XXXVIII.—No. 18 QUEEN ANNE'S GATE (Formerly No. 5 Park Street).
Ground Landlord.
The freehold is the property of Christ's Hospital.
General Description.
The exterior consists of four storeys in plain brickwork over a basement, and a slated mansard roof to the attic (Plate 80). The windows to
the first floor open on to a balcony, a feature probably added early in the
19th century, when the window-sills were lowered to the floor level. The
front area has wrought-iron railings, and on each side of the entrance are
iron lamp-standards. The back is similar to No. 20.
The main staircase, which is of stone, and continues in a semi-elliptical
sweep to each floor, from ground to second floor, has a wrought-iron balustrading of panels of "S" design and a mahogany handrail of light section.
The entrance door with a small window in each side is contained
within a semicircular brick arch, the tympanum being filled with a fanlight
of good design; a second fanlight occurs over the inner doors to the staircase.
On the first-floor landing are two Ionic columns standing free, and two
wall pilasters which support an entablature at the second-floor level, the frieze
being decorated with guilloche ornament, which is carried in a band round the
wall of the staircase. Above this, on the side walls, are two elaborate elliptical
borrowed lights, with cobweb glazing bars, the frames being surrounded
by plaster foliage in relief. In the ceiling of the stair is an elliptical domed
skylight, with festoons in plaster around the drum.
The back room on the ground floor has a carved mantelpiece in white
and sienna marbles, with a central panel containing a sculptured representation of Ganymede.
On the first floor the front room has a good plaster ceiling, part of which
was cut away when the room was made smaller by the insertion of the
secondary staircase. It is divided into panels containing representations of
the Arts in low relief, while the centre is decorated with a circular painted
panel (Plate 89). The mantelpiece in this room is in Genoa green and white
marbles, with a sculptured centre tablet representing Diana and her Nymphs.
The ceiling of the back room is similar to one in No. 20, and is treated with
a series of painted panels within a floral wreathing. The mantelpiece is in
white marble, with fluted Ionic ¾-diameter columns, and a sculptured centre
tablet containing a representation of Hercules resting after his Capture
of the Erymanthian Boar (Plate 88).
The north room on the second floor is entered from a vestibule with
fluted columns and entablature.
In the entrance hall is preserved a carved wood door frame removed
from the Queen Square Chapel (see p. 138).
Condition of Repair.
Good.
Historical Notes.
According to the ratebooks, the occupiers of the house were as follows:—
|
| 1779–80 | John Petteward. (fn. 1) |
| 1782–90 | Sir Gilbert Elliot. |
| 1791–95 | Fr. Russell. |
| 1796–1800 | Hon. Wm. Wyndham. |
| 1801–14 | George White. (fn. 2) |
| 1815–23 | John Willett. |
| 1825–35 | Sir W. Millman. |
| 1836– | Lady Hope. |
Sir Gilbert Elliot, son of the statesman, philosopher and poet of the same name, was
born in 1751. In 1774 he was called to the Bar, and in 1777 succeeded his father in the
baronetcy. In the previous year he had entered Parliament, and in 1787 he brought forward
an impeachment of Sir Elijah Impey for perversion of justice in Bengal. The motion was
lost, but the speeches made by Elliot won him a considerable reputation. In 1793 he was
appointed Civil Commissioner at Toulon, and from 1794 to 1796 was Viceroy of Corsica.
He returned to England in 1798 and was created Baron Minto. In the following year he
was Minister Plenipotentiary at Vienna. In 1806 he became President of the Board of
Control and was soon after appointed Governor-General of India, a position which he held
with success until 1813. On his retirement in that year he was created Viscount Melgund
and Earl of Minto. He died in 1814, a few weeks after his arrival in England.
William Windham, son of Colonel Windham, the author of the Plan of Discipline,
was born in 1750. At first averse from a public career, he gradually drifted into politics,
and in 1783 became secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. In the following year
he entered Parliament. In 1788 he was one of the band of members who managed for the
Commons the impeachment of Warren Hastings. In 1794, on Burke's advice, he consented
to take office under Pitt, becoming Secretary at War until the fall of the Ministry in 1801.
He opposed the peace of 1802 and assisted Cobbett to found the Political Register. In 1806–7
he held the War and Colonial Office under Lord Grenville, in which position with a view to
making military service more attractive he carried Bills for reducing the term of service and
increasing the pay. He died in 1810.
In the Council's Collection are:—
(fn. 3) General exterior of premises (photograph).
Marble mantelpiece, back room on ground floor (photograph).
(fn. 3) Plaster ceiling to front room on first floor (photograph).
Marble mantelpiece, front room on first floor (photograph).
(fn. 3) Plaster ceiling to back room on first floor (photograph).
(fn. 3) Marble mantelpiece, back room on first floor (photograph).
(fn. 3) Ground and first-floor plans (measured drawing).