How did people in Britain get about before 1820?

[kevinf2349]

I would imagine that stage coaches were used a fair bit if the passenger could afford the fares of course. I know  would prefer to ride if I could!

Kevin

[seank]

Having carried out a one-name-study it seems to me that few labourers moved very far from where they were born, though there seems not uncommon to move around parishes within a 15-20 mile radius (as people have said, this is easy travelling distance). There were farmers and traders regularly travelling to markets and hauliers carrying goods by cart (like todays long distance truck drivers) along arterial routes.

In my experience, the people that moved further than this were either 'of means' ...or in the army. Men who joined the local militia seemed to end up travelling massive distances, from one end of the UK to the other and overseas.

Very interesting topic of discussion, I've enjoyed reading it!!

[Neil Todd]

4 miles an hour was the usual fit pace of people prior to the industrial revolution and has been used as a standard walking pace ever since. However people were fitter then than now because of the neccesity to walk almost everywhere. 5 M/hour was not out of the question so 30 to 40 miles in a day unladen is not also. This would have been a pretty big journey however. Hamlets and towns were not that far apart and if not already carried meals could be had although simple by our standards. For longer journeys those who did not go first class could ride on the outside of the coach and twenty people could be carried this way. Also commercial carts plied the highways and for a very small fee could offer a ride, this was in addition to farm carts on their way to markets. By the way you are thinking of areas already settled and roads constructed in my country of Australia the distances very very much larger and the opportunities for a ride much less and people walked distances of 600 miles to seek work.

Neil

[coombs]

London was a honeypot for people from other parts of the UK. I have ancestors who were from London and some of their lines came from Norfolk, Sussex, Kent, probably Dorset or Somerset and France.

[Nick29]

Farm workers in the 1800s often worked in 'gangs', sleeping in a cart overnight.  This cart was quite large, and acted like a caravan, providing somewhere to sleep, and to store provisions for the week.  The men would work from the cart Monday to Friday (or Saturday), and come home on Sundays.  The cart could take the men quite a long way from home.

[ScouseBoy]

Has anyone mentioned the Canals yet?

You could  pay for a trip on a canal boat.

[coombs]

In 1844 railways were introduced and travelling around increased even more. Interesting about the cart for farm workers.

[Heather24Anne]

1615 - I am amazed at the number of people who read these posts.....

[coombs]

Never underestimate the distances some people travelled even before 1820.