the life of thomas telford-第15章

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entertained　against　the　turnpikes　were　so　strong；　that　in　some

places　the　country　people　would　not　even　use　the　improved　roads

after　they　were　made。*＇11＇　　For　instance；　the　driver　of　the

Marlborough　coach　obstinately　refused　to　use　the　New　Bath　road；　but

stuck　to　the　old　waggon…track；　called　〃Ramsbury。〃　　He　was　an　old

man；　he　said：　his　grandfather　and　father　had　driven　the　aforesaid

way　before　him；　and　he　would　continue　in　the　old　track　till

death。*＇12＇　　Petitions　were　also　presented　to　Parliament　against

the　extension　of　turnpikes；　but　the　opposition　represented　by　the

petitioners　was　of　a　much　less　honest　character　than　that　of　the

misguided　and　prejudiced　country　folks；　who　burnt　down　the

toll…houses。　It　was　principally　got　up　by　the　agriculturists　in　the

neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis；　who；　having　secured　the　advantages

which　the　turnpike…roads　first　constructed　had　conferred　upon　them；

desired　to　retain　a　monopoly　of　the　improved　means　of

communication。　They　alleged　that　if　turnpike…roads　were　extended

into　the　remoter　counties；　the　greater　cheapness　of　labour　there

would　enable　the　distant　farmers　to　sell　their　grass　and　corn

cheaper　in　the　London　market　than　themselves；　and　that　thus　they

would　be　ruined。*＇13＇



This　opposition；　however；　did　not　prevent　the　progress　of　turnpike

and　highway　legislation；　and　we　find　that；　from　l760　to　l774；　no

fewer　than　four　hundred　and　fifty…two　Acts　were　passed　for　making

and　repairing　highways。　　Nevertheless　the　roads　of　the　kingdom　long

continued　in　a　very　unsatisfactory　state；　chiefly　arising　from　the

extremely　imperfect　manner　in　which　they　were　made。



Road…making　as　a　profession　was　as　yet　unknown。　　Deviations　were

made　in　the　old　roads　to　make　them　more　easy　and　straight；　but　the

deep　ruts　were　merely　filled　up　with　any　materials　that　lay　nearest

at　hand；　and　stones　taken　from　the　quarry；　instead　of　being　broken

and　laid　on　carefully　to　a　proper　depth；　were　tumbled　down　and

roughly　spread；　the　country　road…maker　trusting　to　the　operation　of

cart…wheels　and　waggons　to　crush　them　into　a　proper　shape。　　Men　of

eminence　as　engineersand　there　were　very　few　such　at　the　time

considered　road…making　beneath　their　consideration；　and　it　was　even

thought　singular　that；　in　1768；　the　distinguished　Smeaton　should

have　condescended　to　make　a　road　across　the　valley　of　the　Trent；

between　Markham　and　Newark。



The　making　of　the　new　roads　was　thus　left　to　such　persons　as　might

choose　to　take　up　the　trade；　special　skill　not　being　thought　at　all

necessary　on　the　part　of　a　road…maker。　　It　is　only　in　this　way　that

we　can　account　for　the　remarkable　fact；　that　the　first　extensive

maker　of　roads　who　pursued　it　as　a　business；　was　not　an　engineer；

nor　even　a　mechanic；　but　a　Blind　Man；　bred　to　no　trade；　and

possessing　no　experience　whatever　in　the　arts　of　surveying　or

bridge…building；　yet　a　man　possessed　of　extraordinary　natural

gifts；　and　unquestionably　most　successful　as　a　road…maker。

We　allude　to　John　Metcalf；　commonly　known　as　〃Blind　Jack　of

Knaresborough；〃　to　whose　biography；　as　the　constructor　of　nearly

two　hundred　miles　of　capital　roadsas；　indeed；　the　first　great

English　road…makerwe　propose　to　devote　the　next　chapter。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　V。



*＇1＇　Lady　Luxborough；　in　a　letter　to　Shenstone　the　poet；　in　1749；

says；〃A　Birmingham　coach　is　newly　established　to　our　great

emolument。　Would　it　not　be　a　good　scheme　（this　dirty　weather；　when

riding　is　no　more　a　pleasure）　for　you　to　come　some　Monday　in　the

said　stage…coach　from　Birmingham　to　breakfast　at　Barrells；

（for　they　always　breakfast　at　Henley）；　and　on　the　Saturday　following

it　would　convey　you　back　to　Birmingham；　unless　you　would　stay　longer；

which　would　be　better　still；　and　equally　easy；　for　the　stage　goes

every　week　the　same　road。　It　breakfasts　at　Henley；　and　lies　at

Chipping　Horton；　goes　early　next　day　to　Oxford；　stays　there　all　day

and　night；　and　gets　on　the　third　day　to　London；　which　from

Birmingham　at　this　season　is　pretty　well；　considering　how　long　they

are　at　Oxford；　and　it　is　much　more　agreeable　as　to　the　country　than

the　Warwick　way　was。〃



*＇2＇　We　may　incidentally　mention　three　other　journeys　south　by

future　Lords　Chancellors。　　Mansfield　rode　up　from　Scotland　to

London　when　a　boy；　taking　two　months　to　make　the　journey　on　his　pony。

Wedderburn's　journey　by　coach　from　Edinburgh　to　London；　in　1757；

occupied　him　six　days。　　〃When　I　first　reached　London；〃　said

the　late　Lord　Campbell；　〃I　performed　the　same　journey　in　three

nights　and　two　days；　Mr。　Palmer's　mail…coaches　being　then

established；　but　this　swift　travelling　was　considered　dangerous　as

well　as　wonderful；　and　I　was　gravely　advised　to　stay　a　day　at　York；

as　several　passengers　who　had　gone　through　without　stopping　had

died　of　apoplexy　from　the　rapidity　of　the　motion！〃



*＇3＇　C。　H。　Moritz：　'Reise　eines　Deutschen　in　England　im　Jahre　1782。'

Berlin；　1783。



*＇4＇　Arthur　Young's　'Six　Weeks'　Tour　in　the　Southern　Counties　of

England　and　Wales；'　2nd　ed。；　1769；　pp。　88…9。



*＇5＇　'Six　Weeks　Tour'　in　the　Southern　Counties　of　England　and

Wales；'　pp。　153…5。　　The　roads　all　over　South　Wales　were　equally

bad　down　to　the　beginning　of　the　present　century。　　At　Halfway；　near

Trecastle；　in　Breconshire；　South　Wales；　a　small　obelisk　is　still　to

be　seen；　which　was　erected　to　commemorate　the　turn　over　and

destruction　of　the　mail　coach　over　a　steep　of　l30　feet；　the　driver

and　passengers　escaping　unhurt。



*＇6＇　'A　Six　Months'　Tour　through　the　North　of　England；'　vol。　iv。；

p。　431。



*＇7＇　Letter　to　Wyatt；　October　5th；　1787；　MS。



*＇8＇　Act　15　Car。　II。；　c。　1。



*＇9＇　The　preamble　of　the　Act　recites　that　〃The　ancient　highway　and

post…road　leading　from　London　to　York；　and　so　into　Scotland；　and

likewise　from　London　into　Lincolnshire；　lieth　for　many　miles　in　the

counties　of　Hertford；　Cambridge；　and　Huntingdon；　in　many　of　which

places　the　road；　by　reason　of　the　great　and　many　loads　which　are

weekly　drawn　in　waggons　through　the　said　places；　as　well　as　by

reason　of　the　great　trade　of　barley　and　malt　that　cometh　to　Ware；

and　so　is　conveyed　by　water　to　the　city　of　London；　as　well　as　other

carriages；　both　from　the　north　parts　as　also　from　the　city　of

Norwich；　St。　Edmondsbury；　and　the　town　of　Cambridge；　to　London；　is

very　ruinous；　and　become　almost　impassable；　insomuch　that　it　is

become　very　dangerous　to　all　his　Majesty's　liege　people　that　pass

that　way；〃　&c。



*＇10＇　Down　to　the　year　1756；　Newcastle　and　Carlisle　were　only

connected　by　a　bridle　way。　　In　that　year；　Marshal　Wade　employed　his

army　to　construct　a　road　by　way　of　Harlaw　and　Cholterford；

following　for　thirty　miles　the　line　of　the　old　Roman　Wall；　the

materials　of　which　he　used　to　construct　his　〃agger〃　and　culverts。

This　was　long　after　known　as　〃the　military　road。〃



*＇11＇　The　Blandford　waggoner　said；　〃Roads　had　but　one　objectfor

waggon…driving。　　He　required　but　four…foot　width　in　a　lane；　and　all

the　rest　might　go　to　the　devil。〃　　He　added；　〃The　gentry　ought　to

stay　at　home；　and　be　dd；　and　not　run　gossiping　up　and　down　the

country。〃Roberts's　'Social　History　of　the　Southern　Counties。'



*＇12＇　'Gentleman's　Magazine'　for　December；　1752。



*＇13＇　Adam　Smith's　'Wealth　of　Nations；'　book　i。；　chap。　xi。；　part　i。





CHAPTER　VI。



JOHN　METCALF；　ROAD…MAKER。



＇Image＇　Metcalf's　birthplace　Knaresborough



John　Metcalf　was　born　at　Knaresborough　in　1717；　the　son　of　poor

working　people。　　When　only　six　years　old　he　was　seized　with

virulent　small…pox；　which　totally　destroyed　his　sight。　　The　blind

boy；　when　sufficiently　recovered　to　go　abroad；　first　learnt　to

grope　from　door　to　door　along　the　walls　on　either　side　of　his

parents'　dwelling。　　In　about　six　months　he　was　able　to　feel　his　way

to　the　end　of　the　street　and　back　without　a　guide；　and　in　three

years　he　could　go　on　a　message　to　any　part　of　the　town。　　He　grew

strong　and　healthy；　and　longed　to　join　in　the　sports　of　boys　of　his

age。　　He　went　bird…nesting　with　them；　and　climbed　the　trees　while

the　boys　below　directed　him　to　the　nests；　receiving　his　share　of

eggs　and　young　birds。　　Thus　he　shortly　became　an　expert　climber；

and　could　mount　with　ease　any　tree　that　he　was　able　to　grasp。

He　rambled　into　the　lanes　and　fields　alone；　and　soon　knew　every　foot

of　the　ground　for　miles　round　Knaresborough。　　He　next　learnt　to

ride；　delighting　above　　all　things　in　a　gallop。　　He　contrived　to

keep　a　dog　and　coursed　hares：　indeed；　the　boy　was　the　marvel　of　the

neighbourhood。　　His　unrestrainable　activity；　his　acuteness　of　sense；

his　shrewdness；　and　his　cleverness；　astonished　everybody。



The　boy's　confidence　in　himself　was　such；　that　though　blind；　he　was

ready　to　undertake　almost　any　adventure。　　Among　his　other　arts　he

learned　to　swim　in　the　Nidd；　and　became　so　expert　that　on　one

occasion　he　saved　the　lives　of　three　of　his　companions。　　Once；　when

two　men　were　drowned　in　a　deep　part　of　the　river；　Metcalf　was　sent

for　to　dive　for　them；　which　he　did；　and　brought　up　one　of　the

bodies　at　the　fourth　diving：　the　other　had　been　carried　down　the

stream。　　He　thus　also　saved　a　manufacturer's　yarn；　a　large　quantity

of　which　had　been　carried　by　a　sudden　flood　into　a　deep　hole　under

the　High　Bridge。　　At　home；　in　the　evenings；　he　learnt　to　play　the

fiddle；　and　became　so　skilled　on　the　instrument；　that　he　was　shortly

able　to　earn　money　by　playing　dance　music　at　country　parties。

At　Christmas　time　he　played　waits；　and　during　the　Harrogate　season

he　played　to　the　assemblies　at　the　Queen's　Head　and　the　Green　Dragon。



On　one　occasion；　towards　dusk；　he　acted　as　guide　to　a　belated

gentleman　along　the　difficult　road　from　York　to　Harrogate。

The　road　was　then　full　of　windings　and　turnings；　and　in　many　places

it　was　no　better　than　a　track　across　unenclosed　moors。　　Metcalf

brought　the　gentleman　safe　to　his　inn；　〃The　Granby；〃　late　at　night；

and　was　invited　to　join　in　a　tankard　of　negus。　　On　Metcalf　leaving

the　room；　the　gentleman　observed　to　the　landlord〃I　think；

landlord；　my　guide　must　have　drunk　a　great　deal　of　spirits　since　we

came　here。〃　　〃Why　so；　Sir？〃　　〃Well；　I　judge　so；　from　the　appearance

of　his　eyes。〃　　〃Eyes！　bless　you；　Sir；〃　rejoined　the　landlord；　〃don't

yon　know　that　he　is　blind？〃　　〃Blind！　　What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃

〃I　mean；　Sir；　that　he　cannot　seehe　is　as　blind　as　a　stone。

〃Well；　landlord；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃this　is　really　too　much：

call　him　in。〃　　Enter　Metcalf。　　〃My　friend；　are　you　really　blind？〃

〃Yes；　Sir；〃　said　he；　〃I　lost　my　sight　when　six　years　old。〃　　〃Had　I

known　that；　I　would　not　have　ventured　with　you　on　that　road　from

York　for　a　hundred　pounds。〃　　〃And　I；　Sir；〃　said　Metcalf；　〃would　not

have　lost　my　way　for　a　thousand。〃



Metcalf　having　thriven　and　saved　money；　bought　and　rode　a　horse　of

his　own。　　He　had　a　great　affection　for　the　animal；　and　when　he

called；　it　would　immediately　answer　him　by　neighing。　　The　most

surprising　thi