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One-Horse Sleigh
This One-horse sleigh was built between 1880 and 1890, likely by ‘W.C Windover, Turrill & Sons’ at 22 Long Acre, London.
This eight foot long sleigh has red and black painted bodywork with red underframe and upholstery. A long front mudguard protects the main double seat near (for driver and passengers), and a rein holster in mounted on top of the mudguard. This example also comes with a rear mounted dickey seat and an additional foldable seat which can be pulled down from the front mudguard.
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Sleighs were an essential means of transport in the heavy snow of winter and have become synonymous with Christmas thanks to the song ‘jingle bells’ which was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont. However, the bells on sleighs were less about holiday spirit and more about essential road safety.
High-end sleighs and carriages such as this one was built in Long Acres, London, the heart of Victorian carriagemaking. This street housed many of the countries finest high-end carriagemakers, such as the Victoria Carriage Works, J & C Cooper and Windovers and Company.
This sleigh was built by ‘W.C Windover, Turrill & Sons’ which was a brief partnership between Mr. W.C Windover (of the famous Windover carriagemaking family) and Turrill & Sons, both based in Long Acres in the late 19th century.
This partnership was short lived and Mr. W.C Windover returned to Windovers and Company, whilst Turrill & Sons would struggle to adapt to the rise of motorcars during the 1910s. By 1915 the company merged with Mulliners Motor Body Builders.
- Measurements:
-
overall: 1490 mm x 960 mm x 2480 mm, 143 kg
- Object Number:
- 1937-631/1
- type:
- sleighs
- Image ©
- The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
