Getting About in Regency Times

Transport? It was driven by horsepower, literally, or Shanks' pony (a euphemism for walking, if you didn't know, but Sapphire never misses a chance of a pun), or by boat. However, a gentleman could make a statement with his carriage, or multiples-if money was no object. Here are some types of carriages you find in Georgian and Regency historical fiction.

Phaeton: Came in two sorts, crane and perch. 4 wheels, owner-driver carriage with 2 or 4 horses. A crane phaeton was built with a sturdier skeleton than the perch, which was lightweight. They were generally open carriages, with a folding hood that could be raised. A high-perch phaeton (or perch high) was a racier version with larger wheels. The driver of a high perch phaeton was called a high-flyer. Was that where the term came from?

Curricle: This was a racier, two-seater (driver and one passenger) open-topped carriage pulled by a pair of horses abreast, and was a favourite of gentlemen who liked to drive their own pair and was de rigeur for a lady being courted, if she was to avoid gossip about her reputation.

Gigs: A gig is an even lighter carriage drawn by a single horse.

There were many variations on horse-drawn carriages, including landau, brougham and town coaches. Never mind comfort, some were more luxurious than others, but modern vehicle suspension and shock absorbers hadn't been invented and combined with poor, pot-holed roads and cobbled streets, more often than not, they made for a bumpy ride!