When we last checked in with Blue Order Historian Mr. Bennet in London, he had begun to use a sedan chair to get around because of his advanced arthritis. But what was a sedan chair?

Sedan chairs came from the French town of Sedan where they were used first and became popular in England during the 17^th century. Essentially an enclosed box with a door and a seat, held up by two long poles, to be carried by two men, the sedan chair was a Georgian taxi.

When they were first introduced in the early 1600’s by the Duke of Buckingham, the public disapproved, complaining that the chairs made people do the work of animals. But they became popular in London for their ability to protect extravagant and fashionable wigs and gowns for much less than the cost of a hackney cab. In Bath their popularity came from the number of infirm individuals there to take the healing waters, but unable to easily get to them.

Beyond the cost, sedan chairs offered several other advantages. Since London streets were notoriously dirty, traveling protected from the grime appealed to those who could afford it. The chairs were also fast and efficient as they were allowed to use the pavement and thus bypass hazards and traffic on the London roads. Sedan chairs were also very private—they could leave directly from the inside of a building and drop a passenger off inside another, protecting the privacy of the traveler. (An ideal quality when dealing with dragons and the Blue Order.

Even with these advantages sedan chairs were prone to accidents. Pedestrians were supposed to give way to chairs, but even if the chairmen called out warnings, they weren’t always heeded. Going around corners and going through intersections were particularly apt to cause accidents.

As London grew, the use of sedan chairs waned with the city becoming too large to traverse by foot.

I think these sound a lot like the bike taxis/ rickshaws of today. What do you think? Tell me in the comments.