I agree with Deb - in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (published in 1813),
Mr. Darcy refers to 50 miles as 'an easy distance':

*******
``It must be very agreeable to her to be settled within so easy a distance
of her own family and friends.''

``An easy distance do you call it? It is nearly fifty miles.''

``And what is fifty miles of good road? Little more than half a day's
journey. Yes, I call it a very easy distance.''

*******

Hope this helps!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandra Smith
John & Neville Bryan Director of Museum Collections
Stewardship of Historic Sites
National Trust for Historic Preservation
202-588-6154 voice
202-588-6232 fax
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Deb Fuller [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: Horse Carriage Speed

--- "Roath, Patricia" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Stage stops are typically about 10 miles apart--a day's travel.  A stage
> coach is a relatively heavy coach, usually drawn by a pair.  Size, design
&
> weight of the vehicle, freight, number of people, and type & number of
> animals are all variables in how far or fast a vehicle can travel.

10 miles a day? I could walk that - granted not loaded down with trunks -
but
that doesn't seem like very far for a stagecoach. Horses can trot about 8-10
mph so I would think that a coach could travel at least 20-30 miles a day
with
breaks and two to four good horses pulling it.

Aren't towns in England typically about 10 miles apart which is how far an
ox-cart could travel in a day?

Deb

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