Regency Travel: Barouche Landau

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Having just finished my re-read of Emma, one phrase was still ringing in my ear.

Barouche Landau.

Said over and over by Mrs. Augusta Elton, to a comedic degree. And while I know what a barouche is, and what a landau is (see my primer on Regency conveyances here), I had honestly never contemplated a hybrid between the two. I certainly skipped over it at a previous reading of Emma, understanding it was to be a joke, but not bothering to investigate.  Now, well, you know I could not resist a research project!

As a reminder, the barouche is:  A four-wheeled carriage, with a falling top, a seat on the outside for the driver, and two double seats on the inside arranged so that the sitters on the front seat face those on the back seat.  It’s “light construction” and little protection from inclement weather made this a summer carriage.   

And a landau is: Similar to a barouche in that it held four passengers and was pulled by four horses, but a landau was convertible, with two folding hoods that could be raised to cover all four passengers or left open to take in the sights. Light weight, it was suspended on elliptical springs, and pulled by a four horses.  There was typically a front, raised driver’s upholstered bench-seat, but a landau could be postilion-driven, and there was usually a separate groom’s seat, sprung above and behind the rear axle, saving the groom from having to stand on a running board.

So both are light vehicles, pulled by four horses, with folding top(s).

Here is an image of a barouche landau:

BAROUCHE LANDAU Designed Engraved & Ecloured Capressly & Coclusively for Le Bean 3 Eshirable Magarine ANOTHER OF THE ENGRAVINGS WHICH WERE DESIGNED & COLOURED EXPRESSLY FOR LE BEAU MONDE THIS OF A BAROUCHE LANDAU OF ELEGANT DESIGN NO DOUBT INSPIRED BY THE NOBLEMAN WHOSE CREST IT BEARS The Antiquarian. (1930). United States: Antiquarian Publishing Company.

In an exploration and annotation of Jane Austen novels, I found this delightful description:

ie spoons and the like and was misunderstood Page 561 barouche landau Mr WH Helm refers me to the Morning Post 5 Jan 1804 where it is announced that Mr Buxton the celebrated whip has just launched a new fangled machine a kind of nondescript It is described by the inventor to be the due medium between a landau and a barouche but all who have seen it say it more resembles a fish cart or a music caravan Austen, J., Chapman, R. W. (1926). The Novels of Jane Austen. United Kingdom: Clarendon Press.

From that description alone, its easy to understand the subtle joke about taste versus garish displays of wealth, for these were not flattering comparisons.

A review of Regency era newspapers shows a glut of them for sale or resale, suggesting they might have been more of a showpiece than a practical conveyance.

Morning Herald (London) – Tuesday 12 August 1806

Judging by the many ads I reviewed, they were commonly that bright yellow colour favoured in the era (read this article to learn more), which was beneficial because I also found evidence they were popular for the four-in-hand:

And here let me place before my readers a description of the four in hand club of 1808 This club was in the habit of meeting once or twice a month in London and then proceeding some fifteen or twenty miles into the country to dine returning at night It was called the 66 Driving Club and the carriages turned out in the following order
Sir Henry Peyton's barouche landau four bays Mr Annesley's barouche landau four roans thoroughbred Mr Stephen Glynn's barouche landau four bays Mr Villebois's barouche landau four bays Mr Whitmore's barouche landau four bays Mr O Conver's barouche landau four bays Mr Pierrepoint's barouche landau four bays Sir Thomas Mostyn's barouche landau four bays Lord Foley's barouche landau four bays Mr J Warde's barouche landau four bays a After dining at Bedford SO writes chronicler of that day they dashed home in a style of speed and splendour equal to the spirit and judgment displayed by the noble honourable and respective drivers Another club called the Whip Club in rivalship with the above met once a month in Park Lane and proceeded thence to dine at Harrow on the Hill There were fifteen barouche landaus with four horses Lord Hawke the Honourable Lincoln Stanhope and Mr Buxton were among the leaders Lincoln Stanhope was
one of the most popular men of the day He was never known to say an unkind word never known to do an unkind action Peace be with him for he was one in whom the soldier the courtier and the man of honour were sO happily blended that when a few of his remain ing compatriots shall have passed away I fear we may long search the fashionable throng in vain to find another The following was the style of the sets out of the Whip Club Yellow bodied carriages with whip springs and dickey boxes cattle of a bright bay colour with silver plate ornaments on the harness and rosettes to the ears The costume of the drivers consisted of a light drab coloured cloth coat made full single breasted with three tiers of pockets the skirts reaching to the ankles a mother o pearl button of the size of a crown piece waistcoat blue and yellow stripe each stripe an inch in depth small clothes corded silk plush made to button over the calf of the leg with sixteen strings and rosettes to each knee the boots very short and finished with very broad straps which hung over the tops and down to the ankle a hat three inches and a half deep in the crown only and the same depth in the brim each wore a large bouquet
of flowers at the breast resembling the coach men of the nobility on a drawing room or levee day The popular song of the Whip Club ran as follows I only remember the first verse With spirits gay we mount the box the tits up to the traces Our elbows squared our wrists turned down dash off at awful paces With Buxton bit bridoon so trim three chestnuts and a grey Well coupled up the wheelers then Ya hip we bowl away Lennox, W. P. (1876). Coaching: With Anecdotes of the Road. United Kingdom: Hurst and Blackett.

Here is another source with the famous Mr Buxton:

we mentioned the names of Sir Charles and Mr Buxton and stated that we were en route to Salt Hill to dine with the Whip Club the man of oats said he would do his best and calling to one of his deputies begged that every care might be taken of the young gen tlemen's horses In due time the caval cade arrived consisting of the following teams Mr Buxton's barouche landau four bays Lord Portarlington's ditto Lord Hawke's ditto Sir HV Tempest's ditto Mr Champion's ditto
Mr Wallace's ditto Captain Agar's ditto with greys Lord E Somerset's ditto four bays Sir T Mostyn's ditto Sir H Smith's ditto Lord Foley's ditto Mr J Warde's ditto Mr Annesley's ditto four roans Of the above not one remains They were and oh how many sorrows crowd Into those two brief words The principal vehicles were painted bright yellow hung high with arms and crests on the door panels In the harness the Bux ton bit Hawke head territt the Butler bearing hook and the Rogers ring were in vogue The arms and crests were richly embossed on the winkers pads nose bands and breast plates while scollop shells on the hame tugs were substituted for the scroll ornaments in chased work which had previ ously been the fashion The drivers were
furnished with white box coats horns for shooters were not then in fashion and spare bars and traces Sir Charles had now de scended from the box and after inquiring of us what we had paid for our tandems for the Westminster livery stable man never gave tick for such forbidden amusements held a conversation with the ostler which ended in his desiring a couple of steady men to drive the two vehicles back to London leaving the leaders to follow with a helper as they were pronounced by the master of the horse at the George to be out and out bad ones and warment enuff to floor any shay Lennox, W. P. (1851). Percy Hamilton; Or, The Adventures of a Westminster Boy. United Kingdom: W. Shoberl.

Rather reminds one of a modern luxury car club.  Here is more about Buxton and the clubs:

The prestige which immediately surrounded the original driving club caused applications for membership to flow in but it was decided not to exceed the number of 25 so in 1808 Mr Charles Buxton the inventor of the Buxton bit together with one or two of his friends were instrumental in founding a second society called the Four Horse Club but often though erroneously known as the Four in Hand Club the Whip Club and the Barouche Club It no doubt re ceived the last named appellation owing to the fact that its members drove a sort of barouche In the Sporting Magazine for February 1809 under the heading Carriages for the Whip Club a contributor wrote The Vis landau will be the fashionable carriage among the members of the Whip Club this season This carriage differs from the vis à vis in respect to its size the former carries four the latter only two It is round on one side with a single sweep from elbow to door rail the roof is less round than heretofore the joints are of Prince's metal or plated the crests in raised silver in a garter on the head plates arms on door and end panels The Vis landau differs from the barouche by reason of the former being divested of the sword case behind and the sweep in the fore panel which latter gains another seat or two There are two lamps in front The body is yellow between a patent and a king's yellow the carriage is red picked out with black its length is 8 feet and the body is hung 4 feet from the ground on German instead of Polignac springs It has a barouche box instead of a fixed or Salisbury one and is
hung to the body with open fore end The lining is of dark blue with blue and yellow lace Lord Sefton Lord Saye and Sele Lord Hawke the Hon M Hawke Messrs Butler Best and Buxton will exhibit a splendid appearance The club rules however merely said that the barouches should be yellow bodied with dickies the horses bay with rosettes at their heads and the harness silver mounted Inasmuch as Mr Annesley drove roans and Sir Henry Peyton greys however the stipulation as to the colour of the horses does not appear to have been strictly enforced Duke of Beaufort, H. C. F. S. (1889). Driving, by the Duke of Beaufort, with Contributions by Other Authorities. United Kingdom: Longman.

So it clearly was a fashionable carriage, at least for a time, and one Austen would have seen while in London riding around in her brother’s barouche (Hill, C. (1923). Jane Austen: Her Homes & Her Friends. United Kingdom: John Lane.). Or at least read about them in the newspapers.

They were summer carriages, with convertible like tops and some weather proofing but not much, but perfect for a party to be trotted around. And evidently popular with the notable whips of the day, who drove them neck and nothing while also dressed up.

I think Austen intended it to demonstrate Mrs. Elton as a social climber, apeing the fashionable circles, and name dropping everything from her brother in law to the fashionable equippages of family and neighbors. Its doubtless the double sided folding top, coupled with the flat, elongated body that made it look like a fish cart. I am not entirely sure about the comparison to a music caravan, but its clear the thing looked a bit ridiculous to many.

I can think of some modern comparisons, and I am sure you can too!

Learn more:

Episode 108: The Thing About the Barouche-landau

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