kingdom, Birmingham, in the olden days, and it is but fifty years ago,
was an important converging central-point of the great mailcoach system,
and a few notes in connection therewith cannot be uninteresting. Time
was when even coaching was not known, for have we not read how long it
took ere the tidings of Prince Rupert's attack on our town reached
London. A great fear seems to have possessed the minds of the powers
that were in regard to any kind of quick transmission whatever, for in
the year 1673 it was actually proposed "to suppress the public coaches
that ran within fifty or sixty miles of London," and to limit all the
other vehicles to a speed of "thirty miles per day in summer, and
twenty-five in winter"--for what might not be dreaded from such an
announcement as that "that remarkable swift travelling coach, 'The Fly,'
would leave Birmingham on Mondays and reach London on the Thursdays
following." Prior to and about 1738, an occasional coach was put on the
road, but not as a regular and periodical conveyance, the fare to London
being 25 shillings, "children on lap, and footmen behind, being charged
half-price." A "Flying Coach" commenced running direct to the Metropolis
on May 28th, 1745, and was evidently thought to be an event of some
importance, as it was advertised to do the distance in two days "if the
roads permitted." In July, 1782, the same journey was accomplished in 14
hours, showing a great improvement in the arrangements of the road. The
first mail coaches for the conveyance of letters was started by Mr.
Palmer, of Bath, in 1784, the earliest noticed as passing through here
being on August 23, 1785, but the first direct mail from this town dates
only from May 25, 1812. In February, 1795, the Western mailcoaches were
delayed nearly a week together in consequence of a rapid thaw rendering
the roads impassable. In 1777 fifty-two coaches passed through here to
London and sixteen to Bristol every week. In 1829 at least 100 departed
from or passed through the town daily, 550 persons travelling between
here and London. In 1832 Mr. Lecount estimated the general results of