CHAPTER 8: SITE OF KIRKE HOUSE
In the days of Henry VIII the space lying to the north of the
timber yard, between the main road on the east and the wall of the Spring
Garden on the west, as far as the point where the road turned westward
towards St. James's, was occupied by eleven comparatively small "tenements" belonging to the Crown. Later, these gave way to houses forming
the residence of such notable individuals as Sir Jerome Bowes, Elizabeth's
ambassador to the court of Muscovy; Lord Stanhope of Harrington; Sir
Robert Naunton, secretary of state; George Calvert, afterwards Lord
Baltimore, founder of the Colony of Maryland; and Samuel Hartlib, friend
of Milton. Later still, a further development took place, and the successors
of these houses acquired distinction of a different character. Such resorts
as Lockett's famous ordinary, the Turk's Head Bagnio, the tavern of Samuel
Prior, and Young Man's Coffee House may be mentioned. It has seemed
worth while to trace the fortunes of these "tenements" in some detail, and
the first is that on the site afterwards occupied by Kirke House.
On 20th March, 1536–7, John Scott (fn. 1) obtained a grant of a
tenement then in his tenure lately rebuilt by the King, next to "le Tymber
yerd," near the King's Palace, for a term of 21 years. (fn. 2) The grant came
into the possession of William Hayes, who surrendered it and on 31st
October, 1551, obtained a new grant on similar terms. (fn. 3) In the same
way the right of Hayes became vested in Patrick Fyffe, (fn. 4) to whom on
21st February, 1565–6, the premises were regranted (fn. 5) for 21 years as
from the preceding Michaelmas. Before the expiry of the lease, Elizabeth,
on 17th June, 1573, granted a reversionary lease of the property for
21 years to Katherine Hampton, whose interest was acquired by Nicholas
Christian, (fn. 6) and the latter on 14th June, 1591, obtained a new lease for
40 years. (fn. 7) Nicholas Christian," messenger of her Maiesties most honorable
Counteinge howse," died in 1592, and his will (fn. 8) mentions "a Certeine
messuage … Commonlie Called … the Rose and Crowne (fn. 9) … neere
Charinge Crosse … which I holde of the Queenes Matie … by Indenture
of Lease." On 19th November, 1610, James I leased the premises (fn. 10) to
John Eldred and William Whitmore for 60 years. What happened to
this lease is unknown, but on 14th September, 1631, Charles I granted
this and other properties to Sir Henry Browne and John Cliffe in perpetual
fee farm. (fn. 11) On 5th June, 1633, Browne and Cliffe sold their interest (fn. 12) in the
tenement "next le Timberyard … late in the tenure of John Scott …
and now or late in the tenure of Nicholas Christian" for £45 to George
Kirke, gentleman of the robes to Charles I. (fn. 13)
Kirke rebuilt the house, and in doing so encroached on the wall of
the Spring Garden, for which he obtained a pardon. (fn. 14) The ratebook for
1632 gives "George Kirke xvijs" in respect of a house in the correct
position, showing that he was in occupation of the old house before he
became its owner. During the rebuilding of the house, Kirke seems to
have moved (see p. 107), but in the ratebook for 1635 his name reappears
in the old position and thenceforth continues with one break (1638) (fn. 15)
until 1641. The books for 1642 and 1643 are missing, but in those for
1644 and 1645 the name of Lord Howard appears in the appropriate
position. On 13th October, 1645, Kirke's house and household stuff at
Charing Cross were sequestered for his delinquency, and the house was
let to Lord Sheffield at a rent of £50. (fn. 16) Lord Sheffield (fn. 17) appears in the
ratebook for 1646, and, under his title of Earl of Mulgrave, continues
with one intermission (1650) until his death in 1658. Thereafter the
countess (fn. 18) takes his place until 1661, after which their son (fn. 19) is shown in
respect of the house in the ratebooks for 1662 to 1664 and 1670 to 1679. (fn. 20)
It would seem, though the point is not quite certain, that Sir Henry Bennet
(Lord Arlington) is jointly rated with the earl in 1663 and 1664, and is
solely rated therefor in 1665, but with a note "in ye house but 3 months."
For the years 1666 to 1669 Francisco "Demesis" is shown at the house.
This is evidently intended for Don Francisco de Mello, the Portuguese
Ambassador, and his residence here is confirmed by the Hearth Tax Roll for
1666, which shows "the Portugall Ambassador" rated at 23 hearths in
respect of the house with a note, "King to pay." The roll for 1674 shows
"Lord Mulgrave" for 26 hearths.
In 1681 the name of "Samuel Pryer" occurs in respect of a portion
of the house. Samuel Prior was the uncle of Matthew Prior, poet and
diplomatist, and the former's tavern in Charing Cross has been identified
both as The Rummer and as the house where young Matthew was taken in
to assist and wait on the customers. (fn. 21) The latter identification is very doubtful.
Samuel Prior had formerly kept the Rhenish Wine House in Cannon Row,
where Matthew assisted him, and whence he was sent back to Westminster
School by the Earl of Dorset. As Samuel Prior did not remove to Charing
Cross until Matthew was 17, it must have been the Cannon Row establishment that is referred to. As regards the identity of the Charing Cross house
with The Rummer, however, it seems quite likely that at some time later
the house, or a part of it, was The Rummer Eating House. The deed of
1712, which has previously been mentioned, concerning inter alia certain
houses on the site of the timber yard, mentions a house in the occupation
of Thomas Corbett "adjoining to a Messuage called the Rummer Eating
house on the North," and in 1736 the same house is again referred to (fn. 22) as
"formerly in the Tenure … of Thomas Corbett … abutting … North on
a Messuage … now in the Tenure of … Thomas Patterson." Corbett's
house was the northernmost of those on the timber yard frontage, and Patterson
is known to have been a Kirke tenant (see below). The Rummer Eating
House must therefore have been situated in the southern portion of the Kirke
property, and may well have been identical with the house of Prior. (fn. 23) In
that case it must have changed its character since Prior's time, for the
latter's establishment was a tavern, not an eating house. (fn. 24)
The last ratebook giving Samuel Prior's name is that for 1695.
During the whole of this period the Kirke family had retained possession of
the house. On 15th August, 1723, Charles James Kirke and Mary his
mother mortgaged (fn. 25) to Erasmus Lewis "all those three Severall Messuages
… scituate … at or near Chearing Cross … heretofore One Messuage built
by George Kirke, Esquire, Deceased, and formerly in the Tenure … of the
Right Honourable the Earle of Mulgrave, afterwards in the Severall Tenures
… of John Ferrers and Samuell Prior, since that in the possession of
Nathaniell Rosewell, and late in the Occupation of Francis Gostridge,
Vintner." (fn. 26)
By her will dated 25th July, 1753, Mary Kirke bequeathed all her
freehold property at Charing Cross, "then in the Possession of herself and
Mr. Thomas Paterson," to John Lambert and Elizabeth Cox "her upper
Servant, for the Purposes therein mentioned." (fn. 27) The remaining house
of the three was empty.
On 7th January, 1757, John Lambert and Elizabeth Cox sold the
property, described as three messuages late in the tenure of "Mary Kirke,
Thomas Paterson and —" to Francis Watkins. (fn. 28) In the list prepared by
the Westminster Bridge Commissioners' surveyor in 1756 (see appendix) two
of the houses are described as "old brick houses," one let to John Harris
(Paterson's successor) and the other "next Spring Garden," unlet. Mary
Kirke's house was not included in the list.
Thomas Williams, "Dealer in China," succeeded John Harris, "landskip painter," in 1757, and in the former's appeal (fn. 29) to the commissioners
for favourable consideration he refers to the house as "commonly called
Oliver Cromwell's House." In the plan reproduced in Plate 80,
"Cromwell's Palace" is shown in Stanhope Court, further north. The
only other reference to the place that has been found is the water-colour
drawing reproduced on p. 86 (fn. 30) which obviously shows the Spring Gardens
side of the building, but contains nothing to identify it specially with either
Kirke House or Stanhope House. No evidence has been found to connect
Cromwell with either house.
Figure 21:
"Oliver Cromwell's House"
On the widening of the street in 1758 the front house was pulled
down, and an irregularly shaped piece of ground about 34 feet in depth
was thrown into the road. The improvement was carried out at once,
although, owing to the refusal of the owner, Francis Watkins, to accept
either the commissioners' original offer, or the verdicts of two juries, the
terms were not finally settled until 1771. (fn. 31) On the portion of the site left
over Watkins erected a "New Brick Messuage … now [1771] in the Tenure
… of Messrs Biddulph and Cox, Bankers." This was No. 43, Charing
Cross. The site is now occupied by the northern portion of Martin's
Bank.