It is interesting to recall that although the turnpikes, or toll bars, had been abolished for about half a century on the Stony Stratford side of the bridge being abolished in 1857 the houses and posts were still in being and it was one of these “pikes” that caused in December 1908 the death of a coachman.  He was Mr. William Hawkins, for many years coachman to Dr Maguire, and subsequently ostler at the Bull Hotel.  One night there came the call to go to Cosgrove with a fly, which, as our old people may remember, had a high seat with a low surrounding rail in front of the cab itself.  The fly reached the Dog’s Mouth, a local spring of great purity, nearby which was the old pike.  The night was dark, and the feeble lamps of the fly did not help much.  A wheel struck the pike, and Hawkins was thrown out headfirst and the fly passed over him.  He died within a few hours.