Invalid carriage
John Ward
Category
Carriages & other vehicles
Date
1870
Materials
Painted wood body with black leather upholstery and three rubber shod wheels.
Measurements
123 x 212 x 114cm (4ft 1/2in x 6ft 11 1/2in x 3ft 9in)
Order this imageCollection
National Trust Carriage Museum
NT 272870.1
Caption
This carriage would appear to have been specially built to accommodate an invalid chair. It would have been wheeled up the hinged ramp at the back. (The wheels are no longer fitted to the chair). It was owner driven, and as it is painted in the colours of the Marquis of Bute we may presume it was built for him, or at least a close member of his family. This type of carriage is very similar to those used today by Driving for the Disabled.
Summary
Invalid Carriage built by John Ward of Leicester Square, London for the Marquis of Bute circa 1870. Invalid carriage (four wheels) for a single pony or donkey. The body is low and on elliptic springs. There is a black leather interior trim with one cushion. The carriage is painted in a livery of blue, with yellow lining,
Full description
Built by J. Ward of Leicester Square, London, this carriage, painted in the colours of the 6th Marquis of Bute would appear to have been specially built to accommodate an invalid chair, which can be wheeled into it up a hinged ramp at the back. The wheels are no longer fitted to the chair. A small pony, driven by the invalid, would draw the carriage. The wrought iron shafts are, unusually, in the shape of a wishbone. National Trust Guidebook (Hugh McCausland) This little carriage is a most unusual one, probably locally made. Drawn by a pony, it is in fact two separate things consisting of a seat which could be taken out and carried, fitted into a little four-wheeled carriage. Its uses for an elderly or infirm person in such a park as Arlington are obvious.
Provenance
This vehicle is the smallest of a collection of 8 horse-drawn carriages originally the property of the Marquis of Bute and given to The National Trust by the Museum of Wales.
Marks and inscriptions
On axle caps: J.WARD*LEICESTER SQUARE*LONDON On label underneath the seat: By her majesties Royal letters Patent and by Royal Appointment To her Majesty and the Roayl Family & to the Empress of Aistria, Russia, France & ? John Ward ? Leicester Square & 12 Leocester ? London Manufacturer of every kind of CHAIR, CARRIAGE, AND BED for the use & comfort of invalids No ? "Established more than a century"
Makers and roles
John Ward , carriage builder
References
Carriage Driving