A coach built in 1840 by Holland & Holland. Its original use is not known, but it has been restored in the style of a Glasgow to London mail coach by staff at the Museum of Transport. The coach was purchased with the assistance of the Local Museums Purchase Fund.
The direct Glasgow to London mail coach route was established in 1788, largely due to pressure from Glasgow businessmen. Before then the post to England had gone via Edinburgh. This roundabout route obviously added extra time onto the journey and made it harder for Glasgow merchants to run their businesses efficiently and competitively.
The mail coaches carried paying passengers as well as providing a postal service, and passengers were charged less than those of the stage coaches because they were exempted from paying tolls. Although the railways began carrying mail in the 1830s, regular mail coach sevices continued in Britain until the 1870s.
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
Holland & Holland, Local Museums Purchase Fund, mail coaches, Museum of Transport, passenger transport, Pollok House, postal services, Royal Mail
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