CHAPTER VIII.
CHELSEA (Continued).—CREMORNE GARDENS, &c.
"Where smiling Chelsea spreads the cultured lands,
Sacred to Flora, a pavilion stands;
And yet a second temple neighb'ring near
Nurses the fragrance of the various year."—Anon.
Chelsea Farm, the Residence of Lord Cremorne—Cremorne Gardens—Attempts at Aërial Navigation—Ashburnham House—The Ashburnham
Tournament—The "Captive" Balloon—Turner's Last Home—Noted Residents in Lindsey Row—The King's Road—The Old Burial-ground—St. Mark's College—The "World's End" Tavern—Chelsea Common—Famous Nurseries—Chelsea Park—The "Goat in Boots"—The
Queen's Elm—The Jew's Burial-ground—Shaftesbury House—The Workhouse—Sir John Cope—Robert Boyle, the Philosopher and
Chemist—The Earl of Orrery—Mr. Adrian Haworth—Dr. Atterbury—Shadwell, the Poet—The "White Horse" Inn—Mr. H.S.
Woodfall—The Original of "Strap the Barber" in "Roderick Random"—Danvers Street—Justice Walk—The Old Wesleyan Chapel—Chelsea China—Lawrence Street—Tobias Smollett—Old Chelsea Stage-coaches—Sir Richard Steele and other Noted Residents—The Old
Clock-house—The Glaciarium—Hospital for Diseases of Women—Chelsea Vestry Hall, and Literary and Scientific Institution—Congregational Church—Royal Avenue Skating-rink—Sloane Square—Bloody Bridge—Chelsea, Brompton, and Belgrave Dispensary—Royal Court
Theatre—Hans Town—Sloane Street—Trinity Church—Sloane Terrace Wesleyan Chapel—Sir C. W. Dilke, Bart—Ladies' Work Society—Hans Town School of Industry for Girls—"Count Cagliostro"—An Anecdote of Professor Porson—Chelsea House—St. Mary's Roman
Catholic Chapel—The "Marlborough Tavern"—Hans Place—Miss Letitia E. Landon—The Pavilion—St. Saviour's Church—Prince's
Cricket ground and Skating-rink—The "South Australian."
A few hundred yards to the west of old Battersea
Bridge, on the north side of the river, are the celebrated Cremorne Gardens, so named after Thomas
Dawson, Lord Cremorne, the site of whose former
suburban residence and estate they cover. They
have proved, to a very great extent, the successors
of "Kuper's," Vauxhall, and Ranelagh. In the
early part of the present century, Lord Cremorne's
mansion, known as Chelsea Farm, was often visited
by George III., Queen Charlotte, and the Prince of
Wales. In 1825 the house and grounds devolved
on Mr. Granville Penn, a cousin of Lady Cremorne,
who much improved the estate, but subsequently
disposed of it. The natural beauty of the situation
soon afterwards led to the grounds being opened to
the public as the "Stadium," and a few years later
the gardens were laid out with great taste; the
tavern adjoining them was enlarged, and the place
became the resort of a motley crowd of pleasureseekers, and generally well attended. To the
present time it has retained most of its original
features. At night during the summer months the
grounds are illuminated with numberless coloured
lamps; and there are various ornamental buildings,
grottoes, &c., together with a theatre, concert-room,
and dining-hall. The amusements provided are of
a similar character to those which were presented
at Vauxhall Gardens in its palmy days: such as
vocal and instrumental concerts, balloon ascents,
dancing, fireworks, &c. Several remarkable balloon
ascents have been made from these grounds, notably
among them being that of Mr. Hampton, who, in
1839, ascended with a balloon and parachute, by
which he descended from a height of about two
miles. More recently an attempt at aërial navigation was made from Cremorne by a foreigner, M.
de Groof. The apparatus was suspended beneath
the car of a balloon, and when the aeronaut had
reached a considerable height, the machine was
liberated; but owing to some defect in its construction, it immediately collapsed and fell to the
ground with a fearful crash, killing its unfortunate
occupant on the spot.
THE "WORLD'S END," IN 1790.
On the west of the gardens is Ashburnham
House. It was built about the middle of the last
century by Dr. Benjamin Hoadley, an eminent
physician, after whose death it was purchased by
Sir Richard Glynn, who sold it to the Earl of Ashburnham, from whom it obtained its present name.
It was next in the possession of Dr. Cadogan,
and again changing hands at different periods, ultimately became the residence of the Hon. Leicester
Stanhope, afterwards Earl of Harrington. A strip
of waste ground between Ashburnham House and
the river, called the "Lots," has been "a bone of
contention" for many years between the residents
in the neighbourhood and the Chelsea Vestry, in
consequence of the disgraceful scenes carried on by
a large number of "roughs" who are in the habit of
meeting there. Here, in 1863, in a large pavilion
prettily draped with the flags of all nations and a
variety of heraldic trophies and allegorical devices,
a sensational entertainment on a scale of great
splendour was given here, in the shape of a revival
of the Eglinton "tournament." A large number
of persons took part in it as heralds, seneschals,
yeomen, pages, men-at-arms, squires, and bannerbearers, clad in an almost endless variety of shining
armour and mediæval costume. In 1869, a monster
balloon, nearly 100 feet in diameter, made daily
ascents for some time from these grounds. The
balloon, appropriately called "The Captive," was
secured by a rope about 2,000 feet long, which
was let out and wound in by steam power. The
Captive balloon, however, one day escaped from
its moorings, and the exhibition was discontinued.
In a small house close to Cremorne Pier, Mr.
J. M. W. Turner, R.A., resided for some time,
under an assumed name, and here, as we have
already stated, (fn. 1) he died in 1851. Whilst living
here, Turner would not see any person, excepting
a very few intimate friends, and, in fact, was too
reserved to allow himself to be recognised. This
inclination at the close of his life, perhaps, was only
natural. Doubtless, Chelsea is proud to add his
name to its list of distinguished residents.
Close by, in Lindsey Row, lived Sir Mark Isambard Brunel, the originator and designer of the
Thames Tunnel; and Mr. Timothy Bramah, the
distinguished locksmith. Here, too, resided Mr.
John Martin, R.A. The Rev. A. C. Coxe, in his
"Impressions of England," published in 1851,
speaking of Chelsea, says:— "We landed not far
from this church, and called upon John Martin,
whose illustrations of Milton and 'Belshazzar's
Feast' have rendered him celebrated as a painter
of a certain class of subjects, and in a very peculiar
style. He was engaged on a picture of 'The Judgment,' full of his mannerism, and sadly blemished
by offences against doctrinal truth, but not devoid
of merit or of interest. He asked about Allston
and his 'Belshazzar,' and also made inquiries
about Morse, of whose claim as the inventor of the
electric telegraph he was entirely ignorant."
Mr. Henry Constantine Jennings, an antiquary
and virtuoso, settled in Lindsey Row at the close
of the last century. His "museum," which comprised a large collection of shells, minerals, preserved birds, quadrupeds, &c., was disposed of by
auction in 1820.
Passing from Cremorne Gardens eastward
through the centre of Chelsea, is a broad thoroughfare, called the King's Road; and by this road we
shall now proceed on our way backward towards
Sloane Street, picking up such scraps of information
respecting the neighbourhood on either side as the
records of the district have left for our use. Respecting the King's Road itself, we may state that,
prior to the reign of Charles II., it was only a narrow
lane through the fields, for the convenience of the
farmers and gardeners who had lands in the neighbourhood. Soon after the Restoration, however,
it was found that it might be made to serve as a
more direct road for the king between St. James's
or Whitehall and Hampton Court Palace; and,
accordingly, after some discussion between the
Government and the parishioners of Chelsea, it
was converted into an ordinary coach-road. It
continued to be the private road of royalty down
to the reign of George III. Pass tickets, admitting passengers along it by sufferance, are still
in existence; they bear on the one side a crown
and "G. R," and on the other, as a legend, "The
King's Private Road."
Along this road is the burial-ground belonging
to the parish of Chelsea, in which lies Andrew
Millar, the original publisher of Hume's "History
of England," Thomson's "Seasons," and some
of Fielding's novels.
The Duke of York was thrown from his horse
whilst riding along this road towards Fulham; he
had two ribs broken. John Timbs records that,
"near the spot where is now the Vestry Hall, the
Earl of Peterborough was stopped by highwaymen
in what was then a narrow lane; and the robbers,
being watched by some soldiers, who formed a
part of the guard at Chelsea College, were fired at
from behind the hedge. One of these highwaymen
turned out to be a student in the Temple, whose
father having lost his estate, his son lived by 'play,
sharping, and a little on the highway'—the desperate resources of the day."
Nearly opposite Ashburnham House, on the
north side of the King's Road, is St. Mark's College,
which was established in 1841 by the National
Society, as a training institution for schoolmasters.
The residence of the principal was formerly known
as Stanley House, and was originally built in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, by Sir Arthur Gorges,
whose family at that time possessed considerable
property in Chelsea. After passing through several
hands, the mansion, about the middle of the last
century, became the property of the Countess of
Strathmore, who afterwards married Captain A. R.
Bowes, whose barbarity to her drew on him the
execration of the country. About the year 1815,
Stanley House was sold to Mr. William Hamilton,
from whom it subsequently passed to the National
Society. The college consists of an upper, middle,
and lower schools, and accommodates about 100
students, who are here trained for schoolmasters.
The chapel, which abuts on the Fulham Road, is
an unpretending building; but a certain amount of
effect is produced in the interior by the stainedglass windows. The buildings of the college form a
quadrangle, erected in the Italian style; and there
is also in the grounds an octagon building, used as
a practising school for children who reside in the
neighbourhood.
In the King's Road, near Milman Street, is an
inn styled "The World's End." The old tavern,
like the other "World's End" at Knightsbridge,
which we have already described, (fn. 2) was a noted
house of entertainment in the reign of Charles II.
The tea-gardens and grounds were extensive, and
elegantly fitted up for the reception of company.
The house was probably called "The World's End"
on account of its then considerable distance from
London, and the bad and dangerous state of the
roads and pathways leading to it. As it stood
within a few yards of the river, most of the visitors
made the journey in pleasure-boats.
At the commencement of the present century,
the King's Road was by no means a place for
general business. The line of road was almost exclusively occupied by nurserymen and florists, and
it became, in consequence, to a certain extent, a
fashionable resort for the nobility and gentry. The
road, in most parts, was very narrow, and the
different grounds were mostly enclosed in wooden
palings. At night there were only a few gloomy
oil-lamps, and the lives and property of the inhabitants were principally entrusted to a small number
of private watchmen. Northward of the King's
Road, at no very distant date, a considerable extent
of land, stretching away to the Fulham Road, was
a vast open heath, known as Chelsea Common.
Standing in the central space, which has, singularly
enough, been left as a memorial of the old common,
and looking at the streets now branching off in
various directions, it is not easy to call up visions
of the past—say two hundred years ago—when
this locality was probably as agreeable a spot as
Clapham or Wimbledon Commons in our own
time.
Faulkner conjectures that the Fulham Road
formed the north boundary of the common, and
on the south it reached to some nursery grounds
abutting on the King's Road, which said nursery
grounds, one may conjecture, had been cut off the
common by some party or parties in the days when
land boundaries were not always kept with care.
Westward, the common must have extended about
to the line of Robert and Sydney Streets, and eastward to "Blackland's Lane," as it was first called,
afterwards Marlborough Road; or perhaps originally the common was bounded by the road or lane
which is now Sloane Street. It is first spoken of
as "Chelsea Heath," and it appears to have been
covered, at least in part, with heath and furze,
therein resembling some of the Surrey commons.
One of the earliest records concerning Chelsea
Common tells us the fact that the City train-bands
used to repair to it for exercise, and that, in the
disturbed times of Charles I., reviews of troops were
more than once held there.
This common was used in former times as a
means of raising money for the benefit of the parish.
We have particulars relating to such a usage as far
back as the reign of Charles II., when the re-building of the church having been resolved upon, Lord
Lindsey, Charles Cheyne, and those interested in
the common, agreed to enclose it for twenty-one
years, the term commencing in March, 1674. On
the expiration in 1695, the ground was again
thrown open. Somewhat more than a century
later—namely, in 1713—articles were drawn up,
Sir Hans Sloane being then lord of the manor, in
which, amid sundry other recitals, it is stated that
the ground at Chelsea Common having been put to
various unlawful uses, the holders decide to let it
for three years to one John Hugget. It was stipulated that he was to fence the common "with a
good bank and a ditch all around," which it is probable that he did, to the satisfaction of all parties,
as he had his term renewed from time to time.
An Act passed in the reign of George I., which
empowered the surveyor of the London roads to
dig up gravel on any common or waste land convenient to him, gave rise to some disputes in
Chelsea. The parties interested in the common
were informed that much gravel had been removed
from Chelsea, and they objected to this, but the
Government paid little heed to the complaint.
The agents of the surveyor were warned off, though
not expelled by physical force; and they went away
for awhile, to come back at the next good opportunity. This matter was not finally settled till
1736; for some years previous to that, however, a
regular account was kept of all the gravel removed,
and payment demanded (and obtained) from those
who kept the roads. It was also in the early part
of the eighteenth century that an enterprising individual, probably short of money, set up an experimental turnpike on part of the waste ground on the
common near Blackland's Lane. The Chelsea
authorities fined him heavily, and his scheme was
forthwith abandoned.
It was not until some years after an Act had
been obtained for the purpose, that the first streets
were formed on what had been Chelsea Common.
The earliest building lease appears to bear date in
1790, being to the Hon. George Cadogan. The
streets, square, grove (for there is at least one of
each of these—Marlborough Square and Whitehead's Grove), and the bye-lanes, display all the
variety to be expected under the circumstances,
as a number of men took sites of very different
sizes, and no general plan was attempted to be
carried out.
About the spot now occupied by Pond Place,
there were, as may be conjectured, one or more
ponds, which supplied water to the cattle grazing
on the common. It is worthy of being remembered that William Curtis, the botanist, once lived
in Pond Place; he was originally an apothecary's
assistant, but his fondness for botany led him to
give himself entirely to its study, as soon as his
means allowed him. He was one of the pioneers
in the formation of those Natural History Societies
which have spread themselves in every part of our
islands; and his "Botanical Magazine," begun
in 1787, met with a sale which in that day was
looked upon as something remarkable. Curtis at
first opened a botanical garden in Lambeth Marsh,
and subsequently removed his collection of plants
to a nursery-ground at Queen's Elm, Brompton.
Two noted nurseries in the King's Road abutted
on Chelsea Common, which were favourite resorts
in the reign of George III. and later. Colvill's
nursery, at the end of Blackland's Lane, had, at the
beginning of the present century, what was considered a large and splendid conservatory, in which
the visitor was told there might be counted five
hundred species of geranium. Also, there was a
green-house, specially arranged so as to show the
mode of growth of exotic parasitical plants. The
memory of this nursery was kept up by "Colvill
Terrace," now extinguished by the uniform numbering of the King's Road. To the west of that
ground was Davey's nursery, also fronting the
King's Road.
Beyond these nursery-grounds, and also surrounding Chelsea Common on the south side, were large
orchards; but these shared the fate of the waste
land, and are now, for the most part, covered with
houses. Jubilee Place was built about 1810, and
doubtless received its name in memory of the
attainment by George III. of the fiftieth year of his
sovereignty. King Street, too, in the immediate
locality, we may suppose received its name in
honour of that particular monarch. Russell Street
was originally called Wellesley Street, a name
meant to do honour to a family bearing an illustrious name, which, as we have already stated, once
furnished Chelsea with a rector. The names of
Marlborough, Blenheim, and College Street, applied
to some of the streets and places hereabouts, may
perhaps lead to the belief that they were so named
by persons who have had to do with the Royal
Hospital.
Chelsea Park, also situated on the north side of
the King's Road, was part of the property of Sir
Thomas More. It originally consisted of about
thirty acres, and was enclosed with a brick wall,
but this has gradually given way to the erection
of buildings. Towards the beginning of the last
century a manufactory for raw silk was established
here, and a number of mulberry-trees were planted
for the purpose, but the scheme proved unsuccessful. Park Walk, which now crosses this locality
from the King's Road to Fulham Road, appears
in old maps as "Lover's Walk," and was planted
with trees. The "Goat in Boots" is the sign of
a public-house at the end of Park Walk, in the
Fulham Road. It is said that the old sign was
painted by George Morland, in order to liquidate
a bill incurred during a residence here. In old
deeds the inn is called simply "The Goat."
A short distance eastward, at the corner of Upper
Church Street, is the Queen's Elm Hotel, which
keeps in remembrance a story traditionally told respecting the Virgin Queen. The tavern is mentioned in the parish books of Chelsea as far back as
1667, under the name of the Queen's Tree, and
the tradition is that it derived its name from the
fact of Queen Elizabeth, on her way to or from a
visit to Lord Burleigh at Brompton Hall, being
caught in a shower of rain, and taking shelter under
the branches of a wide-spreading and friendly elm
which grew on the spot. The Queen's Elm, it may
be added, is mentioned in the parish books of
Chelsea as far back as the year 1586, where it is
stated that "the tree at the end of Duke's Walk,
in Chelsea parish, is called the Queen's Tree," and
that "there was an arbour built round it by one
Bostocke, at the charge of the parish." There was
formerly a turnpike-gate at Queen's Elm; and "a
court of guard" there is mentioned among the
defences around London that were ordered to be
prepared by the Parliament in 1642.
The Jews' burial-ground, situate at Queen's Elm,
was formed, early in the present century, on a
piece of land purchased for that purpose. Much
of the ground hereabouts, now known as West
Brompton, was in former times called the hamlet
of Little Chelsea. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, Lord Shaftesbury, the author of
"Characteristics," purchased an estate here. He
rebuilt the house, and generally resided there during
the sitting of Parliament. Locke here wrote part
of his "Essay," and Addison several of the "Spectators." Of Lord Shaftesbury's letters there are
several extant, dated from Chelsea, in 1708. The
mansion was subsequently converted into an additional workhouse for the parish of St. George,
Hanover Square.
Mrs. S. Carter Hall, in her "Pilgrimages to
English Shrines," gives us the following account of
Shaftesbury House:—"The lodge at the entrance,
as you see, is peculiar, the gate being of old
wrought iron. The porter permitted us to pass in;
and while he sought the master, we had leisure to
look around us. The stone steps are of old times:
they are wide, and much worn; a low wall flanks
either side; and on the right, downwards, are steps
of narrower dimensions leading to the underground
apartments. When we entered, we perceived that
the hall is panelled in, so as to form a passage;
but this is a modern innovation; there can be
no doubt of its having been, in Lord Shaftesbury's time, a good-sized hall; the banisters and
supporters of the very handsome staircase are in
admirable preservation, delicately rather than richly
carved in oak, and not at all injured; the stairs
are also of oak. What remains of the old house
is chopped up, as it were, into small apartments,
but there are rich and varied indications of the
'light of other days' to illumine the whole. Over
several of the doors are strips of paintings, which,
as well as can be seen through thick varnish, are
the productions of no feeble pencil. With a little
trouble these old paintings can be made out, but
they would seem bitter mockeries, occupied as the
house at present is; and yet one of the inmates
said, 'She liked to look up at that bit of picture
when she was sick a-bed: it took away the notion
of a workhouse.' Surely art might be made even
a teacher here. Some of the rooms retain an
antique air."
In 1733, a workhouse was erected on a piece of
ground "near the conduit in the King's Road,"
which had been given by Sir Hans Sloane. Over
the chimney-piece was a picture, by a Flemish
painter, of a woman spinning thread, with the
legend, "Waste not, want not."
A noted resident in Little Chelsea, at the commencement of the last century, was Sir John Cope,
so famous in the rebellion of 1745. His house,
having been subsequently used as a private asylum,
was pulled down; on its site Odell's Place was
erected. Mr. Robert Boyle, the distinguished
philosopher and chemist, a son of Richard, Earl of
Cork, resided here in 1660. Here he was visited
by the learned and eminent of his time—amongst
others, by M. de Monconys, who, in his "Travels,"
after informing us how that, after dinner, he went
with his son and Mr. Oldenburg "two miles from
London in a stage-coach, for five shillings, to a
village called Little Chelsea, to visit Mr. Boyle,"
gives an account of several experiments which that
gentleman made in his presence, and then proceeds:—"He has a very fine laboratory, where he makes
all his extracts and other operations, one of which
he showed me with salt, which being put in quite
dry with gold leaves sixteen times thicker than that
used by gilders into a crucible on a slow fire, even
over a lighted candle, the salt calcined the gold so
perfectly that water afterwards dissolved them both
and became impregnated with them, in the same
manner as with common salt." Evelyn, in his
"Diary," has also recorded a visit to the same
place. "I went," he writes, "with that excellent
person and philosopher, Sir Robert Murray, to visit
Mr. Boyle at Chelsea, and saw divers effects of the
Eolipile, for weighing air."
Charles, fourth Earl of Orrery, grand-nephew of
Mr. Boyle, was born at Little Chelsea in 1676.
He was the improver of an instrument or machine
which had been constructed for the purpose of
exhibiting the motions of the planets round the
sun, and which henceforth was called the Orrery,
in his honour; the instrument, which was held
in high repute in the last century, is, however, now
regarded as little more than an ingenious toy.
Edward Hyde, third Earl of Clarendon, died at
his house at Little Chelsea in 1723.
Another resident of this part of Chelsea, at the
beginning of the present century, was Mr. Adrian
Haworth, the eminent entomologist and botanist,
author of "Lepidoptera Britannica," "Miscellanea
Naturalia," and other important works. He was a
native of Hull, lived to a great age, and here he
died.
But even greater names are connected with
Chelsea. Within only a short distance from where
we are now, stood the abodes of Pym, Locke,
Addison, Steele, Swift, and Atterbury; and the
extinct hamlet of Little Chelsea was gilded by
the greater lights of the Augustan age of British
literature.
That part of Church Street which lies between
the King's Road and the river has in its time
had some distinguished residents. The thoroughfare itself appears to have been built at a very
early period. Here, for several years, lived Dr.
Atterbury, afterwards Bishop of Rochester, whose
committal to the Tower on suspicion of being concerned in a plot in favour of the Pretender was one
of the principal events at the commencement of the
last century. It was whilst living here that Dr.
Atterbury became acquainted with Dean Swift, who,
in 1711, took up his residence opposite the doctor's
house. Previous to becoming a resident at Chelsea,
Swift was a frequenter of its rural scenes. He
writes, in May, 1711:—"I leave my best gown and
periwig at Mrs. Van Homrigh's (in Suffolk Street), (fn. 3)
then walk up Pall Mall, out at Buckingham House,
and so to Chelsea, a little beyond the church. I
set out about sunset, and get there in something
less than an hour; it is two good miles, and just
5,748 steps."
CHELSEA CHURCH, 1860.
Shadwell, the poet laureate of the seventeenth
century, was another inhabitant of Church Street
or Church Lane. He lived in a house which had
been previously occupied by Dr. Arbuthnot.
The old "White Horse" inn, in this street,
which was burnt down some years since—a new one
being substituted for it—was a very ancient structure, built in the Tudor style of architecture. The
house was rich in ancient panelling, together with
grotesque ornaments and carving, in the form of
brackets. In the principal room, which was large,
and consequently well adapted for such a purpose,
the old Parochial Guardian Society mostly held
its meetings.
Another remarkable old inn in the same street
was the "Black Lion," which was situated opposite the rectory garden wall, and was pulled down
a few years ago to make room for the present
tavern, which still retains the name. It is supposed
that the old tavern was in its full glory during the
reign of Charles II.; for, in an old house situated
at the corner of Danvers Street, coeval with it, was
an old pump, which the present proprietor, who
has resided there for sixty years, recently pulled
down. It bore the date of 1697 on a leaden panel
of the pump. The old tea-gardens was, no doubt,
the resort of the many fashionable families which
lived in the neighbourhood; and attached to it was
an extensive bowling-green for those who enjoyed
that fashionable game.
OLD CHELSEA IN 1750.
1. The Clock House.
2. The Moravian Chapel.
3. The White Horse Inn.
At the bottom of Church Lane, close by the old
church in Lombard Street, lived, during the last
twelve years of his life, Mr. Henry Sampson Woodfall, whose name was brought prominently before
the public as the printer of the celebrated "Letters
of Junius." He used jocularly to say to his
Chelsea friends that he had been fined and confined
by the Court of King's Bench, fined by the Houses
of Lords and Commons, and indicted at the Old
Bailey.
Mr. W. Lewis, bookbinder, the intimate friend
of Dr. Smollett, and his fellow-companion whilst
journeying from Edinburgh to London, lived for
many years in this street. Lewis figures in the
novel of "Roderick Random," under the character
of "Strap the Barber." The description of the
hero of the novel and of Strap, upon their arrival
in London, and of their escapes from dangers and
impositions, must be familiar to all who have read
that work.
Danvers Street takes its name from Danvers
Gardens, on the site of which it was built in the
latter end of the seventeenth century. Danvers
House adjoined, if it was not actually part of, the
property of Sir Thomas More, or that of his son-inlaw, Roper. Sir John Danvers, who possessed this
property early in the reign of Elizabeth, is said to
have first introduced into this country the Italian
method of horticulture, of which his garden, as
represented by Kip, was a beautiful specimen.
Danvers House passed from the Danvers family to
the first Marquis of Wharton, in the reign of Queen
Anne. The house was pulled down early in the
last century.
Justice Walk, which extends from Church Street
to Lawrence Street, was so named from a magistrate who lived in it. An avenue of lime-trees
formerly adorned it, and rendered it an agreeable
promenade for strollers. In this thoroughfare there
is a commodious Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1841.
The exterior is plain and unpretending; and beneath the chapel is a spacious school-room. The
old Wesleyan Chapel of Chelsea was of some antiquity, and deserves mention as one of the favourite
places of the founder of that community. In its
pulpit John Wesley preached for the last time on
February 18th, 1791, a fortnight before his death.
Several houses at the corner of Justice Walk and
Lawrence Street were formerly used as the showrooms and manufactory of Chelsea china. The
whole of the premises were pulled down towards
the close of the last century, and new houses
erected on the site. "The manufactory of Chelsea
porcelain," says Mr. Faulkner, in his work already
quoted, "was set on foot and carried on by a
Mr. Spremont, a foreigner. The establishment employed a great number of hands; but the original
proprietor, having acquired a large fortune, retired
from the concern; and his successors, wanting his
enterprise and spirit, did not so well succeed, and
in a few years finally abandoned it. Previous to
the dissolution of the establishment, the proprietors
presented a memorial respecting it to the Government, requesting protection and assistance, in
which they stated that 'the manufacture in England has been carried on by great labour and a
large expense; it is in many respects to the full
as good as the Dresden; and the late Duke of
Orleans told Colonel York that the metal or earth
had been tried in his furnace, and was found to be
the best made in Europe. It is now daily improving, and already employs at least one hundred
hands, of which is a nursery of thirty lads, taken from
the parishes and charity schools, and bred to designing and painting—arts very much wanted here, and
which are of the greatest use in our silk and printed
linen manufactories.' Specimens of this porcelain
have always been much esteemed, and still retain
a great value. At the sale of the effects of Queen
Charlotte, the articles in Chelsea china, of which
her Majesty had a large collection, brought very
high prices." It is recorded that Dr. Johnson had
conceived a notion that he was capable of improving on the manufacture of china. He even applied
to the directors of the Chelsea China Works, and
was allowed to bake his compositions in their ovens
in Lawrence Street. He was accordingly accustomed to go down with his housekeeper, about
twice a week, and stay the whole day, she carrying
a basket of provisions with her. The doctor, who
was not allowed to enter the mixing room, had
access to every other part of the premises, and
formed his composition in a particular apartment,
without being overlooked by any one. He had
also free access to the oven, and superintended
the whole of the process; but he completely failed,
both as to composition and baking, for his materials
always yielded to the intensity of the heat, while
those of the Company came out of the furnace
perfect and complete. Dr. Johnson retired in
disgust, but not in despair, for he afterwards gave
a dissertation on this very subject in his works.
Chelsea china seems to have been manufactured
as far back as the reign of Queen Anne, but was
not brought out to anything like perfection till the
reign of George II. He and the Duke of Cumberland were the great patrons of the Chelsea China
Works, and took much interest in promoting the
success of this interesting manufacture. Beaumont
painted some of the best landscapes on it; Nollekens' father worked there; and Sir James Thornhill
was also employed in designing for it. The clay
for the Chelsea china was brought from China by
merchant captains, who procured it ostensibly for
ballast. The productions of the Chelsea furnaces
were thought worthy to vie with those of the celebrated manufactories of Germany. Walpole, in his
correspondence with Sir Horace Mann, mentions
a service of Chelsea porcelain sent by the King
and Queen to the Duke of Mecklenburg, which
cost £1,200. Possibly, it was in order to encourage the manufacture that George II. had his
coffee-pot of Chelsea china on board the royal
yacht. It was evidently made for the ship, as it has
"ship" burnt in at the bottom. In Mr. Forster's
notes to the catalogue of the sale at Stowe, in
1848—where the finest specimens of "rare old
china," a pair of small vases, painted with Roman
triumphs, sold for £23 10s.—it is stated that
George II. brought over artificers from Brunswick
and Saxony; whence, probably, M. Brongniart
terms Chelsea a "Manufacture Royale." In 1745
the celebrity of Chelsea porcelain was regarded
with jealousy by the manufacturers of France, who,
therefore, petitioned Louis XV. to concede to them
exclusive privileges.
Chelsea ware has always held a high rank among
the varieties of English pottery. It reached its
perfection about the year 1750; some fifteen years
later, owing to the influx of foreign china, and the
death of the director of the Chelsea works, Spremont, the workmen were transferred to Derby,
where afterwards arose the celebrated ChelseaDerby manufacture, which marked the first twenty
years of the reign of George III., and of which
Dr. Johnson remarked that it was "very beautiful, but nearly as dear as silver."
Lawrence Street derives its name from having
been erected on the site of the residence of the
Lawrence family, which flourished here in the days
of bluff King Hal. It is uncertain when this family
first settled in Chelsea; but as the "Lawrence
Chapel," in the old parish church, is built in the
style of architecture which prevailed at the beginning of the fourteenth century, it was probably
about that period, or, at all events, some time before
they purchased the old manor house. At the
"great house" in this street—commonly called
Monmouth House—lived Ann, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch, widow of James, Duke of
Monmouth. Gay was for some time secretary to
the duchess, as stated in Johnson's "Life of the
Poet." Dr. Tobias Smollett afterwards resided in
the same house.
A view of the old mansion, which was taken
down in 1833, and a fac-simile of an autograph
letter, dated thence in 1756, and addressed to
Richardson, the actor, are to be seen in Smith's
"Historical and Literary Curiosities." The letter
is of more than ordinary interest, as Smollett
writes thus frankly on a literary subject:—"I was
extremely concerned to find myself suspected of a
silly, mean insinuation against Mr. Richardson's
writings, which appeared some time ago in the
Critical Review; and I desired my friend, Mr.
Millar, to assure you, in my name, that it was
inserted without my privity or concurrence." It
is pleasant to know that this frank letter was
received as kindly as it was intended, and that
one of those many "Quarrels of Authors," which
have afforded subjects without end to satirists and
essayists, was thus avoided. Smollett has immortalised this spot by making it the scene of
one of the chapters in his "Humphrey Clinker."
Here Smollett wrote his "Adventures of Ferdinand,
Count Fathom," the "Reprisals, or the Tars of
Old England," and his continuation of Hume's
"History of England." He was editor of the
Briton, a paper set up to support Lord Bute's
ministry, and which Wilkes answered by his celebrated North Briton.
Between Lawrence Street and Church Street, in
former times, was the stabling for the old Chelsea
stage-coaches. The fare for inside passengers was
1s. 6d.; outside, 1s.; and no intermediate fare of a
lower sum was taken. Such are the changes, however, brought about by the "whirligig of time,"
that passengers can now go almost from one
extremity of London to the other for sixpence,
and Chelsea can now be reached by steamboat
for the moderate sum of twopence.
Besides the residents in this part of Chelsea in
former times, of whom we have already spoken, a
few more remain to be mentioned. Sir Richard
Steele occupied a house not far from the waterside. In a letter to Lady Steele, dated 14th of
February, 1716, Sir Richard writes:—"Mr. Fuller
and I came hither to dine in the air, but the mail
has been so slow that we are benighted, and chuse
to lie here rather than go this road in the dark.
I lie at our own house, and my friend at a relation's in the town." Addison, Steele's coadjutor
on the Spectator, lived for some time close by.
Macaulay says that he (Addison) enjoyed nothing
so much as the quiet and seclusion of his villa at
Chelsea.
At the house of a clergyman here, Mrs. Darby,
the mother of Mary Robinson, better known as
"Perdita," took up her home, with her children, on
being deserted by her husband at Bristol. Soon
afterwards she opened a girls' school in the neighbourhood, in which she was aided by her daughter.
In 1823, Mrs. Somerville went to live in Chelsea,
her husband being appointed Physician to Chelsea
Hospital. She speaks of it as a "dreary and unhealthy situation," and adds that she suffered from
sick headaches all the time. Here she numbered
among her friends and visitors Lady Noel Byron
and her daughter Ada, the Napiers, Maria Edgeworth, Lady Bunbury, and Sir James Mackintosh.
Here Gilray, the caricaturist, is supposed to have
been born, in 1757. We have already spoken of
the unfortunate career of this celebrity in our
account of St. James's Street. (fn. 4)
John Pym, a distinguished member of the House
of Commons in the seventeenth century, resided
here for several years. Count D'Estrades, who
came to England to negotiate the sale of Dunkirk,
as ambassador from Louis XIV., fixed his abode
at Chelsea during the years 1661 and 1662. "It
was usual for the foreign ambassadors at that time
to make their public entry from the Tower of
London, but on this occasion the king sent his
own coaches to Chelsea to carry the ambassador,
and the count was accompanied by the equipages
of the whole of the foreign diplomatic corps at that
time in London." (fn. 5)
The Rev. David Williams, the founder of the
Royal Literary Fund, (fn. 6) lived here for some time,
keeping a school. Here he had Franklin for a
guest at the time when the American philosopher
was subjected to the abuse of Wedderburn before
the Privy Council.
Besides its literary celebrities, Chelsea has also
had its heroines, of whom mention of one or two
will suffice. In the year 1739 was interred, in the
College burying-ground, Christian Davies, alias
Mother Ross, who, according to her own narrative,
served in several campaigns under King William
and the Duke of Marlborough, and behaved with
signal bravery. During the latter portion of her
life she resided here, her third husband being a
pensioner in the college. At this time she subsisted, as she tells us, principally on the benevolence
of "the quality" at Court, whither she went twice
a week in a hackney-coach, old age and infirmities
having rendered her unable to walk.
The famous Hannah Snell, whose history is
recorded in various publications of the year 1750,
was actually at that time put upon the out-pensioners'
list at Chelsea, on account of the wounds which she
received at the siege of Pondicherry. Her singular
story excited a considerable share of public attention, and she was engaged to sing and perform
the military exercises at various places of public
entertainment; some time afterwards she married
one Eyles, a carpenter, at Newbury. A lady of
fortune, who admired the heroism and eccentricity
of her conduct, having honoured her with particular
notice, became godmother to her son, and contributed liberally to his education. Mrs. Eyles, to
the day of her death, continued to receive her
pension, which, in the year 1786, was augmented
by a special grant to a shilling a day. In the
latter part of her life she discovered symptoms of
insanity, and was admitted a patient into Bethlehem
Hospital, where she died in 1792.
Returning to the King's Road, we may here
state that the house adjoining the entrance to the
Moravian Chapel and burial-ground, at the north
end of Milman's Row, and some few years since
pulled down, was for many years in the occupation
of the Howard family, of the Society of Friends.
The elder Mr. Howard was gardener to Sir Hans
Sloane; his brother, having a natural genius for
mechanics, became a clock-maker, and made the
clock in the old parish church, in 1761, for £50.
In front of Howard's house was placed a large
clock, and hence the building came to be known as
the "Clock-house," a name now applied to what
was once the Moravian Chapel.
On a plot of land behind the old Clock-house,
and forming part of what was formerly Queen
Elizabeth's nursery ground, and on which still
exists a mulberry-tree said to have been planted
by that queen, is situated the Glaciarium, or realice skating-rink. The rink is the result of Mr.
John Gamgee's long and persevering labours to
produce artificial cold at a low cost. The rink has
an area of more than one hundred square yards,
and the ice is about two inches thick. The ice is
produced and its solidity maintained by the constant circulation of an aqueous solution of glycerine
through a series of copper tubes of a flat, oval
section, and which are embedded in the ice. The
glycerine solution is kept at a low temperature by
means of liquid sulphurous acid, which is constantly circulated, between a refrigerator on the
one side and a condenser on the other, by means
of an air-pump placed between the two and driven
by a steam-engine.
At No. 178, King's Road, is the Chelsea Hospital for Diseases of Women, established in 1871.
The institution is open gratuitously to those without means, small fees for medical treatment being
required from such as can afford to pay. Upwards
of a thousand patients are relieved here in the
course of a year.
On the south side of the King's Road, nearly
opposite Robert Street and the Workhouse, is the
Vestry Hall, a handsome and spacious building in
the Italian style, constructed of red brick with
stone dressings. It was built from the designs of
Mr. W. Pocock. A portion of the building is
occupied by the Chelsea Literary and Scientific
Institution, for the use of which a rental is paid.
The whole interior is well arranged and admirably
adapted for the requirements of the parish. Adjoining the Vestry Hall are some commodious
swimming-baths, which were constructed under the
superintendence of Mr. E. Perrett, the designer of
the floating-baths at Charing Cross.
In Markham Square, abutting on the King's
Road, is the Chelsea Congregational Church. The
edifice stands in a very prominent position, and
covers a large piece of ground. The form of the
building is slightly cruciform, having transepts projecting about five feet from the body of the chapel.
The prominent feature of the exterior is a tower
and spire, rising from the west side of the southern
transept to the height of about 130 feet. The
style of the building is in the second period of the
Gothic, and the exterior is constructed entirely of
stone. There are lofty and spacious school-rooms,
with the requisite offices, beneath the chapel.
In the Royal Avenue, a turning on the south
side of the road leading towards the Royal Hospital,
is another skating-rink, having an area of about
3,000 square yards, laid with Green and King's
patent ice.
At the eastern end of the King's Road is Sloane
Square, which, together with Sloane Street and
Hans Place, all bear testimony to the memory of
the eminent physician, Sir Hans Sloane, of whom
we have already had occasion to speak. (fn. 7) In 1712
Sir Hans Sloane bought the manor of Chelsea, to
which he retired thirty years later, having resigned
his public offices and employments. Thither he
removed his museum, and there he received the
visits of the royal family and persons of high rank,
learned foreigners, and distinguished literary and
scientific men; nor did he refuse admittance and
advice to either rich or poor who went to consult
him respecting their health. At ninety his health
began to decline sensibly, and he died here, at the
age of ninety-two, in January, 1753.
In the early part of the present century, the
houses around Sloane Square were nearly the same
in appearance as at the present time; but the
square was an open space, simply enclosed with
wooden posts, connected by iron chains. Here
Queen Charlotte's Royal Volunteers often assembled, and marched off in military order to Hyde
Park, headed by their band. On the eastern side
of the square, at that time, was the bridge, of which
we have already spoken, (fn. 8) called Bloody Bridge.
It was about twelve or fourteen feet wide, and had
on either side a wall of sufficient height to protect
passengers from falling into the narrow rivulet
which it spanned, and which belonged to the Commissioners of Sewers. In old records this structure
is called "Blandel Bridge;" and it probably received its more sanguinary appellation in consequence of the numerous robberies and murders
formerly committed on the spot. In more recent
times it has assumed the name of "Grosvenor
Bridge," from the extensive adjoining property
of the Grosvenors.
In 1812 the Chelsea, Brompton, and Belgrave
Dispensary was established in Sloane Square, principally through the great exertions of the Rev.
George Clark, the then chaplain of the Royal
Military Asylum. The objects of the institution,
as officially set forth, are "the relief of sick poor
(not paupers), the delivery of married women at
their own homes, and attention to diseases of women
and children." Mr. William Wilberforce, whose
name will be for ever associated with the abolition
of slavery, took a leading part in the foundation of
the dispensary. The earliest annual average of
patients relieved at this admirable institution did
not exceed 1,200; the number benefited yearly
amounts now to nearly 7,000.
The Royal Court Theatre, in this square, was
opened in January, 1871, for the performance of
comedies, farces, and the lighter order of dramas.
The building, which was originally erected in the
year 1818 as a chapel, replaced a theatre at the
beginning, and, singularly enough, the chapel has
been replaced by a theatre at its close. The
station on the Metropolitan District Railway, close
by, doubtless confers great advantages on the
surrounding neighbourhood.
At the beginning of the present century considerable addition was made to the parish of Chelsea by
the erection of houses in this direction, and most of
the new buildings were called Hans Town. Sloane
Street is a long and wide thoroughfare, running
from north to south, and connecting Knightsbridge
with the west part of Pimlico and the east end of
Chelsea. On the east side the houses are made to
revert, so as to form three sides of a square, called
Cadogan Place, of which we have already spoken. (fn. 9)
At the south end of Sloane Street, near the square,
is Trinity Church, of which the Rev. Henry Blunt
was the first incumbent. The edifice, which was
consecrated in 1830, is a brick building of Gothic
architecture. The western front consists of a
centre, flanked by two wide towers rising to a level
with the roof, and terminating with lofty octagonal
spires. Sittings are provided for about 1,500
worshippers. Sloane Terrace Wesleyan Chapel,
which dates from 1811, is a neat and substantial
building, and its erection is attributed to the
liberality of several beneficent gentlemen, among
whom may be named Mr. Joseph Butterworth, who
at that time resided principally at Chelsea.
THE "BLACK LION," CHURCH STREET, CHELSEA, IN 1820.
At No. 72, Sloane Street, lived, for many years,
Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, Bart. In early life
Sir Charles was associated with the literary labours
of his father, who was the chief proprietor, and at
one time editor, of the Athenæum newspaper. He
was one of the earliest promoters of the first Great
Exhibition, and, indeed, took a leading share in
the work of the Executive Committee. For the
ability he displayed in that capacity, the honour of
knighthood was offered to him, at the suggestion
of the late Prince Consort. This honour, however, he declined, together with all pecuniary
remuneration. Mr. Dilke was likewise associated
with the second Industrial Exhibition, as one of
the five Royal Commissioners appointed by Her
Majesty. Almost immediately after the death of
the Prince Consort, Her Majesty was pleased to
confer a baronetcy on Mr. Dilke, "in recognition
of the Prince's friendship and personal regard for
him." Sir Charles was M.P. for the borough of
Wallingford for a short time, and died in 1869
at St. Petersburg. His son and successor was
elected in 1868 as one of the first members for the
newly-enfranchised constituency of Chelsea. He
is the author of an interesting work on "Greater
Britain," and of numerous pamphlets on social and
political topics.
At No. 31 is the Ladies' Work Society, an
institution established for the sale of needlework,
embroidery, and other articles, the production of
ladies in necessitous circumstances. Its president
is her Royal Highness the Princess Louise (Marchioness of Lorne), who herself designs much of
the ornamental work. The institution was established in the year 1871, in North Audley Street, and
removed hither in 1875. The members of the
society can do their work at home, and send it to
Sloane Street for sale—the name of the exhibitors
being known only to the ladies who form the
committee. An annual subscription of 7s. 6d.
constitutes a membership; and when an article is
sold at the price set upon it by the exhibitor, a
penny in the shilling is deducted towards defraying the necessary expenses of the establishment.
In the earlier period of its career the society
had a somewhat hard struggle for existence, but it
gradually grew in proportion to the publicity given
of the good work it was doing, so that now (1876),
under its royal patronage and presidency, the
number of members, which at first were 200, have
increased to 1,000.
THE PAVILION, HANS PLACE, IN 1800.
No. 103 is the Hans Town School of Industry
for Girls. This institution was founded in the
year 1804, and its special object is the training of
young girls for servants. A sum of two guineas is
charged on admission, and the number of children
benefited by this institution amounts to about fifty
annually.
In this street the arch-impostor, Count Cagliostro, was living in the year 1786, when he
published his celebrated "Letter to the English
People," so cruelly criticised by M. de Morande,
the editor of the Courrier de l'Europe, and thus
defended by himself in the Public Advertiser, under
date September 3rd, 1786:—"In physics and
chemistry, Mr. Joker, arguments go for little and
sneers for nothing—experience is all. Permit me,
then, to propose a little experiment, which will
divert the public, either at your expense or at mine.
I invite you to breakfast for the 9th November
next, at nine o'clock in the morning: you will
furnish the wine and the accessories; I will furnish
one dish in my own style—a little sucking pig,
fattened according to my method. Two hours
before breakfast I will present him to you alive,
fat, and healthy. You will engage to have him
killed and cooked, and I will not go near him till
the moment when he is put on the table; you
shall cut him yourself into four pieces, choose that
which attracts you the most, and give me any
piece you please. The day after this breakfast
one of four things will have happened: either we
shall be both dead or both alive, or I shall be dead
and you alive, or you dead and I alive. Out of
these four chances I give you three, and I bet
5,000 guineas that the day after the breakfast you
will be dead and I shall be in good health. You
will confess that no fairer offer could be made,
and that you must either accept the wager or
confess your ignorance, and that you have foolishly
and dully cut your jokes upon a subject beyond
your knowledge." This characteristic letter failed
to persuade M. de Morande to breakfast, and he
was fain to back out as best he might, getting well
laughed at for his pains.
Count Cagliostro—or, to give him his proper
name, Joseph Balsamo—used to advertise in the
London newspapers that he was prepared to sell
"the Egyptian pill of life at thirty shillings a
dram;" doubtless about as efficacious as the preparation called "mummy," which was actually
dispensed as a curative for sores, by physicians
duly provided with diplomas, so late as the reign
of Queen Anne. Cagliostro's doings as a quack
of quacks took place just after the "diamond
necklace" affair; and through the bursting of that
bubble he was temporarily "down on his luck."
No legal proceedings were taken against him in
England, but subsequently he went to Rome,
where he was flung into prison by the Inquisition,
not, oddly enough, because he was a charlatan—the Piazza Navona and the Corso swarmed every
day with vendors of Elixirs of Life and Love—but
because he pretended to be a spirit-rapper. A
very different state of things prevails at the present
day in our own country.
The following story, having reference to this
particular street, we give for what it is worth:—"I had invited Porson," says an English author,
"to meet a party of friends in Sloane Street, where
I lived; but the eccentric professor had mistaken
the day, and made his appearance in full costume
the preceding one. We had already dined, and
were at our cheese. When he discovered his
error, he made his usual exclamation of a whooe!
as long as my arm, and turning to me, with great
gravity, said, 'I advise you in future, sir, when you
ask your friends to dinner, to ask your wife to
write your cards. Sir, your penmanship is abominable; it would disgrace a cobbler. I swear that
your day is-written Thursday, not Friday,' at the
same time pulling the invitation out of his pocket.
It turned out, however, that he was wrong, which
he was obliged to admit."
Towards the commencement of the century, a
considerable part of Sloane Street, between the
square and Cadogan Place, was laid out as a
botanical garden by a Mr. Salisbury. The extent
of the grounds was about six acres, and at one
time formed an agreeable promenade for company.
At the corner of Cadogan Place and Lowndes
Street is Chelsea House, the town residence of
Earl Cadogan, whose family formerly had a
mansion on the site of the Royal Military Asylum.
The house was rebuilt in 1874, from the designs
of Mr. W. Young. The principal entrance, in
Cadogan Place, is marked by a tetrastyle portico,
which is carried up to the first floor as a bay
window; another bay window on the same front
is carried up two storeys, and finished with balustrades. The front to Lowndes Street has a semioctagonal bay at each end, carried up the whole
height of the building. The ground storey is of
rustic stonework, and at the level of the first floor
is a stone balcony carried all round the building.
The drawing-room windows, which are well studied
in proportion and design, have a most imposing
effect. The chief rooms are large and lofty, and
the principal staircase is of Sicilian marble.
The manor and estate of Chelsea came into the
possession of Lord Cadogan's family on the death
of Mr. Hans Sloane by his own hand, Charles,
second Lord Cadogan, having married Elizabeth,
the daughter and co-heir of Sir Hans Sloane. It
may be noted here that Horace Walpole was one
of the trustees under Sir Hans Sloane's will.
On the west side of the street, in Cadogan
Terrace, is the Roman Catholic Chapel of St.
Mary's, an unpretending structure, dating from
1811, and one of the oldest of the missionary
chapels of that religion. Not far from the chapel
are the convent and schools, together with a Roman
Catholic burial-ground, with some large vaults and
catacombs. The chapel itself was built by M.
Voyaux de Franous, one of the French émigré
clergy. Before its erection, mass was said in a
room above a shop. The Duchess of Angoulême
was a generous contributor to the building, and
laid the first stone. Dr. Poynter, then VicarApostolic of the London district, officiated at the
consecration. Poor as the building was, it cost
£6,000. It was specially designed for the use of
the French veterans confined at Chelsea. Among
the assistant clergy here were Cardinal Weld, the
late Bishop of Troy, Dr. Cox, and Mgr. Eyre.
St. Mary's Church has been lately improved and
enlarged.
In Cadogan Street stood formerly an ancient
house, which, in its latter days, was known as the
"Marlborough Tavern;" the grounds adjoining
were used for the purposes of cricket, &c. It is
probable that the house was first established as a
tavern during the lifetime of the great Duke of
Marlborough, who, it is said, at one time resided
in Chelsea, though his house is not identified.
Marlborough Road, Blenheim Street, &c.—all contiguous in this neighbourhood—doubtless hence
received their names. The old "Admiral Keppel"
tavern, with its tea-gardens, in Marlborough Road,
was demolished in 1856, and on its site a large inn
has been erected.
Hans Place, at the north-west corner, between
Sloane Street and Brompton Road, is an irregular
octagonal space, laid out after the fashion of a
London square. Here (at the house No. 25,
according to Mr. Peter Cunningham) was born,
in August, 1802, Miss Letitia E. Landon, the
"L. E. L." of "Annual" celebrity. She went to
school three doors off (No. 22), under a Miss
Rowden, the same who numbered amongst her
pupils Miss Mary R. Mitford. Miss Landon was
the daughter of an army agent, and niece of the
late Dr. Whittington Landon, Dean of Exeter and
Provost of Worcester College, Oxford, who took a
sincere interest in the welfare and fame of his
relative. Having had the misfortune to lose her
father when very young, and her brilliant talents
soon becoming manifest, she appeared before the
world, while little more than a child, as an enthusiastic and delightful literary labourer. Her first
efforts were made in the pages of the Literary
Gazette. "To her honour, it must be added,"
says the editor of the Athenæum, "that the fruits
of her incessant exertion were neither selfishly
hoarded nor foolishly trifled away, but applied to
the maintenance and advancement of her family."
Hans Place is associated with all the earliest
recollections of Miss Landon, whose home it was,
in fact, until her marriage, in 1838, with Captain
George Maclean, Governor of Cape Coast Castle,
on the west coast of Africa. She died in October
of the same year, universally beloved on account
of her amiable and gifted nature, and as simple as
a child. Her poems live, and will live.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wigan, the popular actor
and actress, resided for some time in Hans Place.
Adjoining Hans Place is the Pavilion, formerly
the residence of Lady Charlotte Denys, and now
of the Earl of Arran. This building was erected
in the latter part of the last century by a Mr.
Holland, who had taken from Lord Cadogan a
lease of one hundred acres of land hereabouts,
formerly called "Blacklands," and now Upper
Chelsea, for the purpose of forming new streets,
&c. Mr. Holland reserved to himself twenty-one
acres of land, on which he erected an elegant
house for his own residence. The front of the
house was originally built as a model for the
Pavilion at Brighton, and was ornamented by a
colonnade of the Doric order, extending the whole
length of the building. The mansion consisted of
three sides of a quadrangle, open to the north,
and the approach was from Hans Place. The
south front of the house faced an extensive and
beautifully-planted lawn, gently rising to the level
of the colonnade and principal floor. On the west
side of the lawn was an ice-house, round which was
erected a representation of the ruins of an ancient
"priory," in which the appearance of age and decay
is said to have been strikingly reproduced. The
Gothic stonework was brought from the ancient
but now demolished residence of Cardinal Wolsey,
at Esher, in Surrey. The lawn was ornamented
by a fine sheet of water, besides which the grounds
had about them "considerable variety of fanciful
intricate paths and scenery, properly ornamented
with shrubs, and had a private communication with
the house by the walks of the shrubbery."
On the north side of Hans Place, near to Walton
Street, is St. Saviour's Church. It was built about
the year 1840, and has no particular pretensions
to architectural effect. It has no spire, but two
dwarf towers flank the entrance facing Walton
Place. The interior is perfectly plain. Deep
galleries, supported on octagonal pillars and iron
girders, extend round three sides. The pillars
supporting the front of the galleries are extended
upwards, and from their capitals spring pointed
arches along each side. In connection with this
church there are some excellent schools and charitable societies.
Close by is Prince's Cricket Ground and Skating
Rink, which has become one of the principal
centres of attraction and conversation during the
London "season." The place has long been a
cricket-ground of second-rate importance, but more
than once of late it has been suggested that it
would not be bad to transfer to it the "Eton
and Harrow Match" from "Lord's." Besides this,
there is every accommodation for lawn-tennis, Badminton, and other games. Of late there has been
a novelty added, in the shape of a permanent
"skating-rink," with artificial ice, for practice at all
seasons of the year. "Prince's" was always rather
select and exclusive, but of late its exclusiveness
has been increased, the price of admission being
raised, and all sorts of stringent regulations being
introduced by the committee, in order to keep it
"select." So "select" indeed has it become, that
a cricketing husband, though an old subscriber,
may not take his wife into its precincts, nor can
a skating wife introduce her husband, or even her
daughter. Nay, further, an edict has gone forth
from the despots of "Prince's"—"That no lady is
to be admitted at all unless she has been presented
at Court." Of course, therefore, the members are
"very select;" no "nobodies" are there; "Lady
Clara Vere de Vere" has the skating-rink all to
herself, or shares it only with other "daughters
of a hundred earls." How delightful! Yes, delightful for Lady Clara and her friend, but not so
for the outside public.
The "South Australian" is the sign of a small
inn not far from Prince's Grounds. This building
tells its own tale, having been put up about the
year 1835, when the colony of South Australia
was founded, by some one who had a pecuniary
interest in it.