No. 23 Queen Anne's Gate

Survey of London: Volume 10, St. Margaret, Westminster, Part I: Queen Anne's Gate Area. Originally published by [s.n.], [s.l.], 1926.

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'No. 23 Queen Anne's Gate', in Survey of London: Volume 10, St. Margaret, Westminster, Part I: Queen Anne's Gate Area, ([s.l.], 1926) pp. 112-113. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol10/pt1/pp112-113 [accessed 18 March 2024]

In this section

XLIX.—No. 23 QUEEN ANNE'S GATE: (Formerly No. 4 Queen Square).

Ground Landlord.

The freehold belongs to the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association.

General Description.

The sale to Nunez in 1726 (see p. 110) included (for £860) "a parcell of ground, with the messuage thereon, now or late in occupation of Mrs. Wingfield, being the second house on the south side of Queen Square." The plot contained 36 feet 10 inches in front and 29 feet in depth, and the house is described as being three storeys high, and comprising "two rooms and two large closetts on a floore, with a kitchen, washhouse and other conveniences below stairs and garretts in the roofe … also vaults under the square and a small yard paved with Purbeck stone, and iron railes before the front of the said messuage."

The wood cornice at the eaves has been removed, and the front wall has been carried up to form a parapet to a slate roof. The window-sashes have been reglazed, and by the removal of the sash-bars the character of the windows has been impaired. The entrance is central, and is decorated with a carved canopy door-hood (Plate 106) like others on this side of the square.

Some of the rooms retain their plain wood panelling, chair-rails and moulded wood cornices. The wall surfaces to the stairs are panelled and have a wood cornice to the landings and passage. The balustrading consists of close moulded strings, turned balusters and square newel posts. A semielliptical archway to the panelled hall has the cornice mitred round both faces of the key-block.

A lead cistern in the basement has a panelled ribbed front with the date 1763, and some undecipherable letters.

The back wall was probably rebuilt during the last century, when the top storey was increased in height and the slate roof added.

Condition of Repair.

Good.

Historical Notes.

The names of the occupiers of this house up to 1840, according to the ratebooks, were:—

1706–08 Mme. Elford.
1709–12 Lord Faulkland.
1714 Thos. Merrit. (fn. n1)
1716 C. Copsey.
1717–18 Sir Wm. Gordon.
1720–25 — Fox.
1732 Thos. Railton.
1733–34 Mme. Railton.
1737–38 Mrs. Fowle.
1739–42 — Fowyle.
1743–69 Robt. Maldrum.
1771–73 Hen. Lateland.
1788 Benj. Severn.
1789–91 Sam. Fenton.
1794 Sara Meeks.
1795–96 Ann Thompson.
1800–21 John Hopkins.
1822–28 Mary Brown.
1830–38 David Ferrard.
1839 Step. Virtue.
1774–79 Jos. Wells.
1780–84 Elizabeth Wells.
1785 Wm. Wells.

In the Council's Collection are:—

General exterior of premises (photograph).
(fn. n2) General exterior of premises (measured drawing).
(fn. n2) Detail of entrance doorway (photograph).
(fn. n2) Ground and first-floor plans (measured drawing).

Footnotes

  • n1. "Merrick" in deed of 1716.
  • n2. Reproduced here.