A Nineteenth Century Journey

The following is an extract from a letter written by James John Hissey an Author of 14 books on travel in the UK between 1884 and 1917 and owner of a 4h.p. Daimler.

Trevin Towers, Eastbourne 7 March 1899

My dear Bentley
No special news here. Trevin Towers stand where (it) did. The only noticeable addition being the motor car stables. The car itself is a great success. I have even a crude idea that perhaps, on some long summer day, I might venture to drive it over to Upton (near Slough). I find it to be a pleasant & novel sensation - a novel sensation that so far has not become commonplace - to glide apace across country, up hill and down dale, to the, to me, merry accompaniment of the arrhythmic chick.a.chick beating of the engines! But the 'fly in the ointment' (and a big fly too!) is that the horses one meets on the country roads look doubtfully on the newcomer as though he were a beast of prey rushing at them and so are inclined to bolt and make matters somewhat too exciting, this means a constant slowing down and much care on the part of the driver - but when the road is clear ahead and speed can be safely indulged in, there is something very exhilarating in running your own 'light' locomotive on the old coach roads - but your needs must be a bit of an engineer as well as a driver, and all men comment on this!
Jack is getting on famously at Harrow. (He would have been 14 years old)

Trevin Towers, Eastbourne

My dear Bentley 17 May 1899
As I wired you this morning we arrived home yesterday all well - and in time for afternoon tea.
We have both to thank you very much for all your kindness & hospitality during our most enjoyable visit: I know I was "a dull dog" and ought to have remained at home till my nerves had got over the influenza attack but your invitation was too tempting - selfishly I am glad I came and worried you for now I feel ever so much better for my Upton visit, already mountains begin to seem like molehills! My stay at Upton will always be a RED LETTER WEEK in my memory.
On leaving you we ran thro' to Reigate via Box Hill & Dorking without a stop - excepting a wayside halt to enjoy your thoughtful care of our welfare in the shape of sandwiches and "Scotch Tea" both greatly appreciated. In the latter I drank your very good health, and I trust you feel the better for my so doing! I ran on to Reigate as on nearing Dorking it suddenly occurred to me that the "White Hart" at Reigate was an old coaching hostelry with a restful garden and smuggler's caverns. Whilst the inn at Dorking tho' it boasted of panelled bed-rooms was not quite so comfortable, indeed my recollection of its sleeping chambers were that they were picturesque but stuffy. We had a lovely sunshiny day and reached Reigate in time to have motored home from there that day; but mindful of yr good advice, I hardened my heart and stopped over night beneath the sign of the White Hart where we fared excellently and found a most obliging host who is seriously thinking of going in for "motors" for his posting business. We also found the electric light in our rooms! So we spent the night at Reigate.
The next morning I was favoured with a visit from a gentleman who had seen the car arrived & was so struck by the easy way it was manipulated that he requested the name of the makers etc., as he was anxious to procure a similar one IMMEDIATELY!
We left Reigate in sunshine and ran into a heavy thunder shower with hail, but putting on full steam - I mean full gas! - we quickly ran thro' it into sunshine & dry roads, also in our haste we nearly ran into a farmer, who in his wrath exclaimed that motor cars ought to be abolished, we pretended not to hear exactly and "most politely" and smilingly shouted back "the same to you & yours" and sped on full speed. i.e. on the 16 miles notch with the governor pulled over as far as the car would take it, the road being a dead level so that the wife exclaimed "it was like a railway train let lose on the road"!
At East Grinstead we came upon a very fine Mors car rejoicing in all the glory of new varnish & nickel plate - one of the cars with electric ignition and belt driving, but tho' he had an hour's start of us we caught him up in 14 miles (500ft mount over Ashdown Forest, good honest hill work) at Uckfield there is a very nasty & very sharp, if short, climb: the road was greasy and I suppose the belts slipped for the £400 Mors could not tackle the hill and had to be pushed up with the air of several men! We mounted it easily with only one engine; our car seemed to know it had a rival on the road and simply raced along and we left the Mors also bound for Eastbourne. Now the Mors is an electric ignition car with belt driving and is said to be the fastest on the road. The moral is that belt driving is a fraud! for it sometimes slips. I hope this is not a libel! I also have no special leaning for electric ignition over a simple lamp. NB the Mors had 8 horse power.
I will get the measurement you ask for tomorrow and send it on to you. We ran straight on from E Grinstead here - 33 miles - and drove up to our door, the car being none the worse for the journey: rain had laid the dust on the roads so that we reached home "spic-and-span" not dust covered like millers.
Again thanking you very much indeed for our most enjoyable visit.
Gratefully yours Jas. Jno. Hissey
NB The first thing I did on arriving home after stabling the motor was to knock down and smash my head lamp.