Long before a Sutton post office began running daily mail collections into Mansfield and Nottingham, those larger towns had coach houses from which to extend national journeys by fastest stage coaches. Connections between London and Scottish borders took several days along best laid routes. Time could only be bettered by a Royal Mail Coach commanding priority through highway tolls.
Occasional demand for some needing to take a ride into town became a very common localised service provided by Carrier Carts. They broadly begin from the mid 18th century, when farmers carting goods between larger market towns started accommodating paying custom. Population growth throughout the next century significantly raised demands. Some driver might offer hired services supplementing cost of keeping their own transport. Maintaining competitive rides professionally progressed using comfier vehicles.
A 1909 postcard shows typical example of widely accepted vehicle refinements. Weather protected cosier seating on smoother sprung carts suited poorly surfaced roads. Same design clearly compares with other rare photos. It assures this vehicle type would have been a familiar sight through Sutton, while also bringing working families to Huthwaite before its own need for rides.
Regular Sutton Carrier Cart services
1832 Thomas Wilson Low Street Nottingham Wed + Sat
Thomas Bullock Back Lane Nottingham Wed + Sat
1838 The Mail-Gig Nottingham Daily
Thomas Wilson Brick&Tile Mansfield Wed + Sat
J Weston White Lion Alfreton-Derby Fri Morn
Dennis Whetton Alfreton-Derby Daily
J Jephson Swan Inn Nottingham Mon Wed Sat
Sam Bailey Black Bull Nottingham Wed + Sat
1844 Thomas Wilson Brick&Tile Nottingham Wed + Sat
Sam Bailey New Road Nottingham Mon + Wed
Daniel Fletcher Low Street Nottingham
Dennis Whetton Low Street Mansfield Daily + Mail
J Western White Lion Alfreton-Derby Fridays
Mrs Kemp & Smith Blue Bell Alfreton-Derby Thursdays
1853 Michael Heathcote Low Street Nottingham Wed Fri Sat
The primary village and emerging town of Sutton-in-Ashfield as usual gained precedence identifying earliest recognised local Carrier Cart drivers. They appear favouring direct city links into Nottingham and Derby, possibly because Mansfield carriers already established their larger market town routes. An Alfreton market town retained historic Mansfield manorial ties using the main highway thereafter identifying the A38 dual carriageway.
Remembered much later was how William Wilson challenged new rivalry by painting on his van Better late then never. In retaliation, Heathcote displayed Better, never late! They turned into well known slogans differentiating each carrier.
Earliest recorded year implies some carriers were already well established serving growth. An 1801 parish census claimed 2800 residents before large textile factories boosted numbers.
Estimating a relational 500 populated this secondary Hucknall Huthwaite village precedes more individualistic industrious growth. It eventually merits trade directory detailing, although unaccountably slow identifying Carriers just driving biweekly to Mansfield.
Sourced Hucknall Huthwaite Drivers Identified as Carriers to Mansfield
White 1853 John Truman, on Thursdays
Kelly 1881 William Allsop, William Burton, Samuel Lowe, John Shepherd
Kelly 1888 W Allsop, W Burton, S Lowe, J Shepherd + John Pickaver
Kelly 1900 W Allsop, W Burton, S Lowe, J Shepherd, J Pickaver + Joseph Lowe
Kelly 1912 John Pickaver, Main Street = Waggonette proprietor & Carrier
+ Joseph Lowe + Joseph Chas Burrows + Elijah Coleman, all on Sutton Rd
+ Edward Gower, New Fall Street + William Pickaver, Mill Lane
Exceeding 1100 count from 1851 census might have justified new gazetteer entries.
Samuel Lowe took over village post office duties from 1876. That necessitated daily runs to newly assigned Mansfield sorting offices. His son Joseph is among later farming generations that likewise extend carrier cart transportation into a speedier era, revolutionised by steam locomotion.
The titled 1912 Waggonette Proprietor and Carrier may likely relate John and William back to when their Pickaver family vehicles included a horse drawn hearse. Nevertheless, that years gazetteer notes other former Carriers are finally listed as Carters. A subtle but interesting change of trade description can reasonably assume the introduction of electric trams had made their Mansfield runs redundant. Swapping role into mainly carting bulk produce instead, maybe still with flexibility collecting passenger luggage, may emphasise shorter more frequent trips being made to a choice of train station platforms all within just a few miles radius.