caisson

English translation: driver's box/dickey box

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:caisson
English translation:driver's box/dickey box
Entered by: B D Finch

18:32 Jun 8, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
History / Horse-drawn carriages, 19th Century (Québec)
French term or phrase: caisson
It's a bit obscure but I'm often amazed at what people on this forum know!

From a short story, set in the 1820s, in Quebec. A carter has had an accident and his axle is broken. The caisson is a chest storing provisions under the seat, as far as I can tell.

Le cheval a mangé la ration de surplus que Charles prépare charque matin, mais le caisson est vide desormais.

I found this def. (from shipbuilding) in Termium (record 8)
http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv...comencsrch.y=0

Banquette en forme de caisse, fermant à clef, renfermant des provisions ou des ustensiles de toutes sortes. [Plus précisément,] coffre où les matelots serrent leurs affaires personnelles.
given as "transom" in EN.

Does anyone think "transom" on its own could refer to a storage area under the seat in a cart? Is there another name for this? Maybe simply "chest." ? Thanks.
Pablo Strauss
Canada
Local time: 13:34
driver's box/dickey box
Explanation:
"A carriage driver sits on a box or perch, usually elevated and small. When at the front it is known as a dickey box, a term also used for a seat at the back for servants."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carriage#Body

trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/59677937
"Court was told that a milkman left his horse and cart outside a house at 5 a m. on July 26 to ... cart receding down the street with a man on the driver's box"

www.epubbud.com/read.php?g=TFDJJFTJ&p=10
"... wearing a farmer's hat and rough clothing, looked down from the driver's box. ... I told the man I'd leave his horse and cart in Brinks Lane near the theater.” ..."

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Note added at 22 hrs (2012-06-09 16:33:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As should be quite clear from the photo in the reference below, the driver's box on a horse-drawn cart was quite substantial and left no room (or need) for any trunk or chest below it. It would have contained the horse's feed and nosebag, the driver's personal affairs (e.g. a waterproof cape) and work equipment etc.
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_street_l/0_street_views_-_lesl...
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 18:34
Grading comment
Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2driver's box/dickey box
B D Finch
3 +1storage chest
S Kelly
Summary of reference entries provided
chest, locker
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Box or boot?
Jocelyne Cuenin

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
storage chest


Explanation:
from what you mentioned this is what it seems to be.
The English "caisson" has a variety of meanings the closest to your text being "artillery chest", but it doesn't sound as if your guy was carrying arms..:)

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caisson

S Kelly
Local time: 17:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Letredenoblesse
12 hrs

neutral  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: chest, locker... may be the artillery chest, but which was being used to carry fodder for the horses.
17 hrs
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
driver's box/dickey box


Explanation:
"A carriage driver sits on a box or perch, usually elevated and small. When at the front it is known as a dickey box, a term also used for a seat at the back for servants."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carriage#Body

trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/59677937
"Court was told that a milkman left his horse and cart outside a house at 5 a m. on July 26 to ... cart receding down the street with a man on the driver's box"

www.epubbud.com/read.php?g=TFDJJFTJ&p=10
"... wearing a farmer's hat and rough clothing, looked down from the driver's box. ... I told the man I'd leave his horse and cart in Brinks Lane near the theater.” ..."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2012-06-09 16:33:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As should be quite clear from the photo in the reference below, the driver's box on a horse-drawn cart was quite substantial and left no room (or need) for any trunk or chest below it. It would have contained the horse's feed and nosebag, the driver's personal affairs (e.g. a waterproof cape) and work equipment etc.
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_street_l/0_street_views_-_lesl...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 18:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 35
Grading comment
Thanks.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: The "caisson" in question is probably rather the chest stored under the dickey box//OK, thanks. Makes sense.
2 hrs
  -> There is no space for another chest underneath, the driver's box is what contains whatever equipment and provisions the carter carries. It is not a box under the seat so much as a box whose lid is the seat. Thanks Nikki.

agree  Cyril B.
20 hrs
  -> Thanks Cyril
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Reference comments


18 hrs
Reference: chest, locker

Reference information:
http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/caisson

A.− Caisse plus ou moins grande servant, en tant que contenant, à divers usages techniques.

1. TRANSPORT(S)

a) Grande caisse montée sur roues, utilisée dans l'armée pour le transport des munitions, des vivres, etc. Il croit entendre la marche cadencée des troupes et le roulement des caissons (Coppée, La Bonne souffrance,1898, p. 111):

1. Les cours étaient remplies de caissons de l'artillerie ouverts et chargés de poudre, préparés pour la revue du lendemain. Vigny, Servitude et grandeur militaires,1835, p. 72.

b) Vieilli. Caisse ménagée sous les sièges d'une voiture hippomobile :

2. ... bonne occasion pour faire déjeûner mes chevaux et pour déjeûner moi-même : je tire du caisson de la voiture mon sac à avoine; ... Jouy, L'Hermite de la Chaussée d'Antin,t. 3, 1813, p. 33.

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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18 hrs
Reference: Box or boot?

Reference information:
Box/Boot:
The part of the carriage supporting the driver's seat. Later carriages had the boot framed into the body proper and the term became associated with a leather covered box placed under the drivers seat.
http://www.georgianindex.net/horse_and_carriage/carriages.ht...

Boot Term having a variety of meanings in carriage use:
(1) Originally, it was applied to a box, on the front or rear of a vehicle, that carried luggage.
(2) Eventually, it came to be applied to the support for some driving seats.
(3) On certain types of farm wagons it was a small box projecting beyond the rear of the body serving as a place to stand while shoveling grain, etc.
http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/forums/viewthread/3269/

Coach box Open framework of metal supporting the drivers seat.
Box seat High front seat on certain vehicles, originally a box containing valuables, on which the driver sat to ensure their safety. Later it became a tool box.
http://www.eurekaencyclopedia.com/index.php/Category:Parts_O...


Under the driver’s seat is a leather compartment called a “boot” that is used to stow the express box and cargo. On the rear is another leather boot, the familiar triangular shaped one. Into this boot and on top of the stage, cargo such as mailbags, round-topped trunks and miners’ packs are stowed.
http://www.historicthedalles.org/stagecoach.htm

A coach might have a built-in compartment called a boot, used originally as a seat for the coachman and later for storage (wiki carriage)

Jocelyne Cuenin
Germany
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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