Carriage
Category
Carriages & other vehicles
Date
c. 1840
Materials
Order this imageCollection
National Trust Carriage Museum
NT 2900385.1
Summary
Family travelling carriage with axle caps stamped ‘Pettle of Barnstaple’ made for Robert Chichester circa 1840. Carriage (four wheels) for two or four horses, with an unusually shaped coach body with space for a separate hind boot (now replaced) and a fixed coachman’s seat at the front with a hand break. The interior has two fixed seats, one facing forwards and one facing backwards, and is richly lined, padded and upholstered throughout in ivory coloured moiré silk and buff coloured woolcloth with matching decorative broadlaces and silk taffeta spring curtains. The replaced loop pile Brussels wool carpet is cream with blue sprigged flowers. With conventional windows at the back, and unusual inverted arched windows at the front. The boot sides are flush with the body panels, the roof and most of the upper panels are painted black and the lower panels yellow, with Robert Chichester’s coat of arms painted on the door panels. With replaced English pattern 12 and 14 spoke wheels painted yellow with black lining and with rubber tyres – the existing original wheels are iron clad. With elliptic springs at the front, and three springs - two side springs and a cross spring - behind. The hind footboard contains a luggage box and staples for a roof imperial (a new replacement is also with the carriage). With evidence of original internal folding steps which have now been replaced with external steps. The replacement wheels, hind boot and imperials are included in the donation. Along with the original wheels and x2 poles.
Provenance
Originally owned by Robert Chichester (1804-82) of Hall, a relative of Chichester's of Arlington. Purchased at auction, by Mr Garth Pedler in 1996 from the sale of the contents of Hall, North Devon. Gifted by Mr Garth Pedler to the National Trust in 2021.