Barouche Barouche A barouche is a large, open, four-wheeled carriage, both heavy and luxurious, drawn by two horses. It was fashionable throughout the 19th century. Its body provides seats for four passengers, two back-seat passengers vis-à-vis two behind the coachman's high box-seat. A leather roof can be raised to give back-seat passengers some protection from the weather. "Barouche" is an anglicisation of the German word "barutsche", via the Italian "baroccio" or "biroccio" and ultimately from the ancient Roman Empire's Latin "birotus", "two-wheeled". The name thus became a misnomer, as the later form of the carriage had four wheels. This is an
Barouche used mode of transportation for the characters is a caleche. In the novels by Jane Austen, "Lady Dalrymple, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, and Henry Crawford owned barouches" in which other characters rode, and Jane Austen herself on at least one occasion in 1813 rode in a barouche. Henry Crawford was a character in "Mansfield Park" and his barouche was the topic of two important scenes of the novel; Lady Dalrymple was in "Persuasion", while Mr and Mrs Palmer were characters in "Sense and Sensibility". Barouche driving is mentioned as a fashionable pastime in Nice, Italy, in chapter 37 of "Little