Talk by Martin Way
"The Golden Age of Stage Coaching”
Venue : SC Village Hall
Date/Time : Tuesday 14th Novemberr 2017 7.30 pm
Martin Way spoke entertainingly about the rise of the Stage Coach, Turnpikes and the Penny Post - with special reference to the Oxford to Gloucester road, which passed near Sutton Courtenay and through Abingdon.
He brought along and talked about a range of memorabilia and artefacts from the period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when stage coaches were widely used, notably by the Royal Mail, before the advent of the railways.
He described the origins of turnpikes - roads where a toll was charged to pass a barrier or gate (often a pike, hence "turn pike”) - the rise of the stage coach and the beginnings of the penny post.
He also shared some fascinating facts and anecdotes about the day-to-day operation of the stage coaches as well as the hazards facing their coachmen, guards and passengers, from defending themselves and their valuables from highwaymen to falling asleep and dropping off (!) the stagecoach roof.
Martin was generous with his time after his initial presentation to show and talk about the various items he had brought along to illustrate his presentation in more detail.
About the Speaker
Martin Way is a local historian and popular speaker at local history societies on a wide variety of topics.
