DONNELLY Stagecoach

  Stagecoach History & Facts: 

   The Concord stagecoach was constructed in Concord, New Hampshire by the Abbot and Downing Company, (1826). Costing $1200 - $1500 (a lot of money back then), these coaches weighed more than two thousand pounds. Mark Twain is said to have called them, "cradles on wheels", because of their 'thorough brace construction'... the coach sat on two, three-inch leather strips that helped to soften the ride over rough terrain.

   At the front and back of the stagecoach were leather 'boots' where baggage, mail and valuables were stored during the journey, with the remainder of the luggage being placed on top of the coach.  Sometimes, even passengers sat atop the coach, but most chose to endure the rugged trip inside the wretched contraptions, if it wasn't too crowded. If it was, a single stagecoach would hold nine passengers inside, and a dozen or more on the roof.

   The windows of a stagecoach had leather roll-down curtains, and three leather- covered seats that offered little legroom. Most travellers had about fifteen inches to squeeze themselves into if the coach carried a capacity of nine passengers. The one stuck in the middle usually had the worst of it, because there was no back support. Instead, they had to hold onto leather straps that hung from the ceiling. Considering the fact that the average speed was only eight miles an hour, this probably made for a pretty long and rugged journey, resulting in many a back ache.

This photograph is a replica of a Wells Fargo stagecoach.

The Donnelly's stagecoach might have looked much like this replica.

   The Donnelly Stagecoach Line is believed to have been launched on Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24th, 1873 by William Donnelly. Right from the beginning, it was a huge success, due mostly to the Donnelly's astute business sense, and courteous conduct with their clients. The line of stages, that ran between London, Lucan and Exeter, was operated by William and his brothers, Michael, John and Thomas, and for a time, it did very well, even rivaling the official mail stage that had been in business since 1838.

   At the same time, there was another stagecoach business, the Hawkshaw stage, an opposition line that soon felt the pressure of competition from the Donnelly's successful enterprise. The brothers were aggressive salesmen when it came to promoting and running their stagecoach, so it wasn't long before their competition felt the heat. In October 1873, Hawkshaw sold his stage to Patrick Flanagan, a husky Irishman, who was hell-bent on running the Donnelly Stagecoach into the ground.

   This set the stage for the rivalry between the Donnelly Stagecoach and the Flanagan & Crawly Stage which intensified to an all-out feud between the two companies -- The Stagecoach Feud -- as it came to be known. What followed was a reign of violence that gripped Biddulph by the throat. Stages were either smashed or burned, horses were savagely beaten or destroyed, and stables burned to the ground.

   According to Ray Fazakas, author of 'The Donnelly Album', the Donnellys operated their stagecoach business for about ten years. The violence that erupted as a result of the Stagecoach Feud, was not only blamed (for the most part) on the Donnellys, but also gave the family their bad reputations. Word quickly spread throughout Lucan and the surrounding area that: "none could cross the path of a Donnelly without incurring the vengeance of the family, who never rested until the wrong had been atoned for either in the persons or property of the offenders" In short, the Donnellys "neither forgot or forgave an injury".  (The Biddulph Tragedy -- London Free Press, 1880)

   So ended the days of the Donnelly Stagecoach. It started on a good note, but ended bitterly, thus giving the Donnellys the reputation they have become famous for. From that time on, almost every depredation committed was blamed on the notorious family. If someone's barn was burned down, angry fingers pointed at the Donnellys. If a farmer's prized cow was stolen, or his cattle found mutilated in the fields, the Donnellys were blamed. But as the newspapers of the day point out... although the family was charged for numerous crimes, "few convictions were secured against them".

To find out more information about the Donnelly Stagecoach, please read: 

"The Donnelly Album" by: Ray Fazakas -- Macmillan of Canada, 1977.

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