Leather
head, two miles south of Ashsted, was an ancient market town, the market
having long been discontinued by the early nineteenth century. The town
still held a fair on Lady's Day, three weeks before Michaelmas, during
the Regency period, "but otherwise the town possessed no trade
or privilege than what its being a great thoroughfare produces".
The only "remarkables" were the fourteen-century church and
the bridge, which was a very neat structure over the River Mole, built
of brick and consisting of fourteen arches.
"A
most dreadful accident occurred in this town in the year 1806. Her royal
highness the Princess of Wales, on the afternoon of October 2, was on
her way in a barouche, attended by Lady Sheffield and Miss Harriet Mary
Cholmondeley, to pay a visit to Mrs Lock, at Norbury Park, and was driven
by the princess's own servants as far as Sutton. At this place post-horses
were put to the carriage, driven by the post-boys belonging to the Cock
Inn; her highnesses horses remained at Sutton till she returned. On
her arrival at Leatherhead, the carriage, which was drawn by four horses,
whilst turning around an acute angle of the road, was overturned. It
appears that the drivers, through extreme caution, had taken too great
a sweep in turning the corner, which brought the barouche on a rising
ground, by which it was overset; but before its fall it swung about
a great tree.
"The
dreadful consequence was, that Miss Cholmondeley was killed on the spot;
providentially the princess received no other injury, except a cut on
her nose, and a bruise on her arm. Lady Sheffield did not receive the
slightest hurt, besides that which overwhelmed the royal party, by the
shocking accident. Her royal highness returned to Blackheath the next
day." (Text from David Hughson.)
