Transcript

of

Robert Foale [Obituary]

Trans. Devon Assoc., 1878, Vol X, p. 54-55.

by

W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

The first stage coach service from Kingsbridge with Plymouth, was started by Robert Foale, the proprietor of the Kings Arms Hotel in 1824 - a twice weekly service with his coach the ‘Telegraph’ that went well until the coming of the South Devon railway in 1848. This put the fast coaches from Exeter to Plymouth out of business and one driver, John Tucker, came to Kingsbridge looking for a new route. He started in opposition with a coach called ‘Mazeppa’ and immediately fierce rivalry ensued, even to drive each other off the road, to get to Plymouth first, a thrilling and hair-raising experience which ultimately ended in a serious crash that led to 40 years of collaboration and partnership. In 1836 the Plymouth to Kingsbridge stage coach was operated by Mr R Foale from Kingsbridge and Messrs W Rowe and Company from Plymouth. Each of them operated a single journey Monday to Saturday. Mr Foale’s licence was number 5637 and his coach could carry four passengers inside and eleven outside. Rowe’s vehicle was licence number 5663 and could carry four inside and eight outside. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Robert Foale was born at Kingsbridge in the year 1800, and for many years carried on the business of a carrier to various parts of the county. He was a man of considerable enterprise, and during the latter part of his life he was joint proprietor of the coaches running between Kingsbridge and Plymouth, and Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge-road Station. He was proprietor and host of the King's Arms Hotel, Kingsbridge, at which hostelry the Association dinner was held last year. He died in February, 1878, having been a member of the Association only a few months.