[PW] Re: London to Berlin travel time before railways

[Adrian Smith]

There's a discrepancy in dates of >10 days between these 2 accounts, for
the same journey, Hanover-Greenwich (London)

http://www.william1.co.uk/article_5.htm

In December 1680 young George embarked on a journey to England. He was
well received and, at one point, believed himself in the running for the
hand of Princess Anne (later Queen Anne whom he succeeded). However, he
was suddenly recalled to Hanover by his father.

---------------------

George was in no haste to leave Hanover. He placed the government of the
Electorate in the hands of a council presided over by Ernest Augustus,
his youngest brother, and eventually departed without ceremony on 31
August. He travelled by stages to The Hague and set sail on 16 September
on the yacht Peregrine, escorted by a squadron of twenty British naval
ships under the command of Admiral Berkeley. Fog delayed his landing but
he finally set foot on English soil at Greenwich on the 18th at 6 p.m. 

http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon53.html

George, Elector of Hanover since 1698, ascended the throne upon the
death of Queen Anne, under the terms of the 1701 Act of Settlement. His
mother had recently died and he meticulously settled his affairs in
Hanover before coming to England.

The pale little 54 year-old man arrived in Greenwich on September 29,
1714

After ruling England for thirteen years, George I died of a stroke on a
journey to his beloved Hanover on October 11, 1727.

-----------

Adrian Smith, Headingley

-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] 

On Behalf Of Peter Macinnis
Sent: 04 November 2006 04:35
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: [PW] London to Berlin travel time before railways


This is for me, so please do not engage in over-exertion.  I need to 
know how long it would take a traveller or a messenger to get from 
Berlin to London in pre-steam transport, say around 1750 to 1820, 
assuming no warfare or bad weather at the time.

I am seeking a comparison with the six minutes taken for a telegraphic 
signal to advise Queen Victoria in Windsor of the birth of the future 
Kaiser Wilhelm II, her grandson, in Berlin.

The messenger time (such as that of a King's Messenger) would be best, 
but I suspect the only way this will show up is in Googling far cleverer

than mine, or in somebody knowing that X had an account of such a trip 
in a journal.  Pointers in the right direction will do.

If needs must be, I will do some sums based on approximate road 
distances and sea routes, but it would be nice to have real figures. 
Casanova made the trip, but seems to have swanned around -- I am seeking

a diligent traveller's account.

in hope

-- 
   _--|\    Peter Macinnis       petermacinnis at ozemail.com.au
  /     \   Runner-up, Wallangumba submarine chess festival,
  \.--._*   unusually unreliable source on double negatives,
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