State coach
Peters and Son
Category
Carriages & other vehicles
Date
circa 1850
Materials
Glass, Ivory, Leather, Silver, Textile, Wood
Measurements
2240 x 1950 mm; 4570 mm (Length)19 cwt (Wt)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
National Trust Carriage Museum
NT 272916
Summary
State Coach built for the Earl de la Warr by Peters and Son of London, circa 1850.
Full description
This typical 19th century state coach was built by Peters and Son, London, for George John Sackville-West, 5th Earl de la Warr (1791-1869), a politician who served as Lord of the Bedchamber to both George III and George IV and who was appointed Lord Chamberlain to both Sir Robert Peel and Lord Derby. Earl de la Warr married Elizabeth, daughter of the 3rd Duke of Dorset at Knole in Kent in 1813. Although they spent most of their married life at Buckhurst Park in East Sussex, the coach was always kept at Knole and remained there until the 1980’s when it was moved to the Carriage Museum at Arlington Court. Being a coach, it could carry four passengers in the body. It would have been pulled by a pair of horses driven by a coachman. The decorative seat cloth covering his seat is called a hammer cloth. Two footmen would stand on the footmen’s cushion, the padded platform behind the body. The silver plated fittings and furniture are unusually fine, including crested door handles, snake head body loops decorated with acanthus leaves, and heavily ornamented lamps. The interior trimming, although sadly dilapidated is in beautiful ivory silk and Melton cloth, with superb carriages laces (the coach trimmer’s term for braids). It probably dates from the mid 1800s. CJN 21.06.08 BODY Leather covered roof only, on roof there are screwed sockets at corners for coronets which are missing. Hole for communication cord. Doors On concealed hinges with figure of eight handles incorporating De la Warr crest [check]. Key operated budget lock on door. Steps Double folding steps at doors. Jags worked on outer stock hoops of front wheels. Oval jagged plate treads on outer roller bolts. Steps mounted on Salisbury boot. Double rectangular jagged plate steps for footmen. Windows Lowering windows in doors and lowering single front window. Panel blinds at all windows. Rectangular back light with rounded corners. Lamps Cylindrical lamps with three tier chimneys with foliate crown decoration at top sliver plating polished off. External Furniture Silver plated. Snake head body loops with acanthus leaf chased decoration. CARRIAGE Wheels 12 and 14 spoke English pattern wheels with flat iron tyres Axles Collinge’s axles compassed down. Hind axle cranked down adjacent to under springs. Springs C springs and under springs. Fore carriage Close futchell fore carriage with straight beds. Full wheel plate and sway bar beneath perch. Splinter bar compassed down beneath futchells. Salisbury boot mounted on blocks carved in form of Corinthian capitals. [check pole] Perch Plated wood perch compassed to match profile of underside of body. Wings secured with shrunk bands. Hind carriage Straight hind axle bed and spring bed. Perch and wings bolted beneath axle bed and mortised through spring bed. Footman’s cushion mounted on deep scroll carved blocks. Brake No brakes or drag shoe and no provision for them. Paint Roof, upper panels and underside of floor - black. Lower panels - dark blue. Fine red line on body mouldings. Wheels and carriage - dark blue lined broad and two fine red lines. Carvings and mouldings painted to match. Panel blinds black with broad red line and two fine red lines in varnished mahogany frame. Heraldry Coat of arms on doors and lower front and back panels. Crest on fence rail panel, back mid panel and underside of footboard. Crest inside mantel [check] on lower ¼ panels. Leather Leather covered Salisbury boot with leather heel piece. Leather main braces incorporating separate buckled loop braces. Collar braces and check braces missing. Leather covered footman’s cushion. External Trimming Hammer cloth red wood cloth with double deep tassel bullion fringe around the bottom. Tassel fringe on bells and end panels incorporating silk covered wood hangers. Gimp fitted above all fringes and around top of hammer cloth. Coachman’s pad cushion also covered in red wool cloth. Coats of arms on hammer cloth missing, footmans’ holders missing. No evidence of headplates. Internal Trimming Interior lined and seat backs covered with striped pale gold silk taffeta with watered patterned ground. Seat cushions missing. Broad laces with ivory worsted foliage figure on pale gold silk ground and tassels incorporating floss silk covered hangings. Minor laces to match. Double loop hand holders and swing holders at each side of both doors. Spring curtains missing. Front spring curtain roller and other minor components wrapped up in a parcel under the seat. Head lining renewed in 1999. Wool carpet incorporating cut foliage pattern on sills. Main carpet missing. Very worn carpet on step treads, risers of blue morocco. Internal Furniture Ivory glass string slides and knobs. Communication cord not seen.
Makers and roles
Peters and Son, coach builder