pack-horses, the lumbering coaches, and broad-wheeled
wagons of last century came the "fly wagons" in the early years of this
century, and with them the possibility of poor people once in a life
time getting a few miles from home, in case of absolute necessity. The
old tilted fly-wagon was used not only for taking up and delivering
goods too heavy to go by coach, but persons who could not afford the
coach fare of 3d. a mile or thereabouts, would find a place wedged in
among the goods at the back of the tilted wagon, sometimes packed away
in straw to keep warm. In this way, a whole family, placed under the
necessity of moving to a distant part, a comparatively rare occurrence
though, have had to remain doubled up in a cramped position day and
night, while the slow-going wagon creaked along its ponderous way, till
the younger members of the family party peeped out of their hole and
caught sight of the splendours of "the lights of London," in the long
rows of oil lamps which then illuminated Kingsland Road, by which
London from the north was entered, and anon the rendezvous at the
"Vine," or "Four Swans," in Bishopsgate, was reached, to the intense
relief of all!

In this primitive style, many a small tradesman has journeyed up to
London, and, having transacted his business, has returned in the same
manner two or three days afterwards.

{144}

Fly-wagons and vans travelled from London daily for Buntingford,
Royston, Cambridge, Fakenham, Boston, Stamford, York and Edinburgh.
Nearly all wagons on this road made their point of arrival and
departure in London at Bishopsgate Street--the Four Swans, the Vine,
and the Catherine Wheel being the usual inns.

The amount of goods traffic from Royston by these wagons was very
considerable, especially by the Wakefield wagons which conveyed the
wool from the combers in Royston to the Yorkshire Mills.

[Illustration: THIRD-CLASS TO LONDON.]

The coaching traffic at the beginning of the present century,
corresponded pretty much with express and stopping trains of the
present day. There were what may be called "main line" coaches from
London, through Royston to Edinburgh by the North Road (as well as by
other great roads through the Kingdom), and the "branch line" coaches,
such as those from London to Cambridge, Norwich, Fakenham, &c., and
from London to Ipswich, a route that figured so prominently in the
memorable adventures of Mr. Pickwick. The North Road through-coaches
did