Getting about - 18th Century Transport

Vocabulary related to 18th-century British transportation including Turnpike Trusts and coach travel.

18th-century roads

Muddy tracks linking village to village and villages to market towns, commonly used by pack horses and large wagons.

Turnpike trust

An organization or group of people that financed road improvements by levying tolls and maintaining specific stretches of road.

Toll-houses

Structures placed at each end of turnpike roads where travelers were charged fees for using the road.

Thomas Telford

A specialist road builder ($1757-1834$,) whose work allowed long-distance travelers to use wheeled coaches.

John McAdam

A specialist road builder ($1756-1836$,) whose construction methods helped connect larger towns in Britain by $1800$.

Stagecoaches

Vehicles that made journeys in regular stages, stopping at inns for horse changes and passenger meals.

Mail coaches

Specially built vehicles first run by the Post Office in $1784$ to carry both passengers and mail.

Year 1792

The year by which there were $120$ specially built mail coaches on the road.

Obadiah Elliott

The inventor who created metal coach springs in $1805$, resolving the issue of a rough ride for passengers.

Metal coach springs

An invention from $1805$ that allowed goods carriers and mail coach operators to provide a smoother ride for passengers and parcels.