Brougham (carriage)

A brougham^[a] is a 19th century four-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse. It was named after the politician and jurist Lord Brougham, who had this type of carriage built to his specification by London coachbuilder Robinson & Cook in 1838.

The original 1838 Brougham prototype at the London Science Museum^[1]

Brougham c. 1890

Brougham (1900)

Brougham

Description

The brougham has an enclosed body with two doors and sits two passengers; there are two fold-away seats in the front corners for small children. It has a box seat in front for a coachman plus one footman or passenger. The carriage body has a front window so that the passengers can see forward. The carriage is mounted on elliptical springs with small front wheels which can go under the carriage to turn sharply.^{[3][4][5]: 23 [6]: 49–50 [b]}

Features specific to the brougham include:^[3]

• the absence of a perch (a supporting pole connecting the front and rear axles); the spring hangers were mounted directly to the body structure, saving weight and lowering the floor, to ease entry
• a sharply squared end of the roof at the back,
• a body line curving forward at the base of the enclosure, and
• low entry to the enclosure, using only one outside step below the door.

A brougham-landaulet is a variation with a collapsible top, rearward of the doors.

See also

• Coupé (carriage): any type of four-wheeled coach where two passengers sit on a forward-facing bench
• Brougham (car body), inspired by the brougham carriage
• Clarence (carriage), larger version of the Brougham
• Carriage
• Horse-drawn vehicle

Notes

1. Pronounced /ˈbru(ə)m/ BROO-əm or /ˈbroʊ(ə)m/ BROH-əm.^[2]
2. The OED gives a first usage in 1851, but the original design dates from about 1838, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica. Brougham died in 1868.