Coach (carriage) facts for kids
A coach is a large, usually closed, four-wheeled vehicle. It is pulled by two or more horses working together as a team. A coachman or postilion controls the horses. Coaches have doors on the sides and usually front and back seats inside. The driver sits on a small, raised seat in front called a coach box.
The word "coach" first appeared in the 15th century. It quickly became popular across Europe. There are many different types of coaches. They vary based on their use, where they were made, and their size. Special horse breeds, like the now-extinct Yorkshire Coach Horse, were even developed just to pull these vehicles.
History of Coaches
The word "coach" comes from the Hungarian town of Kocs. In the 15th century, Kocs was known for its fast, light vehicles. These vehicles then became popular all over Europe.
Coaches were first brought to England around the middle of Queen Elizabeth I's reign. It is believed that Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel introduced them from France.
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A coach pulled by four horses is called a coach-and-four. When you talk about a coach, its horses, harness, and the people helping with it, you call it a turnout.
Early coaches, like the American Concord stagecoaches, had their bodies hung on strong leather straps. In the 1700s, steel springs were used instead. This was a big improvement for how smoothly the coach rode. An advertisement from 1754 in the Edinburgh Courant newspaper said:
The Edinburgh stage-coach, for the better accommodation of passengers, will be altered to a new genteel two-end glass coach-machine, hung on steel springs, exceedingly light and easy...
Coaches often had a special storage area called a boot. This was first used as a seat for the coachman. Later, it was used to store luggage. A luggage case placed on top of a coach was called an imperial. The front and rear axles (the rods connecting the wheels) were joined by a main shaft called the perch or reach. A crossbar, known as a splinter bar, helped support the springs. Artists often decorated coaches using a special brush called a liner.
In the 1800s, the word coach also started to be used for railway carriages. Later, it was used for motor coaches, which are like modern buses.
Types of Coaches
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There are many different kinds of coaches:
- araba: A type of coach used in Turkey and nearby countries.
- coachee: An American coach that looked like a regular coach but was longer and open at the front.
- Concord coach: A large, closed, horse-drawn coach. Its body swung on strong leather straps. The driver sat outside in front, and there was a covered space for luggage at the back.
- Park drag: A lighter, more elegant version of the Road Coach. It was owned by private people for their own use. A park drag has seats on its top and is usually pulled by four well-matched horses.
- fly: A horse-drawn coach used for public transport.
- Funeral coach: Another name for a hearse, which carries coffins.
- Hack or hackney: A coach that could be hired for money.
- Hackney coach or jarvey: A four-wheeled coach pulled by two horses, with seats for six people, used for hire.
- fiacre: A small hackney coach.
- Rumble-tumble: A heavy coach that made a deep rumbling sound as it moved.
- Stagecoach: A heavy, usually four-horse coach that made regular trips between stops, carrying people and goods.
- Mail coach or post coach: Used specifically for carrying mail.
- Mud wagon: Lighter and smaller than the Concord coach, with flat sides and simpler construction.
- Road coach: A type of coach that became popular again in England in the late 1800s.
- Tally-ho: A coach pulled by four horses. The Tally-ho was the name of a famous coach that traveled between London and Birmingham.
- Whirlicote: A heavy, very fancy coach.
A coach of state is a special coach used for important official events. In the United Kingdom, the main ceremonial coaches are the Gold State Coach, Irish State Coach, and Scottish State Coach.
Images for kids
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Catherine II's carved, painted and gilded Coronation Coach (Hermitage Museum)
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Park Drag Paris 1906
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Ornate detail on one of the Portuguese Royal Coaches at the National Coach Museum in Lisbon.
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Coaches are nowadays also used on ceremonial occasions. Here, a coach is used to convey President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson of Iceland during a state visit to Sweden.
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Coach of King D. Joao V, Portugal 18th century
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Coach of an imperial family, c. 1870
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The London-Farringdon coach, 1835
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"The Grand Gala Berlin", a coach constructed in Rome for pontiff Pope Leo XII in the years 1824–1826. Pope Gregory XVI requested some important modifications.
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A Gala Coupé, 18th century; Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels
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Drag of His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, president of the Four-in-Hand Driving Club
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The Fairman Rogers Four-in-Hand, by Thomas Eakins, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, 1880
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Pleasure driving 2009 Marathon competition Stoneleigh Park
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See also
In Spanish: Coche de caballos para niños
