Carriage Foundation
Listed in 1 collection
Listed at 1 museum
Listed for 1 maker
Quick Details
Carriage Type
Panel Boot Victoria
Date of Production
1840
Accession or Inventory Number
NT 582150
Materials used
Paint, Wood, Iron, Leather, Wool Box Cloth, Brass, RubberSummary of Panel Boot Victoria
Panel Boot Victoria for a single or pair of horses. The body of this Panel Boot Victoria has a rounded profile and is sprung on elliptic and elliptic C springs. The body is deeper than most, and has a folding leather head on straight joints. There is a hinged occasional seat in the back of the boot. The structure of this carriage shows that the coachman’s seat board has been raised 3” above its original height. Upholstered in black wool cloth. Painted black and brown with red lining
Victorias are open carriages, driven by a coachman with a footman sitting next to him. The low comfortable body carries two, or occasionally three if it has a folding seat stowed in the back of the boot. The low access, elegant style and comfortable seating made the Victoria very popular with ladies for fine weather use.
Dimensions
Height: 4ft 6"
Length: 7ft 4"
Width: 5ft 2"
Full description
A very good example of a Panel Boot Victoria with a rounded profile and a body deeper than most carriages of this type. The carriage has a folding head on straight joints and a hinged occasional seat in the back of the boot. The foot board is mounted on moulded brackets. The structure shows that the coachman’s seat board has been raised 3” above its original height. It has a single seat rail and a lift out heel board. The principal steps are flanged metal plates with curved “cages” at the back. Jags are worked on the outer stock hoops on the front wheels and there are rectangular plate steps with a diamond tread pattern at the brackets to mount the coachman's seat. The wings, dashboard, whip socket, seat valance (the valance including its pin bead has been painted black), head and head valance are in leather with the wings having a crackled surface.
This carriage has square lamps with a brass trim and single tier chimneys. The candle holder caps are missing, they have been replaced by threaded fittings, and there are also holes in the bottom of the candle holders which show that they have been electrified. The lamps and their sockets have been drilled so that they can be bolted in place. The wheels are 12 and 14 spoke English pattern wheels with grey wired on rubber tyres with collinge patent axles. Sprung on elliptic springs at the front and elliptic C springs at the back with a conventional open futchell fore carriage with timber components that are very nicely moulded and carved.
A pole and a pair of shafts are attached to this carriage. The pole has a brass-plated pole head fitting with swivel and loose rings and the shafts have three-position adjustable tug stops and iron breeching staples. A lever action brake with wood blocks and brass handle is fitted with the brake rack bolted to top of coachman’s seat board.
Black paint with no lining covers the boot, body frame and underside of the floor. Body panels, wheels and under carriage are painted brown with single red line. The coachman's seat is covered with an inferior black wool cloth and has a seat fall in a similar cloth. A black rubber ribbed mat is on the foot board and front floor (new). The principal seat cushion, seat back, quarter squabs, seat fall and cushions on hinged seat are all covered with a deep buttoned black vinyl imitation leather. The seat fall is particularly inappropriate, but it has the original dark blue broad lace border. There is a fitted apron of similar vinyl lined with black wool cloth for the principal seat. It has been made too short and the rings on the straps at the back corners do not reach the studs to which they should be attached. The head cloth is lined with an inferior black wool cloth edged with an incorrect furnishing braid. All of the interior trimming is new.
Inscriptions
On the hind axle caps: STEVENSON, PARADE, LEAMINGTON
On the offside front axle cap: SIR Wm ANGUS SANDERSON & Co.Ld. NEWCASTLE
Stamped on the candle holders within the structure of the lamps: PURROTT & WILLARD. PATENT. BROAD St. B’HAM
On the outside face of the two back tyres: PURVIS. NEWCASTLE
Condition report
The condition of the body structure is good, with no splits in the panels. There are slight splits in the floor boards. The lamps are generally sound except the chimney of the offside lamp, which is loose in the body and its top plate has been flattened. A hole has been cut in the top plate of the nearside lamp. The structure of the wheels is tight and there is hardly any cracked paint at structural joints. The tyres are hardly worn but there are some small rubber losses on the front tyres and some flat sections on all tyres. This suggests that the tyres are relatively soft and the carriage has been standing in the same position for too long. The fore carriage is rather stiff to turn and there is no grease on the underside of the wheel plate. The paint is sound and secure but there is evidence of careless painting with paint splashes and paint where it should not be on the underside of the footboard and on the sides of the rubber tyres.
Access information
This Panel Boot Victoria is in the care of the National Trust at Wallington House.
Wallington House
Cambo,
near Morpeth,
Northumberland,
NE61 4AR
Picture credit
The National Trust / Donald Bovill & Susan McCormack