Regency Advertisements: A Phaeton

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In my recent post on the Barouche Landau, I contemplated hybrid carriages and I think that has made me look out for variations on the traditional conveyance type I covered in my primer. Granted, my primer is now over a decade old and probably could use a refresh at some point.  If there is interest for me to develop a downloadable resource, leave me a comment.

In any case, I saw this ad for a crane-necked phaeton which was not a version of the phaeton I had read about (or maybe paid attention to) before.  I found a very good Victorian rundown of the crane-necked phaeton in my research:

coach box the driver sitting on one of the horses 6517 The phaeton of the end of last century was a very lofty open four wheeled Fig 857 carriage with a jointed head fig 857 it had a very showy appearance but from its pre posterous height was far from being safe whence probably its appellation from the fabled car of the son of Apollo It was for some time much in fashion and was a favourite driving carriage of George IV when Prince of Wales and also of Sir John Lad and other whips of the time There were several varieties of greater or less elevation and consequently hazard to the driver but we give in fig 858 a representation of the crane necked phaeton with iron perches from Ful ton's work On Carriages with a view to show the absurdity of the taste of those days and the improvement that has taken place since in carriage building It was considered from its comparative lightness and elevation above the dust of the roads to be an improvement on former vehicles and safer than those with two wheels but this lofty construction has now gone entirely out of use in consequence of the numer ous accidents often fatal which occurred

ous accidents often fatal which occurred Fig 858 Fig 858 represents a perch phaeton not long since made somewhat after the old fash ion but much reduced in height Webster, T., Parkes, W., Reese, D. M. (1856). The American Family Encyclopedia of Useful Knowledge, Or Book of 7223 Receipts and Facts: A Whole Library of Subjects Useful to Every Individual …. United States: Derby & Jackson.

According to a chart in McNeil’s 2002 book, the crane necked phaeton was invented circa 1780, and usually pulled by two or four horses.  It had four wheels and could accomodate two passengers, one which was the driver.

It would have been popular with whips, and like incredibly dangerous — possibly more so than the high perch or perch phaeton.

Here is a description, although it appears to be satirical, of one such incident:

 

THE MODERN FINE GENTLEMAN I SIR AM one TO THE of the most unfortunate men upon earth I take all the pains in the world to have a share in the at tention of the public and egad I can t get any body to take notice of me But I will give you a sketch of my history and leave you to judge for yourself At the death of an uncle who kindly had made me master of five thousand pounds by his last will and testament I emancipated from the fervile drudgery of a haberdasher's counter and refolved to set up for myself as a Gentleman I not only resolved to engage in the profeffion but Nature having given me a fpirit of fire I determined to make a figure in it and in short to distin guith myself in the world fomehow or other that is to say to enjoy the fu preme pleasure of being known and talked of by every body The first and most obvious method that occurred to me of attaining this defirable end was to be always in the pink of the mode Accordingly I had the fatisfaction of having the fourth if not the third white bat that was worn in this metropolis and my buckles were a full inch larger every way than Sir David Dimple's Would you be lieve it though with these qualifications 1 paraded at every public place and LOND MAG NOV 17800 EDITOR most likely was the subject of imitas tion I had the mortification of never being avowedly taken notice of Once indeed I had nearly fucceeded by run ning my crane necked phaeton foul of a brewer's dray and being thrown out of it into a neighbouring cellar but un fortunately for me Sir Jacky Jehu hav ing engrossed the public attention by driving his phaeton drawn by twelve Westminster electors against a fand man's jack ass on Newmarket course the only poor confolation I had for breaking my collar bone was seeing the affair in the Daily Advertiser but without my name in the paragraph This disfappointment increased the fever which the accident had brought on me and in a paroxyfm of rage I burnt my white hat broke my buckles and d d the Daily Advertiser forefwore crane necked phaetons forever and ever and resigned myself to water gruel and patience with a thorough contempt for the opinion of the public I As my bodily wound grew better that of my mind broke out anew looked round me and faw men rife into public notoriety merely by the fingularity of their appearance I im mediately bespoke a very small hat bought my footboy's little filver buckles which were almost worn out with clean ing SSS
ing had my head ornamented with a ramilie queue ordered my servant on pain of my displeasure to remember that I never shaved oftener than twice a week and as it was in the month of July I had a full fuit of velvet made up for me with short skirts I sweated through the fummer with some degree of fatisfaction as I had several times heard myfelf laughed at in the Mall with Who is he Some queer mor tal of rank and fortune I fuppofe or he would not dare to be so singular This confoled me for the attack of a fever in fpite of which I still buttoned my coat Winter coming on I found it necessary to change my dress velvet was laid by but alas ne ver shall I forget the fatal day the first time I had sported a cotton coat with dimity waistcoat and breeches the middle of December I was seized with a violent fit of the rheumatism which confined me to my room for weeks Convinced by experience my conftitution would oblige me fubmit to the fashion of the feafon gave up all thoughts of fingularity drefs A whim for scribbling then The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman’s Monthly Intelligencer. (1780). United Kingdom: R. Baldwin.

The article continues on, so if you would like to read click on the text image.

A fair amount of 90s Regency romances featured the crane-necked phaeton, so if you have been a Regency Reader for several decades the reference may be fuzzy in your memory.

McNeil, I. (2002). An Encyclopedia of the History of Technology. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

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