise
A
chaise was a pleasure or traveling carriage that was usually open and low with
four wheels and drawn by one or two ponies. Often referred to as “a yellow
bounder”, a hired Post Chaise were always painted bright yellow and a
postillion riding one of the rented horses controlled the vehicle.
Coach
Coaches
were stately carriages with four wheels and windows on all sides. The curved
underbody and seating for four passengers were also characteristic. A Town
Coach was massive and often drawn by up to six horses and usually sported a
coat of arms painted on the doors.
Curricle
Curricles were light,
two-wheeled vehicles pulled by a pair of horses that were used for short trips.
This was the only two-wheeled vehicle to be drawn by a pair of horses and a
steel bar, attached with pads to the horses’ backs, supported the weight of the
pole.
Gig
Gigs were light,
two-wheeled, one-horsed vehicles for two passengers. This was the most common
vehicle on the road.
Now for Specific Vehicles Names:
Barouche
The barouche had a
collapsible hood over the back and was considered a summer vehicle used for
driving in the great parks. It was drawn by a pair of high quality horses to
complement the expensive and fashionable vehicle.
Hackney
These were coaches or
carriages for hire. The name comes from the French term haquenée meaning
horse for hire. Often these coaches had been discarded by the nobility and were
looked down upon because of their shabby, dirty interiors.
Landau
A landau was a four-wheeled carriage with a folding two-part
hood. The front and rear halves could be raised and lowered independently.
Mail Coach
The official mail coaches, which followed fixed routes, carried
mail and passengers to specific coaching inns and followed a strict schedule.
Usually pulled by six horses changed out at regular post stops, these coaches
could therefore run all the way.
Phaeton
A phaeton refers to a light and usually low-slung, four-wheeled open carriage drawn by a pair of horses.
This is handy!
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