Private Omnibus for Pair, Ingestre

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Date:1870 - 1890 (c.)

Description:The Private Omnibus, also known as a Station Bus, came into use in the late 1860s and was probably the most versatile of all closed carriages. The larger ones were regarded as indispensable to the running of a large country house.

This omnibus was built in the late 19th Century by H & A Holmes of Derby, Lichfield and London and comes from the collection of the 20th Earl of Shrewsbury of Ingestre. It can seat up to eight people inside which would require a team of four horses. Smaller omnibuses seating only four people inside were light enough to be drawn by only one horse. Large omnibuses were often owner driven, especially on informal country and sporting occasions. On these outings the omnibus was used as a grandstand and could come equipped with folding lunch tables which fitted between the seats. When coachman-driven, they were used both for station work and for social driving when large numbers of passengers had to be carried. Luggage was carried on the roof, held secure by the low luggage rail.

This Omnibus has been modified in the past. The box seat has an unusual deep wood valance and is surprisingly low for a large omnibus of this style. Evidence indicates that after construction the original seat was found to be too low and a second board was fitted above the original. These changes, and the somewhat crude paintwork, may date from the Second World War, when it was used to transport visitors to and from Ingestre Hall when petrol rationing was in place.

This horse-drawn carriage is from the Staffordshire County Museum collection. You can find out more about the Private Omnibus and see 3D imaging that you can rotate and zoom in to explore detail at the Staffordshire Carriage Collection website: http://www.staffordshirecarriages.org.uk/single-private-omnibus/


Timeline

The timeline shows resources around this location over a number of years.

1820s
Sleigh for Single Horse, Ingestre
Sleigh for Single Horse, Ingestre

This single horse sleigh dates from the 1820s and has a seat for two. It beloged ...

1870s
Single Omnibus, Ingestre
Single Omnibus, Ingestre

This Private Omnibus for a single horse belonged to the 2oth Earl of Shrewsbury ...

1890s
Earl of Shrewsbury's State Chariot, Ingestre
Earl of Shrewsbury's State Chariot, Ingestre

State Chariots, also known as Dress Chariots, were used for court and formal occasions ...

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Donor ref:64.064.0001 (37/35627)

Source: Staffordshire Museum Service

Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.