The first recorded automobile trip in England was made this month 126 years ago by a Datchet resident, the Honorable Evelyn Ellis, in his 1895 Panhard Levassor.
Ellis lived in Rosenau on Southlea Road. During his time in France and Germany he was interested in the automotive industry and wanted to establish it in England.
A major obstacle here was the “Red Flag” law, which prevented steam-powered vehicles from traveling more than 6 km / h on public roads, and he planned to oppose this law in hopes that it would be repealed.
In June 1895, Ellis bought his Daimler-powered motor car from the Paris firm Panhard-Levassor for £ 200. He drove it across the English Channel and then on to Micheldever Station in Hampshire.
From there he drove to Datchet on July 6, 1895, with another automobile pioneer, Frederick Simms, who recorded their journey: “We made good progress on the old London stagecoach route; but not without fear of how the horses would behave towards their new ones . ” Rivals, but out of 133 horses we passed, only two small ponies did not seem to appreciate the innovation.
“On our way we passed a lot of horse-drawn vehicles of all kinds as well as cyclists. It was a very pleasant feeling to drive along the beautiful roads at speeds of three to 30 km / h, and our iron horse behaved wonderfully.
“We arrived at Mr. Ellis’ house in Datchet at 5:40 pm and made our most pleasant journey of 56 miles, the first ever in a petroleum motor vehicle in this country, in five hours and 32 minutes without interruptions, and at an average speed of nine , 84 mph. Entire villages emerged to see with open mouth the new wonder of locomotion.
“The coaches were delayed so their passengers could see our horseless vehicle, and cyclists stopped and stared at us enviously as we crossed hills with ease. Mr. Ellis’ motorized carriage is a neat and compact four-wheeled dog cart that seats four.” The consumption of petroleum is just over half a penny per mile, there is no smoke, no heat or odor, and it runs without vibrations. ”
Ellis was never actually stopped by the police, but the Red Flag Act was repealed in 1896 and celebrated with the first Motor Car Tour to Brighton, or the Brighton Run, when the speed limit was raised to 12 mph.
Evelyn Ellis was one of the first directors of the new Daimler Motor Company and founded the British automotive industry in 1897.
Local historian Janet Kennish is President of the Datchet Village Society and the author of several books on Datchet. More information is available at www.datchetvillagesociety.org.uk and www.datchethistory.org.uk.
The annual remake of The Ellis Journey from Micheldever to Datchet will continue in 2022. More information is available at www.ellisjourney.co.uk.
