Together with The William Shakespeare, this began as one of two excursions from London on the Western Region, as part of the Festival of Britain.

[1] Both of them ran from London and were intended for a short trip out from the capital, to some of the cultural highlights that were the focuses of the Festival.

Equally they opposed monopolies when against the interests of the Society, such as when they petitioned Parliament to withdraw that of the Royal African Company in 1698, opening up the profitable slave trade for the benefit of Bristol merchants.

[1] The route was from London Paddington to Bristol, along the Great Western Main Line, with a stop at Bath.

[ii][4] On the inaugural day, it was hauled by 7025 Sudeley Castle from London to Bristol, then 5062 Earl of Shaftesbury to Weston-super-Mare.

[4] The crest was that of the Merchant Venturers, with their motto, Indocilis Pauperium Pati (Will not learn to endure poverty).

[1] In December 2009, First Great Western resurrected the name for a London Paddington to Penzance via Bristol service operated by an InterCity 125.