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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/oldnewlondonnarr03thor_0
Old and New London
A NARRATIVE OF
Its History, its People, and its Places.
3uUuatcac<o tmtt) numerouB (Cnsraaingf from i\t moist ^Cljentic ^ourceji.
WESTMINSTER AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS
BY
EDWARD WALFORD.
Vol. III.
Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.:
LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK.
THE J PAUL GETTY CENTER LIBRARY
CONTENTS.
WESTMINSTER AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS. CHAPTER I.
WESTMINSTER.— GENERAL REMARKS.-ITS BOUNDARIES AND HISTORY. PAGB Origin of the Name-Its Early History- Antiquity of the See-Foundation of the Abbey-The Palace at Westminster-Present Size and
Importance— Extent of its Boundaries • 5
CHAPTER II. BUTCHERS ROW.— CHURCH OF ST. CLEMENT DANES. Temple Bar and Johnson-Butcher's Row-The " Straits "-Shenstone-The Gunpowder Plotters-The Old Fish Shop-" Bulk Shops" and their Occupants— Churchyard and Church of St. Clement Danes-Johnson's Pew in the Church— Great Men Buried at St. Clement's— The Registers— Two Noteworthy Entries
CHAPTER III. ST. CLEMENT DANES (coniiniied). -THE L.^W COURTS. Karly Courts of Law-tnns of Court-Want of a Central Building-New Law Courts Projected-Selection of Architect-Discussioa about the Site-Plan and Design of the New Building— Temple Bar Memorial— Old Buildings swept away— The Old Fish Shop— HoUoway's-Shire Lane and its Inhabitants-Sir C. Sedley-The Well of St. Clemenfs-Bell Yard-Plough AIley-Boswell Court : a Relic of Old Times— Clement s Lane : its Decline and Fall— A Grand Clearance
CHAPTER IV.
ST. CLEMENT DANES (cominued).—A WALK ROUND THE PARISH. Carey Street— Its Reminiscences — Residences of Benjamin Franklin, Sir William Blackstone, and Mrs. Chapone— The " Grange " Inn — The "Plough" Tavern and Gully the Prizefighter— The "Seven Stars "—Serle's Court, now called New Square— Ravenscroft's Wig-.shop— Serle's Coffee House— Portugal Row— Playhouse Street— The Duke's Theatre— Origin of the Sergeant's Guard at the Theatre Royal— Curious Play Bills of the last Century — Portugal Street — King's College Hospital — Burial-place of Joe Miller — Enon Chapel and the Modem " Golgotha "—The "Old Black Jack." 25
CHAPTER V.
THE STRAND (NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES).— CLEMENT'S INN, NEW INN, LYON'S INN, ETC. Curious Legend about St. Clement's Lane — Clement's Inn — New Inn — Stanhope Street — Birthplace of Grimaldi — Holywell Street— The " Old Drury" Tavern — Ancient Shop-Signs — " Bookseller's Row " — Wych Street — New Inn— The " White Lion " and Jack Sheppard — The "Angel" Inn and Bishop Hooper — "Saddling the Spit" — Lyon's Inn — The " Spotted Dog"— The Globe Theatre — The Opera Comique — The Olympic Theatre ^2
CHAPTER VI.
THE STRAND (NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES).— DRURY LANE AND CLARE MARKET. The Hundred of Drury — Drury House, afterwards called Craven House — The "Queen of Bohemia" — Drury Lane — Eminent Inhabitants- Residence of Nell Gwynne — The " Cock and Magpie " — The " Craven Head " and the Norfolk Giant — Disreputable Character of Drury Lane in the Past Century — Pepys' Visit to the "Cockpit" — Puritan Observances — The Theatre in Vere Street — " Spiriting Away " an Infant — Princes Street — Clare Market — John Henley, the Demagogue — Clare House — Killigrew's Theatre — Mrs. Bracegirdle's Benevo- lence—The " Bull's Head " and the Artists' Club— The " Spiller's Head " Tavern— Clare Market Chapel— Denzil Street— Holies Street . 36
CHAPTER VII. LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS. Formation of Lincoln's Inn Fields— Dimensions of the Square— Inigo Jones's Plan— Noble Families resident here— The Poet Gay's Estimate of the Place—" Mumpers" and " Rufflers"— Used as Training-grounds for Horses— Bad Rep'utation of the Fields in Former Times- Execution of Lord WiUiamRussell— The Tennis Court— The Royal College of Surgeons— Sardinian Chapel— The Sardinian Ambassador's Residence— The " Devil's Gap "—Institution for the Remedy of Organic Defects, &c.— Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge- Newcastle House— The Soane Museum— Inns of Court Hotel— Whetstone Park— Milton's Residence— Great and Little Turnstiles-- Proposal to erect the Courts of Law in Lincoln's Inn Fields
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CONTENTS,
CHAPTER VIII.
LINCOLN'S INN. PAGE Fortcscue's Definition of " Inns of Court " — The " Revels " — Regulation of the Growth of Beards — " Mootings" — Lincoln's Inn a Mansion of Henry de Licy, Earl of Lincoln— Description of the Buildings— The Thurloe Papers — Ben Jonson as a Bricklayer — Humorous Transla- tion of Inscription on " Foundation Stone "—Sir Matthew Hale— The Gardens— History of Lincoln's Inn— Sir Thomas More— Illustrious Members of Lincoln's Inn rj
CHAPTER IX. THE STRAND— INTRODUCTORY AND HISTORICAL. Condition of the Strand in the Days of the Plantagenets and Tudors — Rules for Hackney Coaches— Taylor, the " Water Poet " — Origin of the Name of the Strand — Graphic Sketch of the Strand Five Centuries ago— New Paving Act— State Pageants — Temple Bar in Danger .
CHAPTER X. THE STRAND.— SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES. Thanet Place— The Old "Rose " Tavern— Palsgrave Place— The " Palsgrave Head"— Andrew Marvell— The London and Westminster Joint- Stock Bank— Messrs. Strahan, Paul, and Bates— Messrs. Twining and Co. 's Bank and Tea-warehouse— " George's Hotel "—Devereux Court — " Tom's Coffee House " — The "Grecian" — Eldon Chambers 63
CHAPTER XI. THE STRAND.— SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES (continued). Exeter House— Attacked by the Populace— Seized by Lord Paget, and Bequeathed to Robert, Earl of Essex— Paterson, the Auctioneer— Essex Street— " Sam's '■ Club at the "Essex Head "—Anecdote of the Young Pretender— The Robin Hood Society— Charles Dibdin— The Unitarian Chapel — Earliest Inhabitants of Essex Street 66
CHAPTER XII. THE .STRAND.— SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES (continued). Milford Lane— The Chapel of the Holy Ghost— The Illustrated London News— Messrs. Woodfall and Kinder's— Arundel House— The Arundel Collection— Lord Seymour's Dalliance with the Princess Elizabeth— The Due de Sully at Arundel House—" Old Parr "—Distinguished Inhabitants of Arundel Street— The "Crown and Anchor " Tavern— The Whittington Club— The Temple Club— Messrs. W. H, Smith and Son's News Agency— An Early News-Mart— Strand Lane— The Old Roman Bath— Jacob Tonson 70
CHAPTER XIII. THE STRAND.— SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES (continued). Sir Thomas Lyttleton and Bishop Burnet— Norfolk Street— Royal Farmers and General Insurance Company-St. John's House— Conservative Land Society— Eminent Residents in Norfolk Street— Surrey Street— Office for Licensing Hackney Coaches— Voltaire and Will Congre\ e —Howard Street— Attempted Abduction of Mrs. Bracegirdle, the Actress— Murder of Mr. Moantfort 8^
CHAPTER XIV. ST. MARY-LE-STRAND, THE MAYPOLE, &C. Building of St. Mary-le-Stracd Church— Singukar Accident— The Young Pretender here renounces the Roman Catholic Faith— Strand Bridge- Strand Theatre— The Origin.al Church of St. Mary-le-Strand— Setting up the Maypole-Anne Clarges, Wife of the First Duke of Albe- marle—Maypole Alley— Sir Isaac Newton purchases the Maypole— An Ancient Cross— Chester, or Strand Inn 84
CHAPTER XV. SOMERSET HOUSE AND KING'S COLLEGE. Old Somerset House-Rapacity of the Protector Somerset-John of Padua, Architect of the Original Building-Downfall and Execution of the Protector— Somerset House assigned to the Princess Elizabeth— Afterwards the Residence of the Queens of England-Its Name changed to Denmark House-Additions made by Inigo Jones-Banishment of the Capuchin Fathers, and Desecration of the Chapel- The Services in the Chapel restored, and Pepys' Account of them— Catherine of Braganza-Attempt to implicate the Royal House- hold with the Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey-The Cemetery-Description of the Old Buildings-Their Demolition- Building of New Somerset House— Amusing Tradition relative to Somerset House— King's College
CHAPTER XVI. THE SAVOY.
Early History of the Savsy Palace-John, the French King, lodged here-The Savoy attacked by the Citizens of London, and by Wat Tyler- Converted into a Hospital by Henry VII.-Assembly of the Commissioners for the Revision of the Liturgy-A °' ^f^^f. established in the Savoy-The Chapel of St. Man— Distinguished Persons buried here-Funeral of the Earl of Bedford- The Worship.ul Company of Upholders "
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CHAPTER XVII. THE STRAND.— SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES (continued). Beaufort Buildings-Fielding, the Novelist-Worcester House-Carey Hou^e-The " Fox-under-the-Hill "-Beaufort House -Salisbury- House- The Middle Exchange-Cecil Street-The Arundel Club-Ivy Bridge Lane-Durham House-The New Exchange-The Duchess 01 Tyrconnel, the " White Milliner "-A Singular Tragedy and Curious Dr^r^uement-CoxM^S Bank-The Adelphi-Gamck s House ne " Shades "—The Society of Arts— Buckingham Street— York Stairs— Buckingham Water Gate— ViUiers Street 'OO
CONTENTS.
V
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE STRAND.— NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES. PAG^ Catherine Street— Derivation of its Name— Tlie Morning Chronicle and Mr. John Black— Wimbledon House— D'Oyley's W-ircIjOwie — Exeter Street— Exeter Arcade— The Strand Music Hall— The Gaiety— The Morning P si—Exeler House, and Visit of Queen Elizabeth to Lord Burleigh— Exeter Change— The Menagerie- The Elephant "Chunee" — The Lyceum Theatre— The I5cef-stcak Club — Exeter Hall — The Adelphi Theatre — Maiden Lane and its Noted Residents — Southampton Street— The "Bedford Head" — The Corps of Commissionaires— Bedford House— The Lancet and Mr. T. Wakley— Generil .Monk and the Duchess of Albemarle — Newspapers published in the Strand jiq
CHAPTER XIX.
CHARING CROSS, THE RAILWAY STATIONS, AND OLD HUNGERFORD MARKET. Derivation of the Name of Charing— Description of the Original Cross— Lines on its Downfall - Sir Thomas Wyatt's Encounter w ith Queen Mary's Troops— A Cunning Royalist— The Statue of Charles I.— Andrew Marvell's Satire— I'he Story of the Sword- Execution of the Regicides- Curious Exhibitions at Charing Cross — The Royal Mews— Charing Cross Hospital— Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital— Charing Cross Theatre— The " Golden Cross "—Charing Cross Railway Station and Hotel— The New Eleanor Cross -The Railway Bridge— The Floating liaths— Old Hungerford Market— Hungei ford Bridge— The Lowther Arcade— Adelaide Gallery — Craven Street — Northumberland Street I2j
CHAPTER XX. NORTHUMBERLAND HOUSE AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS.
Situation and Early Owners— Passes into the Hands of the Howards— Called Northampton House— Name changed to Suffolk House
.-Vcain altered to Northumberland House— The "Proud" Duke of Somerset— Sir Hugh Smithson, afterwards Duke of Northum- berland—Description of the Building — The Percy Lion — Sale and Demolition of the House — Northumberland .Sveniie .... jjj
CHAPTER XXI. IRAFALGAR SQUARE, NATIONAL GALLERY, &c. Formation of Trafalgar Square — The " King's Mews "—Mr. Cross's Menagerie — A St.ate Coach-house— The Royal Humane Society — The Nelson Monument — Sir E.''Landseer's Lions— Statues of George IV. , General Havelock, and Sir Charles Napier — Proposal for planting Trafalgar Square as 'a Garden — The Royal College of Physicians — Dr. Harvey's Benefaction — Anecdote of Dr. Baillie — Dr. Radcliffe and Sir Godfrey Kneller— History of the Foundation of the College of Physicians — Cockspur .Street — O'Brien, the Irish Giant — Statue of George III. — Society of Painters in Water-colours — The National Gallery — Its Formation and Subsequent Additions — Agitation for an Academy of Painting— Sir Godfrey Kneller's Drawing Academy — Sir James Thornhill's Propositions rejected- Establishment of the Royal Academy — Biographical Notices of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West, Sir Ihomas Lawrence, Sir Martin A. Shee, Sir Charles L. Eastlake, and Sir Francis Grant — Suggestions for the Enlargement of the National Gallery — St. George's Barracks
CHAPTER .XXII. ST. M .\ R T I N 'S - I N - T H E - F I E L D S. St. Manin's-in-the-Fields in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries — The Church built by Henry VIII. — The Church rebuilt — Description of the Edifice — Burial of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey — Notabilities interred in the Churchyard — The Parish R.ate-books — Curious Stories about St. Martin's Church — The Royal Society of Literature — Anthropological Institute— National Society for aiding the Sick and Wounded in War — .\rchbishop Tenison's Library and School — An Ancient Chapel or Oratory— Historic and Artistic Associations of St. Martin's Lane I49
CHAPTER .XXIII. LEICESTER SQUARE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. Leicester Fields — Formation of the Square — Famous Duels fought here — Leicester Hou.se — Anecdote of George III.'s Childhood — Sir Ashton Lever's Museum — Saville House— Miss Linwood's Exhibition of Needlework — Destruction of .Saville House — Residence of Sir Joshua Reynolds — Hogarth's House — The " Pic-nic Club " — John Hunter's Museum --The Alhambra — Burford's Panorama — The Church of Notre Dame de France — Wyld's " Great Globe " — Downfall of the .Statue of George I. — Reno\ation of the Siiuare by Mr. Albert Grant — Residence of Sir Isaac Newton — Cranbourn Street and Cranbourn .-Mley l6o
CHAPTER .XXIV. SOHO.
The Situation and Etymology of Soho— Historical Reminiscences— Newport Market— French Refugees- -Gcrrard Street— The Toxophilite Society— Dryden's House — Edmund Burke— The "Turk's Head" Tavern and the Literary Club— The " Literary Society" — Maccles- field or Gerard House— The Prince of Wales's Shooting Ground — L'HCtel de I'Etoile— St. Anne's Church— The Burial-place of Lord Camelford— Vicissitudes of the King of Corsica — The Parish Watch-house and " Sir Harry Dimsdale " 1 73
CHAPTER .XXV. SOHO SQUARE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. Noted' Residents in Soho— Appearance of the Squ.are in Queen Anne's Reign — Proposal for the Restoration of the Square— Jlonmouth House — Lord Bateman — Carlisle House and the celebrated Mrs. Cornelys' Masquerades — .St. Patrick's Chapel — Humorous Descrip- tion of an Irish Wake — The White House and its Fashionable Patrons — Soho Bazaar— The Residence of Sir Joseph Banks — Origin of the Linnaean Society — Frith Street — Sir Samuel Romilly — Compton Street -Dean Street — The New Royalty Theatre— Greek Street —The House of Charity— Wardour Street—" The Mischief" in Oxford Street — Hog Lane (now Crown Street) .and the Little Ch.apel founded by Xell Gwynne 1S4
CHAPTER X.XVI. ST. GILES'S-IN-T HE-FIELDS. St. Giles, the Patron Saint of Lepers— The Lepers' Hospital founded here — The Village of St. Giles in the Time of the Plantagenets, Tudors, and Stuarts— Executions at St. Giles's— The "Half-way House" on the Road to Tyburn— The Cage and the Pound— St. Giles's Church— Church Lane — Monmouth Court and the Catnatch Press— The Seven Dials— Shaved by a Woman— The Prince and the Beggars 1 97
vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVII. THE P.\RISH OF ST. GILES'S-IN-THE-FIELDS (continued). page The Poor of St. Giles's — Curious Parish Regulations — "Old Simon," the Beggar — Denmark Street — Etymology of Brownlow and Belton Streets — Endell Street — Queen A-nne's Bath — British Lying-in Hospital — Baths and Washhouses — French Protestant Episcopal Church — Bloomsbury Chapel — Bedford Chapel — Outbreak of the Plague of 1665 — Lewknor's Lane (now Charles Street), and its Character in the Reign of Queen .'\niie — Nell Gwynne's Birthplace — St. Giles's Almshouses — The Old Round House, and Jack Sheppard's Escape — The Cockpit and Phoenix Theatres— The " White Lion " in Drury Lane — " The Flash Coves' Parliament " — Great Queen Street and its Fashionable Residents — The Gordon Riots — Opie's Popularity — James Hoole's Residence — The Freemasons* Hall and Tavern — The Wesleyan Chapel— The Marriage Register of David Garrick— Benjamin Franklin's Printing-press— Gate Street— The Great and Little 'J'urnstiles — 'I'lchborne Court — Religious Persecutions 2o6
CHAPTER XXVIII. DRURY LANE THEATRE. The Original Playhouse in Covent Garden — The Players Imprisoned in the Gate House — The Cockpit Theatre — Killigrew's Theatre in Drury Lane — Betterton's Early Triumphs— The Players first styled " His Majestj''s Servants" — Testimonial to Mrs. Bracegirdle — Lovely " Nancy" Oldfield — CoUey Cibber as Manager and Dramatist — Garrick at Drury Lane— Kitty Clive, the (.^omic Actress — A Batch of Fortunate Actresses— Edmund and Charles Kean — Mrs. Nisbet, Macready, and Madame Celeste — Anecdote of JLidame Malibran — Michael Balfe, and the Statue erected to his Honour — Sakiries of Celebrated Players— Changes and Vicissitudes of " Old Drury" — The New Theatre closed by Order of the Lord Chamberlain — Mr.s. Siddons' Debut — The Kembles — Sheridan's Habit of Procrastination — The Theatre again destroyed by Fire — Coolness of Sheridan — The " Rejected Addresses "—Mr. Whitbread and the Colonnade — Rebuilding and Opening of the New Theatre — Its subsequent Vicissitudes — Van Amburgh and his Wild Beasts — The Theatre opened as an Opera-house 2l8
CHAPTER XXIX. COVENT GARDEN THE.A.TRE. The Building of the Theatre — " Rich's Glory" — The First Performance at Covent Garden — Ladies at the Theatre — Receipts of the House — Performance of Handel's "Messiah" — Royalty flock to the Haymarket, and Horace Walpole's Remarks upon the Subject — First Appearance of "Peg" Woffington — Death of Rich, and Sale of Covent Garden Theatre— Charles Macklin, the Comedian and Centenarian — Stephen Kemble — Incledon — George Frederick Cooke — John Philip Kemble — "The Young Roscius" — The Theatre burnt in 1S08 — The Duke of Northumberland's Generosity to Kemlile — The Theatre rebuilt and opened — The " O. P." Riots, suc- ceeded by a run of uninterrupted Prosperity — Poetic Effusions upon Actresses wedded to Noblemen .......
CHAPTER XXX. COVENT GARDEN.- GENERAL DESCRIPTION. Extent of the District — Covent Garden in the Fourteenth Century — The Site passes into the hands of the Duke of Somerset, and after- wards the Earls of Bedford— Origin of the Market- Annals of Covent Garden — The Fashionable Days of Covent Garden — The Piazzas as a Promenade— History of the Market— The Sun-dial — The Hackney-coach Stands — The Mohocks and other Marauders . 238
CHAPTER XXXI. COVENT GARDEN (continued). The Market described — The Covent Garden of the Past and Present contrasted— Best Time to view the Market — The Flower Market — The Piazza — The Irish Society of Fortune-hunters — Pepys in the Piazza — Theodore Hook and Sheridan — The Puppet Show — The " Bed- ford Coffee-House" — The Floral Hall— The " Hummums" — "Evans's Hotel" — The Old Supper Room— The New Hall— Famous Residents in Covent Garden— Auction Rooms — Marriage a la Mode 2/}^
CHAPTER XXXII. COVENT GARDEN .-VND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD (continued). St. Paul's Church first built — Destroyed by Fire and rebuilt — Dispute between the Earl of Bedford and the Vicar of St. Martin's-in-lhc- Fields— Horace Walpole's Criticism of the Building — Extracts from the Parish Register — Notabilities interred in the Churchyard — The Parish Rate-books and Church Registers — " King's " Coffee House — The Westminster Elections — The Duchess of Devonshire and Lady Duncannon's Patriotism — Fox " chaired " as the Man for the People — " Treasonable Practices " of the " Independent Electors " — Excite- ment consequent on the Westminster Elections— Morals of Covent Garden in the Seventeenth Century— Suicide of Mr. Darner- Arrest of the Muscovite Ambassador, and his Detention in the " Black Raven" — The " Finish "—The " Mu.seum Minerva: "—The Marquis of Worcester and the Convent Garden — Noted Residents of Covent Garden— Tavistock Street— Tavistock Row- Charles Macklin's Residence— The Murder of Miss Ray . 7.'^^
CHAPTER XXXIII.
COVENT GARDEN AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD (continued). Distinguished Inhabitants of James Street — Henrietta Street— Sir Robert Strange, the Historical Engraver — Duel between Sheridan and Mathews — Formation of the .Society of Arts — King Street— D'Urfey's Allusion to the " Three Kings" — Hutchins' and Paterson's Auction Rooms — "The Essex Serpent" — Samuel Taylor Coleridge — The Garrick Club — Collection of Theatrical Portraits — Rose Street — Samuel Butler, the Author of"Hudibras" — Assault of Dryden— The "Pope's Head" and Curll the Bookseller— New Street— Dr. Johnson's Dinner — Artists in Long Acre — Wedgwood— Removal of Sign-boards — Bedford Street — An Old Tea Shop — Garrick in South- ampton Street — The old Welsh Alehouse— Danby and Marvell— Voltaire— Turner — Quarrel between Hogarth and Churchill— The " Cider Cellars "— Chandos Street— Bedfordbury— Sir F. Kynaston and the Museum Minervae 262
CHAPTER XXXIV. COVENT GARDEN AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD (continued). Long Acre— Its Original Condition — The Head-quarters of Carriage-builders — Distinguished Residents— St. Martin's Hall— Mr. HuUah's Choral Classes— St. Martin's Hall destroyed by Fire and rebuilt— The Queen's Theatre — Messrs. M^rry weather's Fire-engine Manu- factory— Hanover Court, and Taylor the " Water-Poet " — Hart Street-Charles Macklin as a Tavern-keeper— Bow Street- The Police Office— Noted Residents— Fall ofGrinling Gibbons' House— Dr. Radcliffe— The Poet Wycherley— The " Garrick's Head "—Exhibition of Sign-boards— The " Wrekin"— Wycherley s Dying Request to his Young Wife 269
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXXV.
COVENT GARDEN AND ITS N^;iGHBOURHOOD (continued). PAGE Russell Street— Tom Davles' Bookshop— The First Meeting of Boswell and Johnson— An Anecdote of Foote, the Actor— "Will's Coffee- house "— Dryden and Addison— Pope's Youthful Visits to "Will's " — " Button's Coftee-house " — The " Lion's Head " — "Tom's Coffee- house "—The "Shakespeare's Head "—The " Albion "—Distinguished Residents in Russell Street— "The Orpheus " Music-shop— The " Rose " Tavern— The " Harp" and "The City of Lushington "—Crown Court and the Scotch National Church— Richard Steele— Gradual Decline of " Button's Coffee-house " ... . 77e
CHAPTER XXXVI. COVENT GARDEN AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD (cortiinued). Club Life— Dickens's Love for Covent Garden— The "Sheridan Knowles'" Tavern and the "Owls" Club— The " Whistling Oyster '— The " Shakespeare Head" Tavern— Johnson's .■\lamode Beef-shop--Wellington Street— Tavistock Street— Dramatic Sick Fund Associa- tion—Royal Dramatic College— A Batch of Newspaper Offices— Dr. Johnson and Dr. Perry- The Victoria Club— Royal Genera Theatrical Fund— Bohn's Lil)rary— The "Fleece" Inn and the "Turk's Head "—" Wright s " Coffee-house— Anecdote of Foote, the Actor— Discovery of Stone Coffins— Millar the Publisher and Fielding's "Amelia "— Sotheby and Wilkinson's Auction-rooms— Somerset House — Lancaster Place — The London Necropolis Cnmpany
CHAPTER XXXVH. THE RIVER THAMES. The Pool— Importance of the Thames in the Olden Time— King James and the Corporation of London — Scenery of the Thames from London Bridge to Westminster— The " Folly "—A Chinese Junk— The Ancient Church of St. Mary-the-Virgin— Lilly, the Astrologer— The Thames Police — The Royal Humane Society's Reception-Room — Waterloo Bridge — The Last of the Savoy Palace — Carlisle House — TheAdelphi Terrace— Rousseau and Garrick — Old Hungerford Bridge — Hungerford Stairs— Warren's Blacking Warehouse and Charles Dickens — The Thames Swimming Baths — Whitehall Stairs — Cowley's Funeral — Westminster Bridge — Wordsworth's Sonnet on the Scene from the Bridge at Sunrise 287
CHAPTER XXXVH I. THE RIVER T H A M E S {continued). I'oelic Effusions in Honour of the Thames — " Swan-upping "—River Waifs and De.ad Houses — Watermen and Wherrymen — Authorised R.atc of Charges made by Watermen— Doggett's Coat and Badge — Thomas Doggett as an Actor — Miss Eenger's Apostrophies of Taylor, the ' ' Water-Poet " — The Thames as the Great Medium of Conveyance — State Processions — Amusements on the 'I'hames — Bathing in the Thames— Condition of the River in 1874 — Depredations from Merchant Vessels— Training-vessels for the Royal Navy and Merchant Service — Mercantile Importance of the Thames
CHAPTER XXXIX. THE RIVER THAMES (continued). Remarkable Frosts on the Thames — Frost Fair in 1683— Rhyming Description of " Blanket Fair "—Evelyn's Account of the Fair — Printing on the Ice— Charles II. 's Partiality to Frost Fair— The River .again frozen over in 1709, 1715, 1739, 1767, 1788, and 1814— Curious Hand- bills Printed on the Ice— Singular Feats performed on the Thames— Captain Boyton's Life-preserving Dress— Scott, the American Diver — Rise and Fall of the Tide — Projected Improvements for the Bed of the River , . . -31!
CHAPTER XL. THE VICTORIA EMBANKMENT. The Thames Banks in the I'.arly Ages— Sir Christopher Wren's Plan for Embanking the River — Evelyn's .Suggestion with tlie same View — The Subject brought before Parliament by Sir F. W. Trench — Mr. James Walker's Plan — The Victoria Embankment commenced — The Work described— Land reclaimed from the Thames— The Metropolitan District Railway^ Materials used in constructing the Emb.uikment — Offices of the London School Board — Somerset House and the New Will Depository — Special Curiosities in the Will Office — Cleopatra's Needle- Savoy Theatre — The Buckingham Water Gate — Lines on Nelson's Column— Statue of Sir James Outram — .Avenue Theatre — Public Garden and Promenade— St. Stephen's Club
CHAPTER XLI. SCOTLAND YARD AND THE METROPOLITAN POLICE. Situation and E.xtent — Originally the Residence of the Scottish Kings and Ambassadors when in England — Margaret Queen of Scots enter- tained here — Decay of the Palace— John Milton and " Beau" Fielding Residents here — Inigo Jones, Sir John Denham, and Sir Chris- topher Wren— Sir John Vanbrugh and his "Goose Pie" — Sir Joshua Reynolds' Encomiums on Vanbrugh's Jlerits — Rowe's Poetical Allusion to him — Josiah Wedgwood's Residence — The "Well's" Coffee House — Attack on Lord Herbert of Cherbury — The Palace Court or Marshalsea— The Metropolitan Police Force — Cabs and Hackney Coaches — Sedan Chairs — Care of "Tipplers" — Harrington House — Cox and Co. 's .'\.rmy Agency — " Man's " Coffee House — Whitehall Place — Middle^Scotland Yard — Royal United Service Institu- tion—Government Offices— Fife House — A "canny" Scotch Earl— Whitehall Stairs ...
CHAPTER XLII. W H I T E H A L L. — H ISTORICAL REMARKS. The most Polite Court in Europe— A School of Manners and Morals— Historical Account of Whitehall — Anciently called York Place — Name of York Place changed to 'Whitehall— Wolsey's Style of Living here— Visit of Henry VIII.— The Fall of Wolsey— Additions to the Palace by Henry VIII,— Queen Mary at Whitehall— The Palace attacked by Rioters— Tilting-Matches and Pageants— Queen,Elizabeth's Library — The "Fortresse of Perfect Beautie" — Masques and Revels at Whitehall — The Office of " Master of the Revels" — The Tilt-yard — Charles Killigrew— Serving up the Queen's Dinner -Christian IV. of Denmark and James I. — The Gunpowder Plot — Library of James 1. at Whitehall— George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham 337
viii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XLIII.
WHITEHALL AND ITS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS {continued). PAGE Charles I. and the Parliament — Cromweil and the Commonwealth— The King brought to Trial — Execution of Charles I. — The Site of the Execution — Andrew Marvell's Lines on the Occasion— Who was the Executioner of Charles I. ?— The Actual Scene of the Execution — Pennant's Opinion — The King's Bearing — A Singular Coincidence — Who struck the P'atal Blow? — Varying Statements upon this Point .
CHAPTER XLIV. WHITEHALL AND ITS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS {continued). A Singular Prophecy — The Ill-fated Bust of Charles I. — Charles I. as a Patron of the Fine Arts — Relics of the " Martyr King" — " Touching " for the King's Evil — Anecdote of " Archy," the King's Jester, and Archbishop Laud — The Restoration of Charles II. — Charles II. and Lady Castlemaine — Loose Life of the Court — Catharine of Braganza — Dr. South and Lord Lauderdale — Visits of John Evelyn to White- hall—Sir William Penn— The Duke of .Monmouth— The Last Hours and Death of Charles II. — The Last of the Stuarts— Whitehall as the Focus of Political Intrigue, and the Chief Staple of News — Serious Conflagrations at Whitehall ^5 1
CHAPTER XLV. WHITEHALL.— THE BUILDINGS DESCRIBED. Description of the Old Palace— Additions made by Henry VIII.— The Holbein Gateway— Westminster Gate— Knights of the Tilt-yard— Inigo Jones' Design for a New Palace— Residence of the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court— An Ingenious Design for Rebuilding White- hall—Description of the Banqueting House— The Chapel Royal— Rubens' Painted Ceiling — "Maunday" Thursday — The Statue of James II 36 1
CHAPTER XLVI. WHITEHALL AND ITS HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES {continued). Whitehall forsaken as a Royal Residence — Partial Restoration of the Palace— The Cock-pit — Cromwell and Sir Roger L'Estrange— Death of Oliver Cromwell — The Ultimate Fate of Cromwell's Body — The Exhumation discussed — Curious Record in an Old Parish Register — George Monk at the Cock-pit — Fashionable Life under the Stuarts— Cock-fighting — Defoe's Account— Its Prevalence in England . . 369
CHAPTER XLVn. WHITEHALL.- ITS PRECINCT, GARDEN.S, &c. The Privy Gardens and King Charles's curious ,Sun-dials — Name changed to Whitehall Gardens — Lady Hervey and Sir Thomas Robinson — Sir Robert Peel's House — Pembroke House and Gwydyr House — The Local Government Board — The Duchess of Portland's Museum of Sculpture — Montagu House — Richmond House — The Duke of Richmond's Gallery of Art — Richmond Terrace — Beating the Bounds — Cannon Row — The Civil Service Commission — Derby Court — Manchester Buildings — A Touching Incident in connection with the Last Days of Charles I. — Parliament Street — Messrs. Nichols' Printing-office — .Assassination of Mr. Drummond— The Residence of Charles James Fox — Whitehall Club — The Whitehall Evening Post — Curious House .Signs 376
CHAPTER XLVin. WHITEHALL. — THE WESTERN SIDE. Wallingford House— Pope's Lines on the Death-bed Scene of Villiers, Duke of Buckingham — Wallingford House converted into the Admiralty Office— The Semaphore Telegraph — Authority and Jurisdiction of the Admiralty — Career of Lord Sandwich at the Admiralty — P'uneral of Lord Nelson— Anecdote of Mr. Croker — The Horse Guards— The Commander-in-Chief's Department— Pennant's View of the Old Horse Guards — Dover House — The Treasury — Downing Street : its Political Associations, and Anecdotes of Former Occupants — The Old Foreign Office— The New Foreign, India, and Colonial Offices — Library of the India Office 383
CHAPTER XLIX. WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— ITS EARLY HISTORY. Etymology of Westminster— A Startling Proposition — The Legend of St. Peter's Dedication of the First Abbey — The Building burnt by the Danes and restored by King Edgar— Rebuilt by Edward the Confessor — Death of Edward the Confessor — Additions and Alterations to the Abbey by Henry III. — Translation of the Body of Edward the Confessor — The Abbey damaged by Fire in 1297 — Violation of the Right of Sanctuary — Completion of the Building — Funeral of Henry VII. — Surrender of the Abbey to Henry VIII.— The Bene- dictine Rule restored by Queen Mary — The Abbey in the Days of its Glory under the Plantagenets 394
CHAPTER L. WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— HISTORICAL CEREMONIES, &c. Coronation of William the Conqueror— Bad Auguries— Coronation of Richard I.— Outrage against the Jews— Coronation of Anne Boleyn— Revival of the "Old Religion" by Queen Mary— Relic of the True Cross— The present Collegiate Establishment founded by Queen Elizabeth— Funeral of James I.— Assaults on the Abbey— Coronation of Charles II. — Parliamentary Grants for the Repair of the Abbey— The Abbey d.-imaged by an Earthquake— Coronation of George III. and Queen Charlotte- Humility of a King— The Handel Festivals- Origin of the National Anthem— Further Grants for the Repair of the Abbey— A Narrow E.scape from Destruction by Fire— Coronation of George IV.— An Unfortunate Queen— Coronation of William IV. and Queen Adelaide— Coronation of Queen Victoria— A Singul.ir Incident 4OI
CHAPTER LL WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— A SURVEY OF THE BUILDING. Extent of the -Abbey Possessions— Exterior Views of the Church— Dimensions of the Building— The West Front and Wren's Gothic Towers —The North Transept and "Solomon's Porch"— The Chapels— General Description of the South Side— Appearance of the Interior from the West Doorway Churchill's Satirical Poem on the Tombs and Monuments— Pitt's Funeral— The Burial of Charles J. Fox, and his Monument— \ ice-Admiral Tyrrell— Congreve, the Dramatist— Mrs. Oldfield— Secretary Craggs— The Poet Wordsworth— iicbert Stephenson — Sir Charles Barry — George Peabody — David Livingstone— Sir C. Lyell — Sunday Evening Services . . . -41^
CONTENTS.
ix
CHAPTER LII.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— THE CHOIR, TRANSEPTS, &c. PAGE The Choir Screen— Monuments of Earl Stanhope and Sir Isaac Newton— Curious Monument of Thomas Thynne, and the Story of Thynne's Assassination — Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel — Major Andre— Sir Charles Carteret — The "Musicians' Corner" — The Choir — Dr. Busby's Pavement and his Wig — Abbot Ware's Mosaic Pavement — Portrait of Richard 11. — The Reredos — Discoverj- of I'Vagments of the Original Church — Monuments to Eminent Statesmen— Memorial Windows— PoetsJ' Corner— Ben Jonson—Dryden— Handel — Milton— Gray— Matthew Prior — Old Parr — Charles Dickens— Goldsmith, and Dr. Johnson's Inscription — Spenssr — Chaucer — Isaac Barrow— Addison's Reflections on Poets' Corner ^ig
CHAPTER LIII. WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— THE CHAPELS AND ROYAL TOMBS. Tomb of KinglSebert— St. Benedict's Chapel — St. Edmund's Chapel — St. Nicholas's Chapel— Henry VI I. 's Chapel— The Royal Vault— An Authentic Ghost Stor>- — Monument to Edward VI. — The Five Chapels— Tomb of Henry VII. and Queen-" Steenie " and his Funeral — Cromwell's Last Resting-place — The Old Royal Vault — Monuments to Mary and Elizabeth — The Chapel of St. Paul — A Punning Epitaph — St. Edward's Chapel, or Chapel of the Kings— Chantry of Henry V. — Tomb of Edward III.— The Coronation Chairs — Opening a Royal Tomb— Shrine of Edw.ird the Confessor — Islip's Chapel and "The Ragged Regiment " — The Chapels of St. John, St. Andrew, and St. Michael 43 1
CHAPTER LIV.
WEST.MIXSTER ABBEY.— THE CHAPTER HOUSE, CLOISTERS, DE.\NERV, &c. A Benedictine Monastery — The Ch.-ipter House — Its former uses — Its Restoration — ^The Chapel of "The Pyx" — Robbing of the Treasury — Littlington "I'ower — St. Catherine's Chapel — The Little Cloister — The King's Jewel House — The Great Cloister — Burial-place of the Abbots — Ashburnham House— The Deanery — Jerusalem Chamber — Henry IV. 's Death — Restoration of the Jerusalem Chamber — The Building used as a Chapter House and Convocation House — Biographies of the Principal Deans — Precautions against Fire . . 450
CHAPTER LV. WESTMINSTER SCHOOL. Abbot Ingulph and Queen Edgitha— A Monastic School in the " Dark Ages" — The Beginning of Westminster School— Henr>- VIII. 's Addi- tions to the Foundation — The School as founded by Queen Elizabeth— Election of Queen's Scholars— " Challenges " — Proposed removal of the School— Dr. Goodman's House at Chiswick— The College Hall— The School-room— Latin Prayers still said — The Dor- mitory— The Westminster Play— Edmund Cnrll's Piracy of a School Oration— The Prince Regent and the Marquis of Anglesey— The College G.irdens — The Accommodation for Queen's Scholars — Rivalry between Westminster and Eton Boys — "Fagging" .
CHAPTER LVI. WEST.MINSTER SCHOOL {continued). Noted Scholars and Eminent Masters — Cowper and the "Silver Pence " for the Best Writers of Latin Verse — '' Glorious" John Dryden— Cowley— Hackluyt, 'the Divine and Geographer — Sir Francis Burdett's Expulsion from School — Warren Hastings, and the Cup given to the King's Scholars — Dr. Busby — A " Skit " on the School — The Trijlcr — Collection of Ancient and Modern Coins — The " Elizabethan " Club— Special Privileges enjoyed by the King's Scholars — Throwing the Pancake on Shrove Tuesday — A Generous Return for a Schoolfellow's Kindness — Athletic Sports — .\quatic Contests — Strange Origin of School Slang — Dean's Yard — " Mother Beakley's " — The Noble Art of Self-defence — Window-gardening— Discovery of Ancient Architectural Remains — Distinguished Resi- dents in Dean's Yard — Queen Anne's Bounty— Henry Purcell
CHAPTER LVH. THE S.\NCTUARY AND THE ALMONRY. The Right of Sanctuary— Benefit of the Clergy — Prohibition of Sanctuary — The Westminster Sanctuary becomes a Sink of Iniquitj- — Dis- tinguished Personages who have fled hither for Refuge— Birth of Edward V. in the Sanctuary — Restraint on the Privileges of Sanc- tuary— Death of Skelton, the Poet — Abolition of the Privileges of Sanctuary — Cities of Refuge among the Ancient Jews — The Sanctuary in the Middle Ages — Amusing Description of a Procession of Sanctuary Men — The Buildings of the Sanctuary described —The "Quaker" Tavern— The Almonr>- — St. Anne's Chapel— The Gate House Prison, and its Distinguished Inmates— The Bishop of London's Prison— Caxton, and the first Printing-press in England— List of Works issued from Caxton's Press— Caxton's Accuracy as a Printer — Caxton's House near the Almonrj-
CHAPTER L\'in. THE ROY.\L PALACE OF WESTMINSTER. E.«ent and Boundaries of the Ancient Royal Palace— Edward the Confessor and the Thief— Death of Edward the Confessor- William the Conqueror— William Rufus builds the Great Hall— St. Stephen's Ch.apel— Birth of Edward I.— The Palace partially burnt— The Palace pillaged by the Earl of Gloucester's Soldiers— Stew-ponds — The Quintain— Henry VI. presented to the Lords of the Parliament — Death of Edward IV. — Henry VIII. and Catharine of Arragon— Jousts and Tournaments — The Gradual Growth of the British P.arlia- ment— The Old House of Lords— The Prince's Chamber— The Painted Chamber— Charles I. and Oliver Cromwell— The Old House of Commons— Cotton's Gardens— Parliament Stairs— The Star Chamber— Great Accumulation of ' ' Tallies "— " Bellamy's Coffee-House " • 49 1
CHAPTER LIX. THE NEW PALACE, WESTMINSTER Extent and Dimensions of the New- Palace— Plans and Suggestions for Enlarging and Improving the Old House before its Destruction by Fire —Selection of the Design for the New Building— Description of the Exterior— The Victoria Tower— The Fresco Paintings— 'I'he House of Lords— Site of the Old House of Commons— The New House of Commons— The Speaker's Residence— The Clock Tower, aad Vicissitudes of " Big Ben" , ,
X
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER LX.
HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES OF THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. The Origin of the Parliaments— Ladies si:mmoned to Parliament by Proxy— Ratification of Magna Charta by Henry III. — The King gives an Unconditional Assent to the Demands of the Barons — The Mad Parliament — The Parliament of Batts — Queen Elizabeth in Parlia- ment The Committal of Members to the Tower — The Long Parliament — Catching the Speaker's Eye — "Pride's Purge" — The
"Rump" — Cromwell dissolves the Long Parliament — The " Little Parliament " — William Lilly, the Astrologer — The Wilkes Riots — Death of the Earl of Chatham — Lord North and the American War— Lord North's Retirement — Robbery at Lord Nugent's House — The Crown in Danger — Assassination of Mr. Spencer Perceval— The Casting Vote of the Speaker— Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville — Canning and Sir Robert Peel— The Trial of Queen Caroline— Mr. Disraeli's Maiden Speech— The First Opening of Parliament by Queen Victoria
CHAPTER LXI. NEW PALACE YARD AND WESTMINSTER HALL. New Palace Yard in the Seventeenth Century- — The High Gate — "Paradise" and the "Constabulary" — The Fountain — The Ancient Clock- tower and " Old Tom " — An Old Tale re-told — A King's Lamentation — Perkin Warbeck in the Stocks — Punishments for Libel — Leighton and Prynue in the Pillory — Execution of the Earl of Holland, the Duke of Hamilton, and Lord Capel — Titus Oates — The "Turk's Head " and the Rota Club — Statues of Lord Derby and George Canning — William Godwin, the Novelist — Westminster Hall — Heads of the Regicides exposed on the Top of Westminster Hall — The Fate of Cromwell's Head — Old Views of the Hall — Shops there — The Timber Roof — The First Day of Term — London Lickpenny — Peter the Great and his Lawyers 536
CHAPTER LXIL WESTMINSTER H.\LL. -INCIDENTS IN ITS PAST HISTORY. Law Students residing in the King's Court— The Hall built by William Rufiis— The Poor reg.-iled here by Henry III.— Prince Henry crowned in his Father's Lifetime— Sir John Dymoke, the King's Champion— The H.all rebuilt by Richard II.— Rejoicings for the Victor^' at Agincourt— Trial of 480 Persons concerned in the Riots on " Evil May-day "—Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham— Anne Boleyn in her Glory— A Touching Episode at the Trial of Sir Thomas More— Bishop Fisher— A Batch of State Trials— The Hall flooded— More Memorable Trials— An Incident in the Trial of Charles I.— Coronation Banquet of Charles II.— Trial of Lord Stafford— A Curious Trial for Murder— The Trial of the "Seven Bishops "—Lords Cromartie, Balmerino, and Kilmarnock— A Curious Attempt to blow up Westminster Hall 544
CHAPTER LXni. THE LAW COURTS AND OLD PALACE YARD. The Courts of Law first established in Westminster Hall— Ancient Mode of conferring Knighthood on the Judges— Henry III. and Henry de Bath— The Present Law Courts— Curious Custom observed at the Presentation of the Sheriffs in the Court of Exchequer— The Great Tichbome Imposture— The Court of Augmentations— Old Palace Yard— Geoffrey Chaucer— The " Gunpowder Plot "—Execution of Sir Walter Raleigh— Statue of Richard Cocur de Lion
CHAPTER LXIV. WESTMINSTER. — ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH. Early History of St. Margaret's— The Present Church described- A Singular Bequest— Interesting Monuments— " State Services" befoit the Speaker and Members of the House of Commons— Eminent Puritan Divines— Lecturers and Curates since the Commonwealth- Extracts from the Churchwarden's Accounts— Edmund Waller and the Parliament— The "Solemn League and Covenant "—Pulpit Buffoonery— Long Sermons in Former Times— The " State's Anns "—" Humming " in Church— A Forcible Possession of the Pulpit- Performance of Oratoriob— Electioneering Piety— John Milton and Thomas Campbell's Marriage— Disgraceful Condition of the Church- yard—Alterations and Improvements — A Unique Relic 567
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Coronation Procession of Anne Boleyn to Westminster
Abbey (Frontispiece) 408
Suffolk House tj
London, from Temple Bar to Charing Cross . . 7
Butcher's Row in 1800 12
Old liouses formerly standing in Butcher's Row . . 13 Dr. Johnson's Pew in St. Clement's . . . .15
The Old Fish Shop by Temple Bar, 1846 . . . 18
Serle's Place 19
Boswell Court 24
The Theatre in Portugal Street 25
Old Houses in Wych Street 30
Lyon's Inn . . . . • • • •3''
Old Craven House, 1800 36
ITie " Cock and Magpie, " Drury Lane • • . 37
Hall of the Royal College of Surgeons ... 42 Newcastle House, Sir John Soane's House, and Duke
of Ancaster's House, Lincoln's Irm Fields . 43
Lincoln's Inn Gate, Chancery Lane .... 48
Lincoln's Inn Chapel ....... 49
Essex Water Gate, Essex Street, Strand ... 54
The Strand, from the Thames, Sixteenth Century . 55
Milford Lane in 1 820 61
London, from the Top of Arundel House ... 66
Arundel House ........ 67
Plan of Arundel and Essex Houses .... 72
Jacob Tonson . . . . . . • • 73
Old Roman Bath, Strand Lane 78
Golden Buildings ....... 79
Court of Old Somerset House, from the North . . 84
Somerset House in 1755 85
Somerset House and Stairs. ..... 9c
The Savoy pi
The Savoy in 1650 96
The "Fox-under-the- Hill " 97
Ivy Bridge Lane ....... lo2
York Stairs and the Water Tower .... 103
Buckingham Gate in 1830 108
Exeter Change in 1826 log
The Old Adelphi Theatre . . . 114 Turner's House in Maiden Lane . . . .115
The Old " Bedford Head " 120
The Strand in 1560 ....... 121
Old Charing Cross . . . . . , .124
The King's Mews 126
Charing Cross from Northumberland House in 1750 . 127
Old Ilungerford Market 1 32
Hungerford Market, from the Bridge, in 1850 . . 133 Staircase in Northumberland House . . . .138
Northumberland House wa
Garden Front of Northumberland House . . . 144 Sir Joshua Reynolds ..... . . 145
The First Royal Academy, about 1740 . . .150 Old Cockspur Street . . . . . . -151
Old Church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields : West View 156
St. Martin's Lane, 1820 157
Statue of George I., and Hogarth's House, 1790 . 162 Leicester Square, about 1750 ..... 163
The Site of Leicester Square ..... 168
The Panopticon, in 1854 ...... 169
An Invitation Card, by Hogarth. . . . .172
Gamble's Shop-Bill -174
Soho Square, about 1700 . . . . . . 175
Dr)'den's House . . . . . . .180
St. Anne's, Soho ....... 181
King Theodore's Monument ..... 186
Monmouth House ....... 187
Sir Samuel Romilly ....... 193
The Sign of the "Mischief" . . . . -193
Seven Dials ........ 198
Views in the Rookery, St. Giles's .... 199
The Gateway of St. Giles's, in its Original Position . 204 Queen Anne's Bath ....... 205
Old Houses in Great Queen Street, South Side, 1850 . 210
Middle Row, St. Giles's 211
Duplicate of Franklin's Press . . , . .215 The Arms of Tichborne . . . . ., .215
Front of Old Drury Lane Theatre . . . .216
Druiy Lane Celebrities . . . . . .217
Interior of Drury Lane Theatre ..... 222
" Rich's " Glory ....... 223
Exterior of Covent Garden Theatre in 1850 . . 228 Interior of Covent Garden Theatre in 1804 . . . 229 Burning of Covent Garden Theatre in 1856 . . 234 Covent Garden in 1660 ...... 235
Entrance to Covent Garden Market .... 240
Covent Garden Market, looking Eastward . . . 241
Powell's Puppet Show 246
Covent Garden Market, about 1820 .... 247
The Old Room at " Evans's " 252
Morning (after Hogarth) ...... 253
Macklin's House, Tavistock Row .... 258
Dining Room of the Garrick Club .... 259
Interior of St. Martin's Hall 265
An Old Coachmaker's Shop in Long Acre . . . 270 Mr. Davies' Shop, Russell Street .... 271 The Lion's Head at "Button's" .... 277 Snuft-box from " Tom's " CofiFee House . . . 277 The Scotch National Church, Crown Street . . 282 The "Whistling Oyster" . . . . . .283
xii
Westminster, from the Gardens of Somerset House
The Chinese Junk
Hungerford Suspension Bridge . Old Westminster Bridge in 1754 Alcove on Old Westminster Bridge . On the Thames at Low Water .
Old Whitehall Stairs
Old Whitehall Palace, from the River Frost Fair on the Thames in 1683 Frost on the Thames, 1814 The London School Board Offices The Embankment, from Charing Cross Bridge Whitehall Gardens, from the River United Service Museum ....
Scotland Yard, about 1 720 A Sedan Chair ......
Coaches : Reigu of Queen Anne Whitehall, about 1650 ....
York Place and Whitehall in the Reign of Henry VIH Plan of thf Palace of Whitehall
Queen Elizabeth
Whitehall Yard ..... The Holbein Gateway, Whitehall Whitehall, from the River .... The King Street Gateway, Whitehall . Sir Henry Lee, of Ditchley Interior of the Chapel Royal, Whitehall Chapel Royal, Whitehall (Exterior) . Whitehall, looking towards the Holbein Gateway Whitehall Gardens ..... Westminster Bridge ..... Plan of Westminster .... The Horse Guards, from St. James's Park . York House in 1795 • • . . . The New Foreign Office .... Westminster, from the Roof of Whitehall . Whitehall and Westminster, from Aggas' Map The Tomb of Edward the Confessor . The Preparations for the Coronation of James H. and
his Queen, in i6S'5 Two Mews of Westminster, from Hollar . North Transept of Westminster Abbey Sir Christopher Wren's Design for the Completion of
Westminster Abbey Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey : Interior of the Choir. West Front of Westminster Abbey, from Tothill Street King Henry VII. 's Chapel Haiidel's Monument .... Interior of King Henry VII. 's Chapel Tomb of Henry III. , . . .
PAGE
288 289
295 300 301 306
307 312
313
318
319
324
325
331
336
336
337
342 '
343
34S :
349 i
354 i
355 j
360 !
361
366
367
372
373
378
379
384
385
390
391
396
397
402 403 408
409 414
415 420 421 426 427 432
Entrance to King Henry VII. 's Chapel Chantry of Henry V. ....
Elizabeth, Wife of Henry VIL . The Coronation Chair ....
The Wax Figures in Westminster Abbey . The Chapel of the Pyx ....
The Chapter House previous to its Restoration The Western Towers and Cloisters of Westminster The Deanery ......
The Jerusalem Chamber ....
The College Hall
The School- Room ..... The Old Dormitory, in 1840
Dr. Busby
Dean's Yard, Westminster, looking North . Entrance to Westminster School Thieving Lane . . ....
Old Houses in Tothill Street, Westminster . The Little Sanctuary .....
Caxton's House, Westminster St. Stephen's Chapel, 1830 The Speaker's House, from the River, in 1830 The Painted Chamber, before 1834 . Entrance to the House of Lords . The Star Chamber .....
St. Stephen's Crypt (Interior) . Interior of the House of Commons, 1875 . Interior of the House of Commons, 1834 . The Lobby of the House of Commons The Refreshment-room of the House of Lords The Houses of Parliament after the Fire, in 1S34 Ruins of the Houses of Parliament Lord North ......
William Pitt ....
Old Palace Yard in 1796 ....
W'estminster Hall in 1 808 ....
Palace Yard, from the South
Interior of Old Westminster Hall in 1797 .
Warren Hastings .....
Margaret Street, Westminster, in 1820 Mr. Dymoke, the King's Champion . Coronation of George IV. in Westminster I la
Champion's Challenge St. Stephen's Cloisters .... Guy Fawkes's Cellar .... Execution of the Conspirators in the Gunpowilt
in the Year 1606 .... St. Margaret's Church, from the North-west Inlerior of St. Margaret's Church in 1695 Plan of a Portion of Westminster between 1734
1748
FAGS
433 438 439 444 445 450 451 Abbey 456
: the
Plot
and
57'
WESTMINSTER AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS.
" I began to study the map of Londoi." — R, Soutkty.
N the first two volumes of this work we have dealt with the antiquities, the buried history, the traditions, the folk-lore, and the anecdotes of what we may term the eastern hemisphere of London, and if a like success can be achieved in our treatment of the corresponding world which lies west of the above-mentioned line, we shall have ac- complished a task of no ordinary difficulty. With the world of Westminster and its surrounding districts— the " old court suburb " of Kensington, Chelsea, Marylebone, and the suburban regions of Lambeth, Bayswater, and Hampstead — we have henceforth to discharge the duty of a topo- grapher and a chronicler in one, describing their features, "old and new," pointing out the spots which they contain rendered sacred by old tra- ditions and haunted by ancient memories, and contrasting their present with their former state. In the performai^e of this pleasant task, we shall indeed be much wanting to our subject and to the public too, if we cannot wake up again into life and being the ghosts and the shadows of
2
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
departed greatness, and summon up before the reader's eyes some of the illustrious characters who have been identified with western London, espe- cially during the past three or four hundred years, during which it has mainly grown into being. In this western hemisphere there are no Roman walls to tell of, no mention to make of Julius Caesar, or of Boadicea, with her scythed chariots of war ; but there will be much to say of Edward the Confessor, of William Caxton, of our Norman, Plantagenet, Tudor, and Stuart sovereigns, of the statesmen of the reigns of Henry VIII., EUzabeth and James, and of the far less interesting courts of our Hanoverian kings. The records of the Georgian and the Victorian eras, as well as those of the two previous lines of English monarchs, we shall do our best to ransack, bringing their chief men and chief events before the eyes of our readers ; and it will be our pride and privilege to carry the record of the last-named era down to a date not very far short of the fiftieth year of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, whom may God long preserve, to rule over a loyal and united people !
We shall make our start, of course, from the site of that once central edifice, Temple Bar. It can hardly be allowed that the Strand, to which we shall first bend our steps, is inferior to Fleet Street, or any other street in the City proper, in old memories and literary associations. It is not merely full of them, it positively teems with them. For centuries it was a fashionable thoroughfare, lying, as it did, between the City and the Court, and many of the noblest of the land dwelt along it, especially on its southern side, on account of the then bright and clear river on which it looked down. Where now stands Essex Street, adjoining the western side of the Temple, the Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's rash favourite, was besieged, after his hopeless foray into the City. In Arundel Street lived the Earls of Arundel, whose title is now merged in the ducal house of Norfolk ; in j Buckingham Street, further to the west, Villiers, j the greedy favourite of Charles I., began to build a palace. There were royal palaces, too, in the > Strand ; for in the Savoy lived John of Gaunt, and Somerset House was built by the " Protector " Somerset, with the stones of the churches that he had pulled down. At Somerset House, too, dwelt Charles I.'s queen, Henrietta Maria, and also poor neglected Catharine of Braganza ; and it was almost on this very spot that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, the zealous Protestant magistrate, was supposed to have been murdered. There is, too, the history of Lord Burleigh's house, in Cecil Street, to record ;
and old Northumberland House, which stood so long, recalling its noble inmates of two successive lines of the Percies. On the other side of the Strand we shall have to take note of Butcher's Row, the place where the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot held their meeting; Exeter House, where lived Lord Burleigh's wily son, and, finally, Exeter Hall, where the poet Gay lay in state, and where the annual meeting of many "religious" societies are held. Nor shall we forget to make mention of Cross's menagerie and the elephant Chunee, or of the many eccen- tric shopkeepers who once inhabited Exeter 'Change. At Charing Cross we shall stop to see the Cromwellians die bravely, and to stare at the pillory, in which many incomparable scoun- drels have stood in their time, and which we much regret could not be revived for Arthur Orton, the perjured claimant of the Tichborne title and estates. The Nelson column and its lions, and the statues which surround them in Trafalgar Square, have all of them stories of their own ; and, as we press on further northward, St. Martin's Lane becomes specially interesting as the haunt and home of half the painters of the early Georgian era. Here and in Leicester Square there are anec- dotes of Hogarth and his friends to be picked up ; and the whole neighbourhood generally deserves a careful exploration, from the quaintness and genius of many of its former inhabitants.
In Covent Garden again we " break fresh ground." Let us turn round to our right, then, and go east again, only at a little greater distance from the silvery Thames. As we found St. Martin's Lane full of artists, and the Strand full of noble- men, so the old monastic garden and its neighbour- hood will prove to be crowded with actors. We shall trace the Market of Covent Garden from the first few sheds set up under the wall of Bedford House, to the present " Grand Temple of Flora and Pomona." We shall see what is known to our younger readers as " Evans's," a new mansion inhabited by Ben Jonson's friend and patron. Sir Kenelm Digby, and then alternately tenanted by Sir Harry Vane, by Denzil Holies, and by Admiral Russell, who defeated the French at La Hogue. The ghost of Parson Ford, in which no less sober a person than Dr. Johnson believed, awaits us at the door of the " Hummums." There are several duels for us to witness in the Piazza : there i$ Dryden for us to call upon as he sits, the arbiter of wits, by the fireside at " Will's " Coffee-house : Addison is to be found not far off at " Button's " : at the Bedford we shall meet Garrick and Quin ; and then stop for a few minutes at " Tom King's,"
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
3
close to the portico of St. Paul's, to watch Hogarth's revellers fight with swords and shovels on that frosty morning when the painter sketched the prim old maid going forth to early service at the church. We shall look in at the "Tavistock" to see Sir Peter Lely and Sir Godfrey Kneller at work upon portraits of the frail beauties of the Jacobean and the Caroline courts, remembering that in the same room Sir James Thornhill painted, and poor Richard Wilson produced those fine landscapes which so few had the taste to buy. The old West- minster hustings, the scene of so many a memorable election contest, will deserve a word at our hands. In fact the whole neighbourhood of Covent Garden is rife with stories of great actors, painters, poets, and men of letters ; and nearly every house, if its walls and timbers could have a voice, could furnish its quota of interesting and amusing anecdote. Indeed, the history of our two principal theatres,
" The houses twain Of Covent Garden and of Drury Lane,"
if carefully looked up and sifted, would supply us with an endless store of anecdotes of actors, and with humorous and pathetic narratives that would embrace the whole region both of tragedy and of comedy. Quin's jokes, Garrick's weaknesses, the celebrated "O. P." riots, the miserable ends of some popular favourites, the fortunes made by others, and, generally speaking, the caprices of genius, afford a running commentary on the words of the old Roman satirist —
" voluit Fortuna jocari."
" The oddities of Munden and the humour of Lis- ton," it was observed in a previous volume, " serve only to render the gloom of Kean's downfall the more terrible, and to show the wreck and ruin of many unhappy men, equally wilful though less gifted. There is a perennial charm about theatrical stories, and the history of these theatres must be illustrated by many a sketch of the loves and rivalries of actors, their fantastic tricks, their practical jokes, and their gay progress to success or failure. Changes of popular taste are marked by the change of character in the pieces that have been performed at various eras ; and the history of the two theatres will include, of necessity, sketches of dramatic writers as well as of actors."
Then, again turning back into the Strand, and following the line of the Thames Embankment on our left, we shall extend our "voyage of discovery" into another region of dreamland, that of the venerable Abbey which holds the ashes of our kings, statesmen, and poets. " From the night on which," according to the ancient legend, " St. Peter
came over the Thames from Lambeth in the fisher- man's boat, and chose a site for the Abbey or ' Minster ' of the West in the midst of Thorn ey Island, down to the present day, Westminster has ever been a spot where the pilgrim to historic shrines loves to linger." Need I remind my readers that Edward the Confessor built the Abbey, or that William the Conqueror was crowned within its walls, the ceremony ending in tumult and bloodshed? How vast the store of facts from which we have to cull ! We see the Jews beaten nearly to death for daring to attend the coronation of Richard I. ; we observe Edward I. watching the sacred stone of Scotland being placed beneath the Coronation Chair of his forefathers. We hear the Te Deum sung for the victory of Agincourt, and watch Henry VII. selecting a site for his last resting-place ; we hear, at the coronation of Henry VIII., for the last time the sanction of the Pope bestowed formally upon the accession of an EngUsh monarch. We note Charles Edward sitting disguised in the gallery while he looks on and sees the crown which might, under other auspices, have been his own, placed on the head of George III. ; we pity poor Queen Caroline attempting to enter the Abbey in order to see the like ceremony performed on her worthless husband ; and we view once more in memory the last coronation, and draw from it auguries of a purer and a happier age.
The old Hall of Westminster, too ; how could we neglect that ancient chamber in which for so many centuries, since the reign of Richard II., at the least, the Champion of England from time to time has ridden proudly to challenge all gainsayers of the Crown, or any who may refuse to promise their allegiance ? How can we forget that the very timbers of its present roof heard Charles I. sentenced to death, and soon after saw the Lord Protector, Cromwell, throned in almost regal splen- dour within its walls ? We must see it not merely as it stands now, but at its exceptional seasons of important public events : when the " Seven Bishops " were acquitted, and the shout of joy shook London, it is said, like an earthquake : when the "rebel Lords" were tried and condemned to death on Tower Hill by the axe. We must see the " bad " Lord Byron tried for his duel with Mr. Chaworth, and the "mad" Lord Ferrers con- demned to die at Tyburn for shooting his steward. We must try and get at all events a side view of the shameless Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, and hear Burke and Sheridan pour forth their torrents of eloquence over the misdeeds of Warren Hastings.
Then, next in order, the Parks will draw us west-
4
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
ward, and we shall see the Second Charles feeding his ducks and toying with his mistresses at St. James's, or playing at "Pall Mall" in the Mall, which still preserves the name of that once favourite sport of royalty : again, we shall saunter north- wards to Hyde Park to watch the fashions and extravagancies of successive generations. " Beau Brummell " and Count d'Orsay will drive by before our eyes, and " Romeo Coates " will whisk past us in his fantastic chariot. There will be celebrated duels to describe, and strange follies to deride. We shall see Cromwell thrown from his coach, and shall witness the foot-races so graphically described by Mr. Samuel Pepys. Dryden's gallants and masked ladies will receive due mention in their turn ; and we shall tell of bygone encampments and of many events now almost forgotten by the Londoner of to-day.
Next, the sight of Kensington vnU summon up the memories of William of Orange, Prince George of Denmark, and the First and Second Georges ; and Holland House will become once more peopled with Charles James Fox's friends, and the Whig statesmen, poets, and essayists of the succeeding generation. We shall also have a word to say about William Makepeace Thackeray and Leigh Hunt. At Chelsea we shall come upon pleasant recollections of the great Sir Thomas More, Swift, Atterbury, and Sir Robert Walpole. Then, ex- tending our pilgrimage to the north, we shall again cross Kensington, to find ourselves at the pleasant suburb of Marylebone, where Queen Elizabeth sent the Russian Ambassadors to amuse themselves with a stag-hunt ; and where, at a far later date, Marylebone Gardens were the afternoon and evening lounge of persons of " quality " who had a taste for music and flirtations.
But even so, we shall hastily traverse only a very small portion of the ground so full of pleasant memories over which we purpose to conduct our readers, describing it more in detail, and halting at every step to record traditions more or less long since forgotten by the multitude. The districts of Bloomsbury, of St. Pancras, and of Kentish Town, will lead us by easy stages to the "Northern Heights of London;" and we shall endeavour to act as our readers' guides around the pleasant hills of Hampstead and Highgate, leading them about the " wells " of the former, and the old park of Belsize, and the "Spaniards" Inn, and "Jack Straw's Castle," and the haunts of Akenside, Johnson, and Sir Richard Steele, and of Clarkson Stanfield and young Edwin Landseer. Then away, past Caen Wood, we shall take them on to the " High Gate " of the Bishops of London, to the home of Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, and the stone where Dick Whittington listened to " Bow Bells " as they prophesied his future fortune.
Then again, after a night's rest in London, we purpose to join them in one or more excursions over Westminster Bridge to Astley's, where the name of Ducrow still lingers, to Lambeth Palace, full of the religious associations of six centuries, and to Vaux- hall, with its Gardens, now, alas ! blotted out and built over ; and we shall try to recall the days when Horace Walpole went thither with Lady Petersham, and helped to stew chickens in a china dish over a lamp. Then, trudging on, our pilgrim staff in hand, we shall make our way to Wandsworth and Putney, and cross the wooden bridge to Fulham, where successive Bishops of London have had their palace for several centuries; and thence we may be led to extend our journey to Chiswick, to see Hogarth's house, and the burial-place of his dogs, and even possibly as far as fair " Shene " and Richmond, still redolent of Thomson and Swift, and Blulf King Hal, and (in more senses than one) of " Maids of Honour."
But the task that is before us is no light one. Mr. Ritchie says, in the opening chapter of his "Night Side of London,"— " One of the first things we are told Sir Walter Raleigh did when he was liberated from the Tower, was to take a pro- menade around London, to see what wonderful improvements had been eff"ected during his incar- ceration. For this purpose his biographer calculates two or three hours would have sufficed. Times have altered since then. The man who now makes the tour round London would find he had no easy labour. It is hard to say where London begins or ends." The " City" of London, properly so called, is but a fraction, and geographically only a small portion of that great unit, the Metropolis, and is in reality little more than its counting-house. It is probable that taking London in its wider sense, our capital now numbers three and a half millions of inhabitants, and more than four hundred thousand houses. Indeed, the present population of London alone exceeds by more than half a million that of all England in the reign of Henry VII. By the Local Management Act of 1856 the entire Metro- politan District was made to consist of no less than 126 square miles; and if we regard London in its widest sense as co-extensive Avith the district under the charge of the City and Metropolitan Police, our readers will be astonished to hear that it covers 687 square miles.
Dr. Johnson has observed apropos of the London of his day, " Sir, if you wish to have a just idea of the magnitude of this city, you must not be satisfied
Westminster.]
HISTORICAL REMARKS.
5
with seeing its great streets and squares, but must survey the innumerable Uttle lanes and courts. It is not in the showy construction of buildings, but in the multiplicity of human habitations which are crowded together, that the wonderful immensity of London consists." If the worthy Doctor could behold the Mammoth City at the present time, with its additional century of growth and of population, he would be hardly able to find a word in his dictionary long enough to express adequately his idea of its enormous proportions !
As we, however, mean to take our time, pausing at every striking object which meets our view, to rest and to admire, the extent of ground which we have to explore need not alarm us, while in leisurely sort we roam from flower to flower over a garden as varied as the imagination can well conceive. There have been others who have essayed this flight before us, and we shall hope to profit largely by their experience. There have been brave and learned workers in this field. We shall there- fore be able to build on good foundations any structure that we may endeavour to rear up. We shall hope to be wide and cathoHc in our selection, and to supply a variety of dishes, all suited to the taste of some one section of our numerous and varied body of readers. We shall endeavour to choose all that is of local, personal, and, above all, of human interest, pruning away what is dull and superfluous : we shall select our anecdotes with care, culling such only as will bring no blush to the cheek of maidenhood, while we trust to tell the rest in a way which at least shall be pithy and racy. At all events, we will pass knowingly by no fact that is of interest, but do our best to blend together in one consistent whole all that Time can give us bearing on old and new Westminster. Street by street, we shall delve deep into the soil for stories
illustrative of the spot on which we stand, despising no book, however humble, if only it throws some light on the topographical history of London, and its ancient and modern manners and customs.
Such is the brief outline of our plan ; and it is with a good heart that we shall sally forth to realise it. We have before us a large variety of men and women, as well as of places, to portray. From the day when painted savages roamed about the forest now occupied by Hyde Park and Mayfair, down to the day when Queen Victoria drove from Padding- ton to Whitehall, and so through St. James's Park to Buckingham Palace, to introduce to the people of London and Westminster her new daughter-in-law from Russia, is indeed a long period over which to range. Nevertheless, we will endeavour to call up, by our wizard spells, the various generations of the human family who have had their haunts in and around Westminster, and the " Old Court Suburb," and see what we can find worth the telling about each in succession. Long lists of mere names, dull rows of dates, and dry rolls of pedigrees, we shall leave to the learned antiquary and the scientific historian, content if we can follow humbly in the steps of such chatty and gossiping chroniclers as dear old Herodotus and Livy were of old, and as Pepys and Evelyn, as Horace Walpole and Sir Nathaniel Wraxall have been in more recent and historic times. In a certain sense, too, it may be taken for granted, that the reminiscences of Westminster ■will prove it no way inferior to those of London proper, inasmuch as they are so closely interwoven with the histories of those successive dynasties of Tudor and Stuart sovereigns whom, in spite of all their faults and failings, and of our fealty to the crown of Victoria, we are too loyal to the past greatness of England to wish to see struck out from the history of our country.
CHAPTER I.
WESTMINSTER.— GENERAL REMARKS.— ITS BOUNDARIES AND HISTORY.
" Strange shadows from the midst of death
Are round our being strangely cast : Thus the great city, towered and steepled, Is doubly peopled,
Haunted by ghosts of the remembered Vnst."— London Poems.
Origin of the Name— Its Early History— Antiquity of the See— Foundation of the Abbey— The Palace at Westminster- Present Size and Importance— Extent of its Boundaries.
But before we start off upon our pilgrimage, that i district over which we shall wander, together with
we may not stray hither and thither at random, it will be necessary to have before us, if not a map of, at all events some few general notes upon, the
a brief and general outline of its history as a city.
The origin of the name of Westminster is clear to the veriest child in such matters. The city
6
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
CWestminsttr.
must have taken its name from the noble Abbey Church of St. Petei-'s, the "Minster" in the " West," as doubtless it was called by the citizens of London in the days when London ended at the gate of " Lud," or, at the farthest, at Temple Bar. Stow tells us that it obtained this name all the more easily as "there was another Minster eastward of the City, and not far from the Tower, called ' Eastniinster ; but the honest old annalist has forgotten to tell us where it stood precisely, though
justified the bestowal of such a dignity ; and to the Marquisate was added a Dukedom in the person of the third and present Marquis of Westminster, by Her Majesty, on the retirement of Mr. Gladstone from office in the early part of the year 1874. It is also worthy of note that by an act of Pope Pius IX. — which, however, is not recognised as valid for legal purposes in England — Westminster was created a Roman Catholic Archbishopric, Cardinal Wiseman being appointed to fill it. On
SUFFOLK HOUSE. A/ter Hollar. I^See page 136.]
a modern ^vriter places it on Tower Hill. For ourselves we can only say that we have not been able to verify the assertion.
Westminster appears to have been only a town down to the reign of Henry VIII., who raised it by royal letters patent into an "Honour." The Abbey Church being erected into a bishop's see in 1541, it of course became a " city," and when, ten years later, the bishopric was suppressed, the good people of Westminster did not resign the title, nor did the king reclaim it, so a city has it remained down to the present day. Its "Honour" was raised into a Marquisate by William IV. in 183 1, in favour of the then head of tlie Grosvenor family, whose pro- perty, within the limits of its several parishes, fully
his death in 1865, the mitre was bestowed by his Holiness on Dr. Manning as his successor.
As for the early history of the fair city of West- minster, we fear that, like that of Rome under the kings, it is a little mixed up with fable. It owed its first beginning as a place of importance, no doubt, to its Abbey, or Minster, already mentioned. The first historical church was erected here during the Heptarchy, by Sebert, King of the East Saxons, or (according to Camden) of the East and Middle Saxons. Sebert, who, under his uncle Ethelbert, had been Bretwald, or Lord Paramount of the Anglo- Saxons, and like his uncle, had been converted to t'le Christian faith by the preaching of Melitus, one of the companions of St. Augustine, the Roman
8
OLD AND
NEW LONDON.
[Westminster.
missionary, is by some writers said to have de- stroyed a pagan temple on Thorney Island, and to have erected on its site a church which he dedi- cated to St. Peter. As Ethelbert died in a.d. 606, and Sebert followed him to the grave soon after, we can fix the date of the foundation of the church with tolerable accuracy, as we read that both Sebert and his wife were buried in the Church of St. Peter in the Island of Thorney. Some writers have sought to carry the antiquity of the church to a much earlier date, and with that object in view have affirmed that St. Peter himself visited Britain, and erected here a small chapel or oratory. Others, contenting themselves with a more moderate draft upon the faith of their readers, ascribe the first sacred building on this spot to King Lucius, Avho reigned here in the second century, and who is said by tradition to have built here a church out of the ruins of a heathen temple, which had been over- thrown by an earthquake. The existence, however, of any church here previous to that built by Sebert, is, to say the least, most doubtful ; and at the time when he erected his Minster, the site was so rude and uncultivated, that it was known to the Saxons as " Thorney," that is, the isle of thorns. Thorney, it appears, was at that time an island, formed by an arm of the river, called " The Long Ditch," and the brooks which flowed down from Hampstead and Kilburn ; and there can be little doubt that it was on the higher and former ground, which rose up slightly in the centre of this marshy spot, that the church was built, which ultimately developed into the noble Abbey or Minster of the West.
In the charter of Edgar, the Minster is alluded to as " The church of St. Peter, said to be built, pursuant to the directions of King Ethelbert, by his nephew Sebert, under whose government London then was, in a certain terrible uncultivated place called ' Thorney,' from the thorns growing there." Sebert is also mentioned as the founder in the charter of Edward the Confessor; and these records, combined with the facts of his burial in the church, and the anniversary of his death being observed, seem to confirm his right to the honour of being considered its founder.
After the Conquest, our palace at Westmin- ster" continued to be the usual town residence of our Norman kings, and St. Peter's Abbey the usual place of their coronation. The same was the case under the Plantagenet sovereigns, under those of the houses of York and Lancaster, and under the Tudors and their successors, many of whom were not only crowned but buried within its walls. Their palace here adjoined the Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Inthe reign of Henry VIII. the splendid
palace of Whitehall, which had for ages past been an appendage to the see of York, was, on the down- fall of Cardinal Wolsey, granted as a royal residence to the king, and directed to be called " the King's Palace at Westminster" for ever, because, as the Act of Parliament stated, " the old palace nigh the monastery of St. Peter's was then, and had long before been, in utter ruin and decay." In the same act its limits are defined to be "as well within the soil and places before limited and ap- pointed, as also in all the street or way leading from Charing Cross unto the Sanctuary Gate at Westminster, and to all the houses, buildings, lands, and tenements on both sides of the same street or way from the said cross unto Westminster Hall, situate, lying, and being between the water of the Thames on the east part, and the said park-wall on the west part, and so forth, through all the soil, precincts and limits of the said old palace."
In consequence, as the sun of royalty has shone here almost without interruption for upwards of eight centuries, it is not to be wondered at that the little town which rose on and around the Isle of Thorney should have grown into a population of upwards of 108,000, occupying 15,445 houses (as calculated by the historian Malcolm) in 1734. Rickman, in- deed, estimates the population at even a higher figure, at the beginning of the eighteenth century ; but as he gives no account of the data on which he bases his calculations, we can hardly accept them as sound. In 1801, however, the census returns show that Westminster numbered 158,210 souls; in i8ir these had increased to 162,085; to 182,085 ill 1821 ; and in 1831, to 202,460, forming 46,004 families, and occupying 21,892 houses. Its population, according to the census of 1871, is no less than 246,606, and now probably may be reckoned at a quarter of a million ; but the number of houses has probably not increased in an equal ratio, on account of the erection of several resi- dences on a larger scale than was known to the last generation.
Around this spot, so rich in sacred traditions, if not in actual memories, it was but natural that a town should gradually spring up. The Saxon monarchs, for the most part, loved the chase, and were devout adherents of the faith ; for the one reason, they were likely to prefer living outside of their city walls in a time of peace ; and for the other reason, they would wish to take up their abode under the shadow of the tower of a church where the rites of their religion were daily performed with something of solemn state. Most naturally, therefore, did Westminster, in the Saxon times, come to share with Winchester the honour of being
Westminster.]
HISTORICAL REMARKS.
9
the home of royalty. At all events, long before the reign of Edward the Confessor such was the case ; and the statement is corroborated by the fact that the name of Scotland Yard, between Charing Cross and Whitehall, was so called from the Scottish king, who had that place assigned to him as a residence, when he came on a visit to the English court to do homage for his crown. Wherever the king and the court fixed their abode, the courts of law and the meetings of the nobles and chief earls and thanes for the purpose of legislation would be held, at the time when the sovereign took an actual part in such affairs, and did not discharge his functions by deputy. The result of this would of course be the steady growth of residences around for the reception of his courtiers, their families, and dependents. To supply the daily wants of these residents other and smaller tenements would be erected, and in due course a market would be held, and the formation of a town would follow as years rolled on.
It is on record that Edward III., in 1353, imposed certain duties on wool, leather, and other commodities carried either by land or by water to the staple of Westminster, in order to pay for the repairing of the highway along the Strand. The establishment of this staple, or market, it is added, ,aised the rents of the residents along the road so lar, that the latter were ordered to pave the rest of the way at their own cost, while the surplus was to be applied to the erection of a bridge, or pier, near the palace and staple of' Westminster. And, doubt- less, it was by this conjunction of a monastery, a palace, and a market on the spot, that Westmin- ster gradually became " a place of some considera- tion."
Such, then, in the main, we may readily believe, was the origin of the City of Westminster, the "Liberties" of which appear, at first, to have been co-extensive with the parish of St. Margaret's. These "Liberties" afterwards comprehended nine parishes more — St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, St. James's, St. Anne's, St. Paul's (Covent Garden), St. Mary- le -Strand, the Precinct of the Savoy, St. Clement's, St. John the Evangelist, and St. George's (Hanover Square). These are divided into tAvelve several wards, which are subject to a government partly ecclesiastical and partly civil. The former is exercised by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, the latter by lay officers of their choosing. The boundaries of this parish in general, following in the main the line above indicated, are given as far back as a.d. 1222, by Cardinal Langton, Arch- bishop of Canterbur)', and other arbitrators, on the occasion of a dispute arising between the Bishop
of London and the Abbot and Monks of A\'est- minster, as to whether the Abbey was subject or not to the Bishop's jurisdiction. The judgment itself may be seen in Wharton's " History of the Bishops and Deans of London, &c." The parish, at the time of which we speak, comprised several villcE. beyond the actual city limits, such as "Knightebrigge," " Westburne,"and "Padyngtoun," each with its chapel.
As to the exact limits and boundaries of the fair city of which we have so much to say presently in detail, we may state briefly that on the southern side they are fixed by the left bank of the Thames, from which they run up northwards, between Essex Street and the Temple, past Temple Bar, and up Shire Lane, which bounds it on the east. The boundary line then passes off in a north-western direction, keeping along the south side of Lincoln's- inn Fields, till it reaches Drury Lane; thence it follows to the north-west, as far as Castle Street, West Street, and Crown Street, Soho, which brings us to the eastern end of Oxford Street proper. Thence the northern boundary of the city goes due west along Oxford Street, the Bayswater Road, by the north side of Hyde Park — making, in one place, a small detour so as to include St. George's burial-ground — and so to the northern end of the Serpentine. From this point the western boundary- line of the city follows the course of the Serpentine, and of the stream which trickles out of its south- eastern extremity, by Wilton Crescent, Lowndes Street, Chesham Street, and the Commercial Road, and so down to the Thames, just to the east of Chelsea Hospital.
The antiquary and statistician may be interested in learning that the limits of the city enclose an area of about 2,500 acres, exclusive of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the Chapelry or Precinct of the Savoy, which would include about ten more.
Over this city we shall wander, first exploring the Strand and its tributaries, as far as Lincoln's-inn Fields and Drury Lane on the north, and the new Embankment on the south ; then we shall come to Charing Cross and Whitehall, taking St. Martin's Lane in our way; then we shall reconnoitre the Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament, and St. James's Park and Palace ; then along the Green Park, Piccadilly, Hyde Park, and Tyburn, and so to Marylebone, where we shall turn back again eastwards, and, crossing Regent Street, or Portland Place, make our way as best we can, to the regions of Soho, and Bloomsbury, and High Holborn. At the end of this our home tour, we purpose, if time and space allow us, to make other tours further abroad, and to take our readers with us on sundry
lO
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[Butcher's Row.
excursions to Kensington, Chelsea, Lambeth, Put- ney, Southwark, and Fulham, also our walk, per- haps, extending to Hampstead and Highgate.
If we are able to make good these professions, at all events we shall find no lack of matter, " new and old," with which to light up the dull and somewhat musty records of antiquity. If we shall be found to have woke up the past into life, to have made its " dry bones " live once more, we
shall have done our duty, and be quite contented. And now, having settled our line of march ; and having pledged our faith in our character of cicerone, to clothe the body of dry facts with all of becoming drapery, in the way of anecdote, tradition, and folk-lore, which we are able to collect, let us, without further preamble, return to our original starting point, and take up our parable as we turn our faces towards the city of the west.
CHAPTER n. BUTCHER'S ROW.— CHURCH OF ST. CLEMENT DANES.
' By Temple Bar I lean again,
Haunted by many a famous face,
With oddest pictures in my brain, Jumbling together time and place.
The night drops down, the moonlight fades Along the filmy City sky ;
With draggled hose and broken blades The Mohawks come with shriek and cry ;
And in the light the dim street clothing
I see with loathing Two hideous rebels' heads that rot on high."
Londen Poems.
Temple Bar and Johnson— Butcher's Row— The " Straits "—Shenstone— The Gunpowder Plotters— The Old Fish Shop — "Bulk Shops" and their Occupants — Churchyard and Church of St. Clement Danes— Johnson's Pew in the Church— Great Men Buried at St. Clement's — The Registers — Two Noteworthy Entries.
If you and I, dear fellow traveller, could imagine ourselves our own great-grandfathers ; could we, in fact, transport ourselves a century back, and, emerging together from the busy thoroughfare of Fleet Street, pass through the narrow, frowning gateway of Temple Bar, we might perchance meet the ungainly form of Dr. Johnson, rolling up the Strand, arm in arm with Boswell, to " take a walk down Fleet Street."
But should no such good luck befall us as an encounter with the great lexicographer, at least one striking object would meet our eyes, as we looked straight before us, towards the Church of St. Clement's, namely, the stocks, a spectacle of whole- some awe to evil-doers in general, and to unruly City apprentices in particular. Beyond these, we should find the lower portion of St. Clement's suffering eclipse, from a range of dull and rather squalid-looking buildings known as Butcher's Row, from having formerly served as shambles. These houses, which were almost entirely built of wood, and were several storeys in height, interfered greatly with traffic, the passage on either side of them being scarcely wide enough in any part to allow vehicles to pass each other. The Row was removed early in the present century through the exertions of Alderman Pickett, after whom Pickett Street (removed for the Law Courts) was named.
Mr. John Timbs describes the houses in Butcher's Row as having been mostly built in Queen Eliza- beth's time, and constructed of wood and plaster, with overhanging eaves. " They were," he writes,
" wretched fabrics, the receptacles of filth in every corner, the bane of old London, and a sort of nestling-place for the plague and fevers. The ceilings were low, with large unwrought beams, and lighted by small casement windows. The cant name for the place among coachmen in the days of the Spectator was the ' Pass,' or the ' Straits of St. Clement's.' "
In one of these uninviting edifices, however, as we learn from the date of some of his letters, William Shenstone, the poet, resided, on the rare occasions of tearing himself away from his "beloved Leasowes " for a stay in London. In another was bom, in 1787, Dr. Andrew Reed, the benevolent founder of Reedham, the Asylum for Fatherless Children at Clapton, and the Idiot Asylum, at Earlswood. His father was a watchmaker in the Row.
Hereabouts, too, according to the confession of Thomas Winter, was concocted the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. He says, "So we met behind St. Clement's, Mr. Catesby, Mr. Percy, Mr. Wright, Mr. Guy Fawkes, and myself, and having, upon a primer, given each other the oath of secrecy, in a chamber where no other body was, we went after into the next room and heard Mass, and received the blessed Sacrament upon the same."
In a view of London and Westminster, drawn by A. Van der Wyngarde (a.d. 1543), now in the Bodleian Library, at Oxford, the Bars at the junc- tion of Fleet Street and the Strand are flanked on the north by a row of quaint old houses, which were
butcher's Row/j
THE " bulk-shops:
ii
probably erected for the benefit of such traders as were not qualified to carry on their business in the City, and may possibly have been of the reign of Henry VHI.
" These," says Mr. J. Wykeham Archer, in his "Vestiges of Old London," "appear to have pre- ceded the buildings of Butcher's Row, which, with Middle Row, extended from Temple Bar to St. Mary-le-Strand, the houses on the south side of Holywell Street forming their western extremity." The old house with its bulk-shop, which adjoined Temple Bar, and which had remained a surviving vestige of the sweeping measures of Alderman Pickett in the beginning of the century, stood in its original condition down to 1846, when it was modernised by the removal of the heavy pents which surmounted its ground-floor. The house bore on its front a notice to the effect that it was " established in the reign of Henry VIIL," and was occupied by "Short and Son, late Creed, Fish- mongers." An engraving of it, in one of its last stages, will be found in the above-mentioned work of Mr. Archer, who explains the term "bulk-shop" as a word of Flemish origin, signifying a stall before a shop, and also associated with the idea of strength or substance. Thus deprived of its pents, it became finally the bookshop of Messrs. Reeves and Turner. The house was a mere timber frame, filled up with lath and plaster. It was pulled down in 1865 to make room for the new Law Courts.
It will be remembered that Shakespeare speaks of misery making men acquainted with "strange bedfellows." It is probable that in these words he is alluding to his experiences, where he must often have seen the heavy canopies of these parts project- ing over the pathways, with their wood or leaden coverings turned up at the edge like some old- fashioned beaver, the ends being sunk a little so as to let the rain pass off. " The bulk-shops," writes Mr. J. W. Archer, " besides their connection with the thrift of olden time, have associations which invest them with a degree of poetic interest, arising from the practice of erratic and destitute authors appropriating their ledges for the purpose of a dormitory, in common with other homeless wan- derers and belated roysterers, . . . The gifted but wayward poet. Savage, is said to have frequently had recourse to such shelter during his moody night wanderings; and Nat Lee, as we know, expired upon a ' bulk ' in Clare Market, when overcome by wine in returning from an orgie at the ' Bear and Harrow,' in Butcher's Row, to his lodgings in Duke Street. In a pleasanter vein it is related of an inferior bard. Derrick^ that^ being discovered by
Floyd, another poor author in each sense of the term, on one of these ledges, and being suddenly awakened, he started up, exclaiming, ' My dear Floyd, I am sorry to see you in this destitute state ; will you go home with me to my lodging?' "
Close to Butcher's Row, at the date to which we refer, we should have come upon a stone cross, or rather its remains, for Strype, in his edition of "Stow's London," in 1755, speaks of it as " now headless," a decapitation which it probably owed to an effort of Puritan zeal in the days of the Great Rebellion. It is probable that at the time of the demolition of Butcher's Row all vestiges of the mutilated cross were swept away.
In Malcolm's "Anecdotes of London," published early in the present century, he says, " A stranger who had visited London in 1790 would, on his return in 1804, be astonished to find a spacious area (with the church nearly in the centre) on the site of Butcher's Row, and some other passages, unde- serving of the name of streets, which were composed of those wretched fabrics overhanging their foun- dations— rthe bane of ancient London — where the plague, with all its attendant horrors, frowned de- struction on the miserable inhabitants, reserving its forces for the attacks of each returning summer."
Passing on, we reach the churchyard of St. Clement Danes, so called, as antiquaries affirm, " because Harold, a Danish king, and other Danes, were buried there." One story commonly told is to the effect that to avenge an insult to his own mother, Hardicanute ordered his half-brother's body to be torn out of its grave and thrown into the Thames, and that, being cast ashore, a fisher- man took it up and gave it decent burial in this place, which was consecrated to receive it. Another account states that in the reign of Ethel- red, the Danes having pillaged the fair abbey of Chertsey, were here met on their return, and slain by the Londoners. And there is yet a third ver- sion, which is told by Lord Burleigh (who lived in this parish), on the authority of Fleetwood, the antiquary, to the effect that when the Danes were driven out of England, a few were left behind, being married to English women ; and that these were ordered by the king to dwell " between the Isle of Thorney, which is now called Westminster, and Caer Lud, now Ludgate, and that there they built a church.
In "A Survey of St. Clement Danes," made in 1732, we are told, "The old church was built 730 years ago, and between 1608 and 1633 the repairs cost ;^i,586."
The body of the old church was taken down in 1680, and the present fabric was built in 1682 by
12
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement's ChurcK
Edward Pearce, under the dircclion of Sir C. Wren, who superintended the work gratuitously, as recorded on a marble slab in the north aisle. The present tower and steeple were added in 17 19, and underwent extensive repairs and restorations in 1839. The tower contains a peal of ten bells, of
indeed, the chimes of St. Clement's Church may still be heard as Falstaff describes having heard them with Justice Shallow.
The present Church of St. Clement Danes stands a little to the south of the ancient church 01 chapel of St. Clement, which had existed from the
butcher's row in 1800. {See page 11.)
a particularly musical sound, cast in 1693. The clock strikes the hours twice ; " the hour being first struck on a large bell, and then repeated on a smaller one, so that when the first has been miscounted, the second may be more correctly ob- served." (Thomson's "Time and Timekeepers.") Besides the clock, there is a set of chimes which play the "Old Hundredth" Psalm. The bells also chime the tunes of " Hanover," and the " Lass o' Cowrie," at nine, twelve, and five o'clock, daily ;
Conquest till long after the Reformation, occu- pying a part of what then was a rather large church- yard. It probably covers, as nearly as possible, the grave of Harold Harefoot, the mound over which was levelled by order of his vindictive and besotted brother. The church has always kept a marked position among those of the metropolis ; and as it stands at once close to the City bounda- ries and on the high road to Westminster, all public processions, from the days of the Plantagenets to
St. Clement's Church.]
ARCHITECTURE OF ST. CLEMENT'S.
1.3
those of Victoria, have passed the building. When the Princess Alexandra of Denmark passed by it, on the loth of March, 1863, the address presented to her by the parishioners on that occasion must have suggested to her mind a pleasing contrast to the traditionary feuds of eight hundred years ago
ing the Strand was formerly a spacious circular portico, supported by Ionic pillars. The interior of the edifice is commodious and handsome of its kind, and the roof inside is "camerated," and highly ornamented. The pulpit and altar are richly carved in the Tuscan style, and the top of
OLD HOUSES FORMERLY STANDING IN BUTCHER'S ROW, ABOUT 180O. {Sec page II.)
between the country she had left and that to which she had come.
The present structure, like its predecessor, is dedicated to St. Clement, the patron saint of felt- workers, and also of sailors ; and the symbolic anchor of St. Clement is still to be seen on nearly all the public buildings in the parish. The church is built of a white stone, both beautiful and durable j the architecture is of the Corinthian order. Front- 88
the communion-table is of ancient and valuable marble, supposed to have belonged to the old church. The organ is one of Father Smith's. The lofty tower and steeple, 1 16 feet high, which were added to the church in 17 19, exhibit in succession Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite tiers of architecture.
In the north gallery of this church there is a pew which is more revered and respected than the " squire's pew " in many a country parish church.
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
(St. Clement's Church.
Men of all parties and creeds cordially agree in this feeling. The lover of old times and old principles reveres the spot, and the admirer of what is new respects it while criticising the man who has made it famous and historical. Nearly a century has passed away since the death of Dr. Samuel Johnson, but in spite of all the changes that have since passed over the world, there still stands here the simple memorial of his former presence as a worshipper within these walls. A plain plate of brass, fixed to the back of the pew, reminds us that here the great essayist and lexicographer used to kneel in worship. " Westminster Abbey can show his grave, and St. Paul's his monument ; but here is preserved the memory of the sacred place where the rugged but sensitive man used for many a long year to ask for strength and grace." It has been remarked that " Boswell shows us Johnson in his chambers, in the club, and in the streets ; but his own confessions enable us to understand him at church." And the remark is true. While listening to him on a Saturday night, at the " Mitre," or the " Turk's Head," we mark his rude and even fierce replies, his vehement prejudices, and domi- neering and despotic intellect, we should scarcely deem him a man of deep religious feelings. But when the bells of St. Clement's were heard next morning in the Inner Temple Lane, the porter regularly opened the gates to let out the well-known scholastic, large-wigged " Mr." Johnson. The man knew that, in spite of his wig, he was not a mem- ber of the Temple ; but some notion of his rising fame had reached even the porters, and his rough generosity had won their respect. On by the posts of Fleet Street, touching each as he goes along, rolls rather than walks, " Mr. Johnson, the dic- tionary-maker." He seems more solemn than usual, and the sound of the church bells deepens his passiveness into melancholy. How is this? one who did not know the man might ask. Who was more merry than he last night at the " Mitre?" how ready were his quotations ! how apt his illus- trations ! how overpowering his arguments ! He seems quite another man to-day. N6, he is just the same man, but in another mood. He enters the church as though anxious to avoid notice, and shows that with him, at least, the service is a reality. He tells us that he strove, like many another brave and good man, honestly to solve the great problem, " how to purify and fortify his soul, and hold real communion with the Highest," and that he did this in St. Clement's Church. That pew in the north gallery, as the brass plate tells us, was the actual scene and arena of this struggle. Here he sat after his good resolution to go to church every
Sunday, and to read the Scriptures ; and hither he repaired in the last year of his life, at the age of seventy-five, to return thanks to God for his recovery from an illness of a hundred-and-twenty- nine days. The following is the inscription to which reference is made above : —
"In-this pew and beside this pillar, for many years at- tended divine service the celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson, the philosopher, the poet, the great lexicographer, the pro- found moralist, and chief writer of his time. Born 1709, died 1784. In the remembrance and honour of noble faculties, nobly employed, some inhabitants of the parish of St. Clement Danes have placed this slight memorial, a.d. 1851."
The parish is so well endowed with charities that the paupers of other neighbourhoods used to flock into it at the commencement of winter, for the sake of all they could get, and the vestry were obliged to limit their gifts to those who had re- sided for the space of a year.
There were almshouses for poor women in the upper and lower churchyard, at the time of the parish survey in 1732. " In the upper churchyard are .'jIx almshouses, with six rooms, and twelve poor women in each house, who are allowed 2s. per week ; and in the lower churchyard are five rooms for poor women, each of whom has 2s. 6d. per week ; they have also coals at Christmas, if they can make interest to get them."
The vaults beneath the church were crowded to excess. On the receipt of an Order in Council for closing them in 1858, the coffins were all placed together in one part of the vault and hermetically sealed, the whole being enclosed with a strong brick wall. Mr. Diprose tells us that towards the close of the last century, "the vaults were dis- covered to be on fire, and continued burning for some days, many bodies being consumed."
In the church lie buried some few individuals whose names the world would not wish to forget ; among others, Thomas Rymer, who compiled the •■' Foedera," and the dramatic poets, Nathaniel Lee and Thomas Otway, and Bishop Berkeley, the philosopher, and friend of Pope, who attributed to him " every virtue under heaven." Sir John Roe, who died in Ben Jonson's arms, of the plague, 1606 ; Dr. Kitchener, and the Oxberrys, father and son, are also buried here. Among other monu- ments are those of Hippocrates de Otthen, who was ^physician to the Emperor of Germany, and was sent over to England at the request of Queen Elizabeth (in whose service, and in that of the Earl of Leicester, he was long employed), and of John Arundel, Bishop of Exeter, who died in 1503.
In this church was solemnised, two centuries
St Clement Danes.]
A COURTEOUS GENTLEMAN.
15
ago, that marriage of Sir Thomas Grosvenor with Miss Davies, the wealthy heiress of Ebury Manor, which brought into the family of the Duke of Westminster their pro- perty in Pimlico and Bclgravia.
The registers of St. Clement's commence with the year 1558, and are kept in far better order than in most parishes. They record the deaths of some hun- dreds of parishioners in 1665, the year of the Great Plague, which made great havoc in the close streets near Temple Bar, and also in Milford Lane.
One of the eariiest entries of baptism is as follows: — "June 6, 1563, Master Robert Cicill, the Sonne of ye L. highe Threasurer of England." Some nineteen years afterwards, the subject of this entry earned " honorable mention " for the gracious courtesy
and politeness of his manners towards his inferiors.
The neighbourhood of St. Clement Danes Church appears to have borne anything but a good reputation so far back as three centuries ago, by reason of " the unthrifts of the Inns of
DR. JOHNSON'S FBW IN ST. CLEMENTS. (See page 14.)
Chancery," who made so much disturbance in the streets by night that the inhabitants, we read, were fain to keep watches for the sake of mutual pro- tection. Thus, "in 1582," says honest John Stow, " the Recorder himself, with six more of tlie honest inhabitants, stood by St. Clement's Church to see the lanthorn hung out, and to observe if he could meet with any of these outrageous dealers. About seven of the clock at night they saw young Mr. Robert Cecil, the Lord Treasurer's son,who was afterwards Secretary of State to the Queen, pass by the church. As he passed, he gave them a civil salute, at which they said, ' Lo ! you may see how a nobleman's son can use himself and how he putteth off his cap to poor men; our Lord bless him.' This passage," adds Stow, " the Recorder wrote in a letter to his father, adding, ' Your lordship hath cause to thank God for so virtuous a child.' " We may draw an obvious inference from the story of Mr. Robert Cecil's conduct in this instance as to the usual habits of the fast young noblemen of Elizabeth's time.
CHAPTER in. ST. CLEMENT DANES (continued) :— THE LAW COURTS.
" Where do stand forth the laws of state sublime." — Sophocles.
Early Courts of Law— Inns of Court— Want of a Central Building— New Law Courts Projected— Selection of Architect— Discussion about the Site — Plan and Design of the New Kuilding— Temple Bar Memorial— Old Buildings Swept away— The Old Fish Shop— HoUoway's— Shire Lane and its Inhabitants— Sir C. Sedley— The Well of St. Clement's— Bell Yard— Plough Alley— Boswell Court : a Relic of Old Times — Clement's Lane: its Decline and Fall — A Grand Clearance.
It is scarcely necessary to remind our readers that was rude and simple, the king used often to sit in in theory it is the sovereign who sits in his (or his own court to administer justice, it was the her) right in England to administer justice to all, ; custom for the seat of law to be within the palace and hence the place in which the law is ad- ' of royalty. Hence, very naturally, when, in the ministered in this country has always been styled Saxon and Norman times, the king's palace was at a " Court." And, as in early times, when law , Westminster, it was a matter of course that the
i6
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Banes.
courts of law should grow up around the very person of the sovereign, though occasionally they were moved wherever the king travelled and took up his abode ; in this case they were said to be held in banco regis, that is, in the presence of the king himself.
A great impetus to the concentration of the courts of law in the metropolis was doubtless given by Henry VIII. ; for, Avhereas down to his day courts of arbitration had been held from time im- memorial to decide cheaply and simply small matters in dispute in the several baronies, such as questions between landlord and tenant, between master and man, he ordered these and other like cases to be brought up to London, and, as Mr. Froude tells us in his " History of England," "country people found themselves compelled to take journeys to the metropolis, and to sue or be sued at his Courts at Westminster."
Gradually, however, as the English law shaped itself into a system and a science, which demanded a legal education in those who actually followed it as a profession, other " courts " of law arose nearer to the Inns of Court and the abodes of the gentle- men of the long robe ; and down to the present day, one portion of both law and equity has been administered in the rooms adjoining Westminster Hall, and another in other courts at Lincoln's Inn. But this division and distribution of the head- quarters and fountains of English justice between two localities, a mile at least apart, has long been a matter of complaint among most practical English- men ; and from time to time, especially during the present century, there have arisen murmurs " not loud, but deep," on account of the loss of time in- volved to both judges and counsel by this unhappy local severance. And it can be no matter of surprise that, from time to time, various proposals have been made to concentrate in a single spot the scattered forces of the law. With a view to carry- ing out this national undertaking — as far back as the year 1841, as we learn from the evidence printed by order of the House of Commons — the late Sir Charles Barry designed a large building of Grecian architecture, which he intended to have placed in Lincoln's Inn Fields. It was to have contained a great Central Hall, about equal to Westminster Hall in size, around which twelve smaller courts should cluster ; the entire group of buildings, if it had been carried into effect at that time, would have covered a third of the area within the rails of Lincoln's Inn Fields, and have been surrounded by a belt of plantations, in order to keep up the delusion of rurality. Funds, however, were most fortunately wanting ; and great objections were made to the
plan of blocking up so large an open space, where open spaces were so rare ; in fact, persons who lived about Fleet Street, the Strand, and Holborn, had long considered this open area, though enclosed, as their "country walk," and seriously asserted that to all intents and purposes, they had been in the country when they had completed their early morning tour round " the Fields."
At length, when the patience of the lawyers and of the rest of the public had been nearly worn out, and when attention had been frequently called to the subject in Parliament, Her Majesty was pleased in 1858, to order a Royal Commission to be issued, " for the purpose of inquiring into and reporting on the expediency of bringing into one place, or at all events into one neighbourhood, all the superior Courts of Law and Equity, the Divorce and Probate Court, and those of the Admiralty, Bankruptcy, &c., as well as of suggesting means for providing a fit site, and erecting a building suited to the purpose in hand." The Commission accordingly recom- mended the selection of the site on the northern side of the Strand, between Temple Bar and St. Clement's Church. In 1861 a Bill was introduced in order to carry this recommendation into effect; but it was thrown out by a narrow majority, and the question slumbered until 1865, when the urgency of some such provision for the due administration of the law had again made itself practically felt. Two Acts of Parliament were passed in conse- quence, to carry out the recommendations already mentioned. The one Act empowered the Commis- sioners of Works and Public Buildings to acquire the site which had been recommended, and the other provided the funds necessary for the cost of the building itself, partly by a contribution of 000,000 of unclaimed interest on stock standing to the credit of suitors in the Court of Chancery, and partly by a small tax to be imposed on litigants in the other courts.
Another body of Commissioners was next ap- pointed, consisting of forty eminent members of the legal profession, including Lords Cranworth, Hatherley, Cairns, and Penzance, Vice-Chancellors Stuart, Malins, and others, in order to advise the Treasury in its choice of an architect and plans for the new " Palace of Justice." The next step was to nominate a smaller body, consisting of five individuals of high standing — Mr. Gladstone, Sir W. Stirling-Maxwell, the Lord Chief Justice Cock- burn, Sir Roundell Palmer (now Lord Selborne), and Mr. William Cowper (now Lord Mount-Temple) along with two professional architects — Mr. John Shaw and Mr. G. Pownall, who were to act as "Judges of Designs;" and a competition among the
St. Clement Danes.]
PLAN OF THE NEW LAW COURTS.
17
best architects of the day was invited. Eleven designs were sent in, and these were exhibited to the public, in 1868, in a temporary building put up in New Square, Lincoln's Inn ; and in the end the design of Mr. G. E. Street, R.A., was accepted — not, however, until after a very strong feeling had been shown in favour of that of Mr. E. M. Barry, a son of the architect of the Houses of Parliament.
Even after the architect, however, had been chosen, a further delay arose, as a large number of the public, and some of the competitors — Mr. Street himself among the rest — expressed an opinion that a space between the Strand and the Thames Em- bankment, to the east of Somerset House, would be a preferable site to that already chosen, and which had been prepared and cleared by the removal, in 1866-8, of no less than thirty close, foul, and filthy courts, yards, lanes, and alleys. And at last, after all the above-mentioned delays had come to an end, the first brick of the "Law Courts of the future" — the great central National Palace of Justice — was actually laid, on the last day of April, 1874, at the north-east corner of the chosen ground, at the junction of Bell Yard and Carey Street. The site, which had then been cleared for several years, comprised the surface of nearly eight acres, ex- tending from Bell Yard on the east to Clement's Inn on the west, and from Carey Street on the north to the Strand and Pickett Street on the south. The substratum of solid concrete, which had been laid two or three years previously, covered about six acres and a half of this space, the rest being destined to be left open, with the idea of being laid out as a garden, in case it should not be required, in course of time, for building purposes.
The buildings themselves are thus minutely de- scribed in the Times of May 19th, 1874 : —
" They are of Gothic design, and, viewed by non- professional eyes, might be set down as somewhat irregular examples of the Decorated or Second Pointed style. But their architect has embodied in his designs so much of modern improvements, and has so thoroughly studied the adaptation of the architecture of the Edwardian period to the require- ments of our age, that we fancy he would prefer to call the structure a specimen of the 'Victorian style.' The whole building forms, approximately at least, a somewhat irregular square, the Strand front being 483 feet in length, while the depth from the Strand to Carey Street is about 460 feet. The southern, northern, and western fronts will be of Pordand stone, while the eastern front wll present a combination of Portland stone interspersed with red bricks, as will be the case with the interior courts and quadrangles. The entire pile of buildings
will be divided into two blocks — the eastern and lesser one, which will be erected, under tiie contract, in three years ; and the larger block to the west, Avhich it will take six or seven years to complete. Each front is to be relieved by dwarf towers, arches, and other features ; and there will be two high towers, one at the south-east angle, and one at the eastern end of Carey Street. The former will be 170 feet in height, or nearly four times the height of Temple Bar.
" The whole edifice will be three, four, and five storeys in height in different parts \ and its lofty pitched roofs will be relieved by the insertion of gables, dormers, and pinnacles, in great variety. The general height of the building up to the ridge of the roof will be about 90 or 95 feet; and over the rest will rise the Central Hall, in the main or western block, to which the rest of the building will be subordinate. This Central Hall will be about 140 feet to the top of its roof, or 90 feet measured inside up to the crown of the stone-vaulted ceiling. Underneath it will be a large lower chamber, which, if it were underground, might be termed a crypt.
"The ground plan, as it stands at present, shows that the architect has given accommodation to no less than 18 distinct courts, each with its own entrance and staircase, with separate approaches and doors for the judges, the jury, the witnesses, the Bar, and the public, together with rooms for clerks, secretaries, and registrars, and also waiting-rooms.
" On the western side, towards Clement's Inn, there will be left a large, open space. This will probably be used as gardens, and there will be a flight of broad stone steps, leading up into the western end of Carey Street. It will be possible, if required, to erect here a western block of build- ings, corresponding with that on the eastern side.
"The cost of the building, if the estimates al- lowed by the Commissioners should not be exceeded, will be three-quarters of a million. The structure will absorb no less than 62,000 tons of Portland and 18,000 tons of otlier stone, and also about 35,000,000 of red and white bricks. It will be remembered, in conclusion, that, about two years ago, Mr. Street proposed the removal of St. Clement's Church to a site on the vacant space on the west side of the new building — a proposal which met with the approval not only of Mr. Lowe, but also of the then Lord Chancellor. The Metropolitan Board of Works, however, declined to entertain the idea, although the Government offered to provide the site free of cost,"
Mr. Street, in a printed minute, dated May, 1869, thus sums up the chief " sesthetical advan- tages," of the Carey Street site ; —
i8
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
" The elevation above the river is considerable. The entrances to the Central.. Hall will be exactly on the same level as the courtyard in front of the western entrance of St. Paul's Cathedral, and the floor of the Central Hall will be 22 feet higher here than it would be on the Embankment. To
The stately pile as above described, wherein the majesty of the law shall be fitly represented, is nearly completed, and some portions of it are already occupied.
It is unquestionably true that any great public good can only be achieved at the cost of much
THE OLD HhH SHOP BY 'JEMPLli BAR, lt)46. {See page II.)
this extent, therefore, it will in all distant views rise higher and be better seen than on the lower site. And I think that the position will be an im- portant one, crowning the hill opposite St. Paul's, and supplying what the views of London at present much want, — namely, some very marked architectural feature in the long expanse of building between St. Paul's and Westminster."
private inconvenience ; and the New Law Courts cannot claim to be any exception to this general rule. No sensible man can doubt that the de- struction of so many filthy slums must ultimately prove a gain to the community at large ; yet it is also undeniable that the present effect of the work of demolition has been, firstly, to render 4,000 persons homeless, and subsequently to drive three-
St. Clement Danes.]
A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
19
fourths of them mto other courts and alleys in the immediate vicinity, which, being previously well filled, must speedily, from the overcrowding con- sequent upon so enormous an influx, be rendered
in the case of this class, who live from hand to mouth, the unwonted possession of so large a sum was not rather the reverse of a benefit. We are told that about ^20 was paid to each weekly
SERLE's place. From a Draviin-^ taken shortly before Us Demolition. (See page 21.)
as unhealthy as the squalid dens from which the immigrants have been routed. It is also true that a liberal compensation was awarded by Government, even in cases where no legal claim could have been made, and that the utmost kind- ness and forbearance was shown by the Com- missioners and officials entrusted to administer that compensation ; but it may be doubted whether.
tenant, and this being in many instances squan- dered in the course of a few days, the recipient appeared, with drunken imprecations, before the distributors to demand more.
Many ingenious plans have been mooted, by philosophers and philanthropists of all ages, for the effectual cleansing of certain Augean stables ; but the summary one of pulling down the building,
20
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
and turning its 4,000 denizens adrift to seek shelter where best they may, is a bold stroke, which has at least the advantage of novelty, if even it savour a little of the line of policy familiarly known as " robbing Peter to pay Paul."
And now, having gained some slight idea of the appearance which these eight acres — till lately suggestive of " the abomination of desolation " — may be expected to present in the future, let us take a brief retrospective view of them as they were not only in their last stage of decay, but in their palmy days, when St. Clement Danes was a favourite abode of "the quality."
The truth of the old proverb, "Threatened folks live long," was proved by our time-honoured, if somewhat cumbersome, old acquaintance. Temple Bar, which remained in statu quo down to the year 1878, frowning defiance on the menaces of de-| struction, with which it was periodically assailed! for more than a century. Of this relic of the past | Mr. Thornbury has already given, in a previous volume, a full and exhaustive history, which leaves | nothing to be added or desired further than that ' since its removal its site has been marked by a column 34 feet in height, set up in the centre of the roadway, at the expense of the Corporation of London. The pedestal of the "memorial" is | adorned with appropriate bas-reliefs, above which on either side are statues of the Queen and the Prince of Wales, and the whole is surmounted by a bronze griffin supporting a shield bearing the city arms. The memorial was erected from the designs of Mr. Horace Jones, the statues being the work of Mr. J. E. Bciehm, A.R.A.
It would be equally tedious and unnecessary to give a minute description of all the lanes, courts, and alleys which have been swept away in the process of clearing these eight acres, many of them being remarkable only for the generally unwhole- some atmosphere, both moral and physical, which pervaded them ; we must, therefore, be contented to particularise such among them as are sufficiently interesting, from historical associations, to make their memories and names worth preserving.
On the north side of the old gateway stood, a few years ago, a quaint, narrow wooden house with projecting gables, and a physiognomy all its own. Here generations of fishmongers had plied their scaly trade, and here a certain Mr. Crockford, erst dealer in shell-fish, and subsequently gambling- house keeper and millionnaire, laid the foundation of his fortune. During his life-time he refused to allow the old house in the Strand to be altered ; but after his death, which occurred in 1844, the gable roof and pent-house were removed. The
fishmonger's shop afterwards became that of a hairdresser, and finally, reversing the old saying about " coming to vile uses at last," it passed — as we have stated — into the hands of the well- known second-hand booksellers, Messrs. Reeves and Turner, who owned it when it was doomed to come down to make room for the New Law Courts, in 1865 (see page 11).
A few steps farther on, between Temple Bar and the entrance of St. Clement's Lane, nearly opposite to Messrs. Twining's bank, stood the house of Messrs. HoUoway, the great wholesale manufacturers of the pills which bear their name. It is said that for many years the firm spent upwards of ten thousand pounds a year for advertisements in the town, country, and foreign newspapers.
As near as possible on the site of the shop of Messrs. Holloway stood, formerly, an old house with gable roof and an ornamental front, engraved in Smith's "Antiquities of Westminster." It was famous as being the reputed residence of the Due de Sully, when ambassador here, before he could be accommodated at Arundel House.* At that time it is said to have been inhabited by Chris- topher Harley, Count de Beaumont, ambassador from France in 1605. In another house, a few steps still further westward, the Daily Telegraph (the first of the penny daily papers) was originally published, by its founder. Colonel Sleigh.
Returning to Temple Bar, we now make our way northwards, following the eastern side of the new block of buildings, and — with some latent sus- picion that we may even meet with foul play from the ghosts of its former inhabitants — up Shire or Shere Lane, from which many of Addison's and other papers in the Advertiser are dated.
The western side of Shire Lane was in the parish of St. Clement Danes ; and therefore the meetings of the "Kit Cat" Club at the "Trumpet," which were noticed in the early part of this work, belong properly, and strictly speaking, to this place ; but it will be sufficient here to note the fact, and to refer our readers to the description previously given for fuller details on the subject. We may mention, however, that it was a thoroughfare for foot-passengers only, very narrow and filthy, and well deserving the character given of it in the Quarterly Jievieic (No. 143), as "a vile, squalid place, noisy and noxious, nearly inaccessible to
* With reference to this assertion, Malcolm states that such a report arose from the fact of one of the houses in that narrow street bearing on its front the fleur-de-lys of France, and suggests that this was put there, not to commemorate Sully's arrival, but in compliment to our Henry V, , the conqueror of France.
St. Clement Danes. 1
ST. CLEMENT'S WELL.
21
both light and air, and swarming with a population of a most disreputable character." On the left side especially the houses were of "bad repute;" and Mr. Diprose, in his " Walk round St. Clement Danes," informs us that many years ago there existed a communication from one of them with a house on the north side of the Strand, a few doors from Temple Bar, through which thieves used to escape after ill-using their victims. Higher up on the same side were three houses which were made into one by connecting passages, almost like a rabbit warren ; this was known by the name of " Cadgers' Hall," being the rendezvous of beggars. A few doors higher up still was another double house, called the "Retreat," through which, we are told, there was a way for thieves to pass through into Crown Court, and so into the Strand. It is worthy of record that this lane retained its old character to the last, a man being prose- cuted for a robbery committed in it as late as the year 1865.
Shire Lane must have achieved an undesirable reputation at an early stage of its existence, as even in the reign of James L it was called " Rogues' Lane," and in our own day the very name of Shire Lane had, in 1845, become such an abomination ; that it was ordered to be henceforth known as Upper, Middle, and Lower Serle's Place. This change of name appears to have had, to some extent, a salutary effect, as we are told by Mr. j Diprose that " portions of this lane have of late | years much improved in character, particularly the '\ upper end, where Isaac Bickerstaff lived." j
In Shire Lane, in the year 1639, the delightful j song writer, and oracle of the licentious wits of his day. Sir Charles Sedley, first saw the light. He was baptised in the old church of St. Clement's. j
Ship Yard adjoined Shire Lane on the left. " The houses in it," says Mr. Diprose, " were built 1 very high and close together, the upper part pro- jecting over the lower, thus admitting very httle air or light." Some of them also were of great ; age and unhealthy, the entire locality being made j up of such " courts " without any roadway. This { locality was a colony of thieves ; and Mr. Diprose tells us, on the authority of a "very old inhabitant" of it, that the latter remembered a time when capital punishment was constandy inflicted for robbery, and when an execution at Newgate seldom took place •without someone from this spot being amongst the number. " At the back of this court," adds the same writer, " there stood formerly a block of houses, from four to five storeys in height, which were let out to vagrants, thieves, sharpers, smashers, and other abandoned characters. Throughout the
vaults of this rookery there existed a continuous communication or passage, so that easy access could be obtained from one to the other, facilitating escape or concealment in the event of pursuit, which, from the nature of the nefarious traffic in practice, very often occurred. The end house of this block of buildings was selected for the manu- factory of counterfeit coin, and passed by the name of the ' Smashing Lumber.' The ingenuity em- ployed in the construction of the apartments may be mentioned. In the first place, every room had its secret trap or panel, that a free entrance or exit might be quickly effected from one place to the other; and from the upper storey, which was the workshop or factory, there was a shaft or well constructed, in direct communication with the cellar before noticed. The whole of the coining apparatus and the employes could be conveyed away as by a touch of magic, being lowered in a basket by means of a pulley. This secret gang must have had a prosperous run for many years, and the master of it, after amassing a large sum, wisely disappeared at the right moment ; for not long after the introduction of the new police, and the appointment of detectives, this den was dis- covered and abolished."
We are told, in the "Life and Times of Sir Christopher Hatton," by Nicholas, that "an inn near Temple Bar, called * The Ship,' " was granted to him ; and Chambers tells us, in his " Book of Days," that " Ship Yard denotes the sign of the 'Ship,' a house estabHshed in honour of Sir Francis Drake, and having for its sign the bark in which he circumnavigated the world."
It is difficult to associate the neighbourhood of Shire Lane widi pilgrims, clear springs, and running brooks, but we read in the 7^'w^jof May ist, 1874: — " Another reUc of old London has lately passed away ; the holy well of St. Clement, on the north of St. Clement Danes Church, has been filled in and covered over with earth and rubble, in order to form part of the foundation of the Law Courts of the future. It is said that penitents and pilgrims used to visit this well as early as the reign of Ethelred, and it was known from time immemorial as 'St. Clement's Well.' Charles Knight, in his 'London,' published in 1841, mentions the well as 'now covered over with a pump,' and he adds that ' the well still remains flowing as steadily and as freshly as ever.' It has often been supposed that this well supplied the old Roman bath in Strand Lane, but this is a mistake, the water which feeds that bath springing up out of the London clay below on the spot with perfect regularity."
Round this holy well, in the early Christian era.
^2
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
newly-baptised converts clad in white robes were wont to assemble to commemorate Ascension Day and Whitsuntide ; and in later times, after the mur- der of Thomas k Becket had made Canterbury the constant resort of pilgrims from all parts of Eng- land, the holy well of St. Clement was a favourite halting-place of the pious cavalcades for rest and refreshment.
In the " Beauties of England and Wales " (Mid- dlesex, vol. X., published in 1815), Mr. Night- ingale says, "A pump now covers St. Clement's Well. Fitzstephen, in his description of London, in the reign of Henry IL, informs us that "round the City again, and towards the north, arise certain excellent springs at a small distance, whose waters are sweet, salubrious, and clear, and whose runnels murmur o'er the shining stones. Among these, Holywell, Clerkenwell, and St. Clement's Well may be esteemed the principal, as being much the most frequented, both by the scholars from the school (Westminster), and the youth from the City, when in a summer's evening they are disposed to take an airing. This well was also much resorted to on account of its being supposed of peculiar efficacy in the cure of cutaneous and other dis- orders, and was consequently a place of importance to devotees. The estimation of its efficacy and sanctity have long ceased."
Bell Yard, occupied principally by law publishers at the northern extremity, and towards the Strand by a medley of small, uninviting-looking shops, was more than a century ago the abode of Fortescue, who lived in a house at the upper end of the yard, which is further honoured by being described by Fortescue's friend, Pope, as " that filthy old place, Bell Yard." Several of the small passages in this vicinity are worthy of no more particular mention than is contained in Seymour's " History of the Parishes of London and Westminster," written in 1734-
" A little above St. Clement's Well, of note for its excellent spring water, is Plough Alley, which, with three turnings, goes into a street by the Plough stables, which fronts the playhouse by Lincoln's Inn Grange, in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields. More towards Clare Market is Horseshoe Court, a pretty handsome place, with a freestone pavement, having a prospect into St. Clement's Inn Gardens. And opposite to this court is Yates' Court, not over good nor large. Between Temple Bar and the turning into St. Clement's Inn, on the north side of the Butcher's Row, are several courts, most of which are but small. The first is Ship Yard, a thoroughfare into Little Shear Lane, with a pretty broad passage ; on the east side is an open place
going into a small court called Chair Court, with a fair freestone pavement. Next to Ship Yard are these courts : Swan Court, very small ; Star Court, indifferent, good, and large, with an open air; White Hart Court, long but narrow; Lock Alley, long, but small ; Windmill Court very small and inconsiderable : Crown Court hath an open air about the midst, and leadeth into Little Shear Lane. Bear and Harrow Court is so called from such a sign, belonging to a noted eating-house, at the entrance into it. This court (or rather alley, from its length and narrowness) runs into Boswell Court."
It is a common mistake to suppose that Boswell Court owed its name to the biographer of Dr. Johnson. Its age and its name are at least as old as the times of the Tudors, in whose day, and in those of the Stuarts, as we are told, it was the abode of " the quaUty." " Here lived," says Mr. Diprose. " Lady Raleigh, the widow of the unfortunate Sir Walter." Another distinguished resident was Sir Edward Lyttleton, successively Solicitor-General, and Lord Chief Justice of England, in 1639. From Boswell House, Gilbert Talbot wrote a letter of " London gossip " to his father, the Earl of Shrews- bury, in the reign of Elizabeth, a letter which is printed in Lodge's " Illustrations." Among the other eminent inhabitants of this court was Lady Fanshawe, as we learn from her " Memoirs," where she says, "In his" (her husband's) "absence, I took house in Boswell Court, near Temple Bar, for two years, immediately moving all my goods thereto."
Ascending northwards towards Carey Street was a flight of steps which led into New Boswell Court, a dreary-looking enclosure, although described by Hatton in 1708 as "a pleasant place." At the side of these steps might be seen to the very last a curious relic of other days, a watchman's box, the last box of the old " Charlies," which was drawn up from the pavement during the day-time.
This ancient order of watchmen was instituted about the middle of the thirteenth century, and carried on its functions, growing yearly more feeble and inefficient, until, in 1829, the "Charhes," as they were termed in the slang of the day, found them- selves superseded by the new police, organised by Sir Robert Peel. These midnight guardians of the peace — and it may be observed eu passant that the only qualifications necessary for the post would appear to have been extreme old age, and general incapacity — suffered many things at the hands of the young " bucks " and " bloods " of the Regency. A watchman found dozing in his box in the in- tervals of going his rounds to utter his monotonous
St. Clement iDanes.3
A DIRTY PLACE.
cry, was apt to be overturned, box and all, and left to kick and struggle helplessly, like a turtle on its back, until assistance arrived. Or he would be Kindly offered a dram to keep him awake, and this dram being drugged, quickly sank him in deeper sleep than before, in which state " Charley " and his box, being transferred to a truck, were forthwith trundled into another quarter of the town, and left to awake at leisure.
Old Boswell Court, from having been the chief abode of the " quality," gradually came to be let out in chambers and apartments. The houses were mostly of red brick with carved doorways. The house at the southern end was, for the last twenty years prior to its demolition, the printing and pub- lishing office of Messrs. Kelly's "Post Office Directories " of London and of the several counties of England.
The old entrance to St. Clement's Lane from the Strand was through an open gateway flanked by massive pillars of stone. This archway was erected by the Corporation of London, as a tribute of re- spect for Alderman Pickett, through whose exertions the thoroughfare of the Strand was widened, at an expense of more than a quarter of a million sterling. The new thoroughfare was named Pickett Street, after the public benefactor, but the name never became popular, and soon passed away, the houses being reckoned as part of the Strand. A little beyond the gateway the lane bore off to the left, and led to the back of King's College Hospital, merging in Gilbert Street and Gilbert Passage, which opens through Portsmoutli Street, into the south-west corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields. The line of this lane runs north from the western end of the site now laid level for the erection of the New Law Courts, and it is to be hoped that it will soon be superseded by a wider thoroughfare, the dark and obscure outlets by which it still communi- cates with Clare Market and New Inn being sAvept away.
Among the other residents in this lane was Sir John Trevor (a cousin of the infamous Judge Jeffreys), at one time Speaker of the House of Commons, and twice Master of the Rolls ; the same who was expelled from the House for bribery, though he had the good sense to warn James II. against his arbitrary conduct. He died here in May, 1717, and was buried in the Rolls Chapel on the east side of Chancery Lane. Another dis- tinguished inhabitant was Oliver Cromwell, in his early days. The Lords Paget also had their town mansion here, as appears by the parish registers.
In the course of time, however, the lane, " from being the pohshed abode of wit, genius, and fashion,
was converted by the ruthless liand of Time into a huge overcrowded den, where blasphemy, rags, gin, hollow-eyed poverty, and stinted industry, were all fearfully huddled together. Where noble dames once moved with costly and flowing trains, a short time since women in rags rocked to slee^) the children of misery, to whom hunger gave a fearful vitality ; and where courtiers used to exchange the bow of recognition, fearful and brutal collisions between man and man took place. Upon the once polished floor, now broken and filthy, where stately revelry held its court, human beings lay stretched in that association which extreme misery only knows ; and the once elegant boudoir of some dead duchess was inhabited by seven or eight wretched human beings. Doors stood ajar with the gaping look of poverty and desolation, where the loud re- sounding knocks of some tall, gold-laced menial were once heard ; and where the flaxen-haired daughters of wealth once sported, neglected children in filth and rags dozed out their wretched existence.
" In this sun-forsaken, dreary region lived, among the rest, a very large colony of the poorest and wildest of the Irish, attracted in the first instance, no doubt, by its nearness to the Catholic chapel in Lincoln's Inn Fields ; but these, though equally poor, dirty, and drunken with the tenants of the adjoining courts, were never actually absorbed by their English neighbours. To the last they remained ipsis Hibernis Hibeniiores, and when the rookery was broken up they migrated, if we are rightly informed, to Drury Lane and the Seven Dials.
" As a proof that the locality was as demoralised as it was poor, we may add that when wholesale executions occurred at Newgate or Tyburn, as they did occasionally occur ' when George III. was king,' it was rare indeed for this locality not to have its representative amongst those unhappy wretches who paid the last penalty of the law."
It has been very appositely observed that "Charles Dickens might well have placed the scenes of his quaintest stories of low Cockney life in the midst of this doomed quarter of London, which was the haunt of gaiety and pleasure in the reign of Charles II., and is associated with the memories of the ' bloods ' and the ' bucks ' of the Restoration, and the wits of the days of Queen Anne."
Mr. Diprose — who, as an old inhabitant of the parish, is well qualified to speak on the subject — ■ gives a list of the courts, alleys, and streets which have been quietly removed and effaced, in order to form the site of the new Palace of Justice.
24
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
They are as follows, nearly thirty in all : — Bailey's Court, Bear and Harrow Court, Bell Yard, Old and New Boswell Courts, Boswell Yard, Brick Court, Chair Court, Clement's Court, Clement's Inn Fore- gate, Clement's Lane, Cromwell Place, Crown
attaching to them, although all traces of them have disappeared, and their place knows them no more.
The demolition of so many small tenements, in order to make a site for the New Law Courts, has
BOSWELL COURT. (From a Sketch taken shortly before its Demolition.)
Court, Crovm Place, Hemlock Court, Great and Little Horseshoe Courts, New Court, Pickett Place, Plough Court, Robin Hood Court, Upper, Lower, and Middle Serle's Place, Ship Yard, Ship and Anchor Court, Shire Lane, and Star Court, all of them more or less dirty and overcrowded.
Besides these, however, there have disappeared a considerable part of the Strand (Pickett Street), Carey Street, Yates' Court, and St. Clement's Lane, nearly all of which have histories still
not had so great an influence as might be sup- posed upon the people living in the parish of St. Clement's, which still swarms with a poor popu- lation. Previously it stood at about 16,000, and now, after all this clearance, it is about 15,000, a great number of the inhabitants of the old lanes and alleys having removed only into the neighbour- hood of Clare Market, which, it is to be feared, are almost equally close and filthy, and sadly over- crowded.
St. Clement Danes.]
THE LAST OF A WELL-KNOWN QUARTER.
25
In the reign of Queen Anne Clement's Lane was the Bond Street of London, and several of its houses were the haunts of those royal and noble intrigues which figure so largely in the anecdote- memoirs of the time. " Here," says Mr. Diprose, " Steele used to show his gaudy attire, Bolingbroke his stately presence, and Pope that decrepit form which was yet the tabernacle of a noble soul within. Here Swift, with downcast head and scowling
steamers. Gone, too, are the ' smashers,' and the ' Charlies ; ' gone, too, is that little court to the north of St. Clement's Church, of which we have already seen what Winter had to say with reference to the concoction of the fiendish Gunpowder Plot. Gone, too, now are the once fair gardens of Essex House and Norfolk House ; gone are the wild beasts which once were kept in Holywell Street ; gone is the last of those stocks which once held
THEATRE, PORTUGAL STREET. (ScC page 2"] .)
visage, used to growl to himself as the mighty satirist made and unmade cabinets ; and the gentle Addison here turned some of those polished periods which have called forth the envy and ad- miration of after ages."
We will conclude this chapter with a few words quoted from an article in Cassell's Magazine in 1870, styled, "A Walk Round St. Clement Danes " : —
" Gone now are the glories of St. Clement Danes. Gone are the sedan chairs and coaches that once had here their favourite and (it is said) their earliest stands. Gone are the ' Thames watermen,' whom our fathers and grandfathers knew so well, resplendent in their scarlet coats and badges, but who were driven out by the penny 88— Vol. III.
in awe the roguish apprentices and youthful roughs of the parish ; gone is the ' Denzil Street gang,' and the ' Alphabet ' public-house, whilom so well known to the theatrical profession ; gone is the far- famed Norfolk Giant, who once kept the ' Craven Head' in wretched Drury Lane ; and gone is 'Joe Miller ;' gone, too, are his 'jests,' and possibly his grave.
" But in the place of these and other relics ot past ages we shall shortly see rising on the now bare site a stately building, the like of which Londoners have not seen reared in modem days, save only at the river-side at Westminster — a palace in which it is our earnest prayer, as Englishmen, that Justice may long sit to hold evenly the scales of uw."
26
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
CHAPTER IV.
ST. CLEMENT DANES [continued).— WALK ROUND THE PARISH.
" Sacer est locus ; ite profani." — Virgil.
Carey Street— Its Reminiscences — Residences of Benjamin Franklin, Sir William Blackstone, and Mrs. Chapone — The "Grange" Inn — ^The "Plough" Tavern and Gully the Prize-fighter— The " Seven Stars" — Series Court, now called New Square— Ravenscroft's Wig-shop — Series Coffee House — Portugal Row — Playhouse Street — The Duke's Theatre— Origin of the Sergeant's Guard at the Theatre Royal — Curious Playbills of the Last Century— Portugal Street— King's College Hospital— Burial-place of Joe Miller— Enoa Chapel and the Modem "Golgotha"— The "Old Black Jack."
Leaving Mr. Street's New Law Courts upon our left hand, we will now continue our way westwards from the top of what was once Shire Lane, but which, as before mentioned, gradually developed into Serle's Place.
At riglit angles to Serle Street and Serle's Place, from east to west, runs Carey Street, the south side of which has been demolished to form the north side of the New Courts of Law. These houses, at the time of their demolition, were almost all tenanted by solicitors and law-stationers. Although, as compared with the rest of the neighbourhood, markedly wanting in memories of the past, Carey Street has its reminiscences. The heroic Lady Fanshawe tells us, in her " Memoirs," that in 1655-6 she and her family spent a twelvemonth in it, as tenants of a house belonging to Sir George Carey, from whom apparently the street was named. It is said by Mr. Diprose that at No. 19 Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have lived whilst working as a journeyman printer in the neighbourhood. Sir William Blackstone lived in this street in i76i;and the celebrated Mrs. Chapone, authoress of " Letters on the Improvement of the Mind," and an ardent disciple of Richardson, also resided here until her husband's death.
It is difficult to imagine any levity of conduct in a street once inhabited by this most decorous lady; indeed, Carey Street, to its credit be it spoken, seems, in spite of its surroundings, to have been
"Content to dwell in decencies for ever,"
which is perhaps the reason why its name is scarcely mentioned by Stow, Pennant, Northouck, or Mal- colm, or even by such modern writers as Peter Cunningham and John Timbs. If there be truth in the old adage, " Happy are the people whose history is a blank," the denizens of Carey Street are much to be congratulated.
Though the street was dull and sober in outward appearance, yet it may probably have been the scene of more tlian one gay frolic in other days. The "Grange" Inn — removed in 1853 to make room for King's College Hospital — with its picturesque yard and offices, was much jmtronised in its day by the actors of the Duke's Theatre hard
by, and of other places of the same kind. It is mentioned by Sir W. Davenant, in his " Playhouse to Let." The " Plough" Tavern, also in this street, — kept at one time by Mr. John Gully, the prize- fighter, afterwards M.P. for Pontefract — was an ancient hostelry of good repute, as among those who made it their head-quarters in London was the antiquary, Browne Willis. Another inn in the street was the " Seven Stars," formerly the " Leg and Seven Stars," a corruption of the " League and Seven Stars," denoting the Seven United Provinces.
Little is known of the family of Serle, after whom this street is named, except what Mr. P. Cun- ningham tells us in his " Handbook of London," namely, that it was called after a Mr. Henry Serle, one of the benchers of Lincoln's Inn, who died about 1690, having bought some property in this parish from the executors of Sir John Birkenhead, the writer of " Mercurius Aulicus," during the Great Rebellion.
The early name of New Square, Lincoln's Inn Fields, which lies on the north side of Carey Street, was Serle's Court ; and the arms of Serle may still be seen, quartered with those of the Inn over the gateway leading into Carey Street, formerly known as Serle's Gate.
New Square is so called on account of its comparatively recent erection (about 1725). Sey- mour, in his " Survey of London and Westminster" (i735)> speaks of the centre of the Court being " spacious and nicely kept, and covered with gravel, raised low, the middle to cast off the rain when it falls. In the middle of the court," he adds, "is a curious stone pillar artificially wrought, on which is a dial-clock, with four boys who used to spout water out of Triton shells, and at the bottom is a basin, that receives the said streams of water falling down from the shells, all incompassed with handsome iron bars." The garden in the centre was not railed in until about the year 1844. In 1867 a temporary building was erected in it for the purpose of exhibiting the various architectural designs for the New Law Courts.
In Serle Street was the shop of Messrs. Ravens- croft, the well-known wig-makers, which had been for a century a rendezvous of legal celebrities. Here
St. Clement Danes.]
THE DUKE'S THEATRE.
27
might be seen on the walls of the shop a series of portraits of big-vvigged lawyers, from Judge Black- stone downwards, and a book of legal autographs was kept in the shop with an almost religious veneration.
At the corner of Serle Street and Portugal Street stood the celebrated coffee-house, so long known to law and to literature as " Serle' s." The entrance, flanked with two massive doorposts of a classical design, remained to the last unaltered from what it must have been in the days of Akenside, and his friend and patron, Jeremiah Dyson, who used to make this his head-quarters. Addison frequented it in order to study the humours of the young barristers who met there of an evening, and it is not difficult to imagine him seated in a quiet nook, and watching all that is said and done. He thus mentions the house in No. 49 of the Spectator : " I do not know that I meet in any of my walks objects which move both my s^^en and laughter so effectually as those young felrows at the Grecian, Squire's, Searle's, and all other coffee-houses adjacent to the law, who rise early for no other purpose but to publish their laziness."
The author of " London Poems " writes very graphically in allusion to this neighbourhood —
" Beneath the shade of Temple Bar
Walk shabby wits who serve the state; Steele, with mad laughter steeped in war,
And Addison with smile sedate, And Swift, the bilious English Rabelais,
Plods westward shabbily, On my Lord Bolingbroke alone to wait."
The whole of the space bounded by Carey Street, Serle Street, Portugal Street, and Portsmouth Street has recently been cleared, and a large uniform block of buildings has been erected on the site.
But it is time that we took up our walking-sticks and pursued our journey a little further to the north and north-west, and entered Portugal Street.
In spite of the levelling of the burying-ground on its southern side, and the erection of King's College Hospital on its site, it must be o\vned that Portugal Street has a dull and dingy look, as if it had met with misfortune. The blank dead wall presented by the back of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons on the northern side con- tributes to this effect, and the few shops which it contains are mostly those of law-stationers and printers. Its very name, suggestive of the un- happy wife of Charles II., would seem to have cast a blight on it ; and we are told that it inherited the name when the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields c^ri-^ed to be called Portugal Row. Yet, in olden days, it must have been lively and gay ; for did not
the " Lincohi's Inn Theatre " once cover the site of the museum just named ? and was not the " Duke's Playhouse " hard by ?
In Strype's time the street was without a name ; and that venerable antiquary, with good reason, proposed to call it " Playhouse Street," though his suggestion fell on dull and heedless ears.
" On the back side of Portugal Row," says a writer in 1734, "is a street which runneth to Lin- coln's Inn Gate, which used to pass without a name ; but since the place is increased by the new buildings in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the settling of the playhouse, it may have a name given it, and not improperly. Playhouse Street. Fronting the playhouse is a street which goeth to Plough Stables, which also had no name, unless one may call it Grange Street, from the ' Grange ' Inn, a place of good note ; nigh to which is the parish roundhouse, on the back side of which is a churchyard also belonging to the parish."
We have said that in this street there were formerly two theatres ; but in reality there have been three, as " honest John Timbs " is careful to remind us. He writes, " The first theatre here (named the Duke's Theatre, from the Duke of York, its great patron, and the opera, from its musical performances), was originally a tennis-court. It was altered for Sir William Davenant, and opened in 1662 with his operatic Siege of Rhodes, when I regular scenery was first introduced upon our stage." Here Pepys, in 1662, saw acted Romeo and yidiet (for the first time), Hatnlet, and Macbeth, adding, on the last occasion, that he saw "a mighty company of citizens, ordinary 'prentices, and mean people in the pit." Here, too, as he tells us, he first saw, and sat next to, " pretty, witty " Nell Gwynne, when King Charles and Lady Castle- maine were there to see Lord Orrery's Miisfapha performed. It is said also, that in this theatre female characters were first played by women, among whom the most famous were Elizabeth Davenant, Mary Saunderson (afterwards Mrs. Betterton), Mary (or Moll) Davis, Mrs. Long, and Mrs. Barry. Davenant having acted musical pieces before the Restoration, Pepys frequently calls this theatre " the Opera," though, in fact, tragedies and comedies only were performed there. It should be added that among the principal actors here was Thomas Betterton, " the rival of Burbage and Garrick, and the last survivor of the old school of English actors." Sir William Davenant made this theatre his head-quarters, if not his home. Early in 167 1-2 the players of the Duke's Theatre re- moved to Dorset Gardens ; and the King's Com- j pany, being burnt out from Drury Lane, made use
28
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St Clement Danes.
of it for about a year, when it was again turned into a tennis-court. The rest of its history shall be told in the words of Mr. Timbs :— " It was refitted and reopened in 1695, with Congreve's comedy of Love for Love, which was then played for the first time. This second theatre was taken down and a new house built for Christopher Rich,
and opened by John Rich in 17 14
Here Quin played his best parts ; and from a fracas in which he was embroiled originated the Sergeant's Guard at the Theatre Royal. The first English opera was performed here in 1 7 1 7 - t 8 ; here was originally used the stage motto, Veluti in Speculum; and here in 1727-28 the Beggar^s Opera was produced and acted for sixty-two nights, "making Gay rich and Rich gay." In 1732 Rich removed to Covent Garden, which he had lately built, and the Portugal Street house was let by turns for Italian operas, oratorios, balls, concerts, and exhibitions."
In 1735 Mr. Gifford, who had opened another place of amusement in Goodman's Fields, took this theatre, lately vacant by the withdrawal of Rich and his company to Covent Garden, but gave it up at the end of two years, when it was closed. Having undergone several vicissitudes, it became ultimately the pottery and china warehouse of Messrs. Spode and Copeland. It was here that in 1735 Macklin killed Mr. Hannam^ and Night- ingale, in the tenth volume of the " Beauties of England and Wales," gives the following strange account of its last performance : " The shutting up of this structure has been whimsically accounted for by vulgar tradition. Upon a representation of the pantomime of Harlequin and Dr. Faustus, when a tribe of demons, necessary for the piece, were assembled, a supernumerary devil was ob- served, who, not approving of going out in a com- plaisant manner at the door, to show a devil's trick, flew up to the ceiling, made his way through the tihng, and tore away one-fourth of the house; which circumstance so affrighted the manager, that the proprietor had not courage to open the house ever afterwards."
With regard to the Beggar's Opera we find the following remonstrance in the Gentleman's Magazine, September 15th, 1773 :—" This day Sir John Fielding informed the bench of justices that he had last year written to Mr. Garrick concerning the impropriety of performing the Beggar's Opera, which never has been represented on the stage without creating an additional number of real thieves ; he begged, therefore, the gentlemen pre- sent would join with him in requesting Mr. Garrick to desist from performing that opera on Saturday
evening. The bench immediately consented to the proposal ; and a polite card was dispatched to Mr. Garrick for that purpose. To which Mr. Garrick returned for answer, that his company was so imperfect and divided (many of his performers being yet in the country), that it would be im- possible for him to open with any other piece ; but added, that he would in future do everything in his power to oblige them."
Here is the copy of a playbill of this theatre a century and a half ago ; —
"The Sixth day, 1720, for the benefit of the author, by the company of comedians, at the Theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, this present Saturday, being the i6th of Jaiiuary, will be presented a new farce of three acts, call'd The Half-pay Officers. A principal part to be perform'd by Peg Fryar, it being the 6th time of her performance on any stage since the reign of King Charles IL To which will be added the new farce of two acts, call'd Hob^s Wedding, being the sequel of the Country Wake. With entertainments of dancing by Mrs. Fryar, particularly the Bashful Maid, and an Irish Trot. Boxes, 5s. Pit, 3s. Gallery, 28. N.B. — The author's tickets, which could not come in on the third night, will be takerv to-day."
This performance was patronised by royalty, as we find that on Monday, the iith January, 1720, " His Royal Highness the Prince came to the New Playhouse in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, and saw a new farce of three acts, call'd The Jialf-pay Officers, with another new farce of two acts, call'd Hob's Wedding."
To this we cannot resist appending a playbill culled from Mr. Diprose's " Anecdotes of the Stage and Players " : —
• By his Majesty's Company of Comedians.
Kilkenny Theatre Royal. (Positively the last night, because the Com- pany go to-morrow to Waterford.) On Saturday, May 14, 1 793, Will be performed by desire and command of several respectable people in this learned Matrapolish, for the benefit of Mr. Keames, the manager, The Tragedy of HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK. Originally written and composed by the celebrated Dan. Hyes, of Limerick, and insarted in Shakespeare's works.
Hamlet, by Mr. Keames (being his first appearance in that character, and who, between the acts, will perform several solos on the patent bag-pipes, which play two tunes at the same time). Ophelia, by Mrs. Prior, who will introduce several favourite airs in character, particularly "The Lass of Richmond Hill," and "We'll be imhappy together," from the Rev. Mr. Dibdin's oddities. The parts of the King and Queen, by directions of the Rev. Father O'Callaghan, will be omitted, as too immoral for any stage. Polonius, the comical polititian, by a young gentleman, being his first appearance in public. The Ghost, the Grave- digger, and Laertes, by Mr. Sampson, the great London comedian. The characters to be dressed in Roman sliapes. To which will be added, an interlude, in which will be in-
St. Clement Danes.]
KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.
29
troduced several slight-of-hand tricks, by the celebrat surveyor Hunt. The whole to conclude with the farce of MAHOMET THE IMPOSTER. Mahomet, by Mr. Kearnes. Tickets to be had of Mr. Kearnes, at the sign of the "Goat's Beard," in Castle Street. The value of the tickets, as usual, will be taken out (if required) in candles, bacon, soap, butter, cheese, potatoes, &c. — as Mr. Kearnes wishes, in every particular, to accom- modate the public. N.B. — No smoking allowed.— No per- son whatsoever will be admitted into the boxes without shoes or stockings.
In 1726, George I. paid a visit to the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the event is thus recorded in one of the newspapers of the day : —
"March 18. — Last night His Majesty went to the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields, to see the play of the Country Wife, and the entertainment of Apollo a?id Daphtie, in which was performed a particular flying on that occasion, of a Cupid descending, and presenting His Majesty with a book of the entertainment, and then ascended — at which new piece of machinery the audience seemed much pleased."
The after history of the place is curious. Having been used first as a barrack and then as an auc- tion room, it was bought by Messrs. Copeland and Spode, as a repository for their china-ware ; and finally the premises were taken down in 1848, or the following year, to make room for the enlarge- ment of the museum of the College of Surgeons, which was finished in 1854.
By the rate-books of St. Clement Danes for 1668 we find Portugal Street to have been the residence of many distinguished personages in the seven- teenth century. The Earl of Rochester lived " in the house next to the Duke's Theatre," from whence he gives notice to a correspondent, " If you write to me, direct to Lincoln's Inn Fields, the house next to the Duke Playhouse, in Portugal Row, | there lives your humble servant, — Rochester."
John Timbs tells us that Portugal Street was the last place where the stocks were set up in London, those of St. Clement Danes, which had formerly stood in the Strand, near Temple Bar, having remained here until about the year 1820. He adds that they were on the north side, facing the hos- pital. He also reminds us that even in recent days the street enjoyed " a sort of cant notoriety," from the fact of the Insolvent Debtors' Court being in it.
On the south side of Portugal Street, near the centre of the few small courts that have not been swept away, stands King's College Hospital, which owes its existence mainly to the exertions of Dr. R. B. Todd. It forms a plain, substantial, and un- pretending block of buildings, four storeys in height, and is hardly old enough as yet to have a history.
having been founded only as far back as the year 1839. It grew naturally out of the wants of the Medical Department of King's College in the Strand, of which we shall have more to say ia another chapter. It stands on the site of the old workhouse of St. Clement Danes, and of one of the burial-grounds already mentioned. Its design was twofold : to offer the medical students of the college the advantage of witnessing medical and surgical practice, and receiving clinical instruction from their own professors; and secondly, to aftbrd medical and surgical aid to a poor neighbourhood, at a distance from any other hospital. The architect was Mr. T. Bellamy. The patients relieved by the hospital in 1840 were about 4,000, a number which, in a quarter of a century, was multiplied nearly tenfold. New buildings on an extensive scale were added in 1852, and more recently the building has been still further enlarged. The medical staff" of the College comprises a " consulting " physician, five physicians, and four " assistant " physicians, two "consulting" surgeons, three surgeons with " assistants," a surgeon-dentist, &c.; and the syllabus of its lectures embraces nearly twenty different subjects. It will accommodate about two hundred patients. The medical students at- tending hospital practice within its walls average about three hundred. It is under a committee of management, and is but slenderly endowed. The hospital has appended to it a medical library, several museums, a chemical laboratory, and other appliances. The usual course extends over four years, though some few students complete it in three. Though so recently established, it can already boast of a long list of distinguished names among its professors and lecturers.
A part of the buildings of this hospital stands on ground which, up to about the year 1850, was one of the burial-places belonging to the parish. It was about the third of an acre in extent, and called the " Green Ground," as if in mockery. From a report of a parochial committee in 1848, we learn that upwards of 5,500 bodies had been interred within it in the previous quarter of a century. The scenes witnessed here were of the most offensive character. In it was interred, among other lesser celebrities, Joe Miller, the author of the "Jest Book" which bears his name, who died in 1738. A monument was erected to his memory, with an inscription, said to be by Stephen Duck, who began life as a thresher, but afterwards entered the Church, and wrote some poems, which incurred the satire of Dean Swift. This monument, having become decayed and almost illegible, was renewed in 18 16, and is to be seen leaning up against the wall of
30
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[St. Clement Danes.
one of the offices of the hospital. The inscription on it ran as follows : —
" Here lie the remains of honest Joe Miller, Who was a tender husband, a sincere friend, A facetious companion, and an excellent comedian.
He departed this life the 15th day of August, 1738, aged 54
years."
in his day as an actor for his excellent personations of some of the characters in the comedies of Con- greve, and as a gleaner and compiler of other men's witticisms he has enjoyed a reputation for wit and humour which in all probability he never deserved. Allibone's " Dictionary of Authors " tells us that
OLD HOUSES IN wvcH STREET. {See page 34.)
" ll humour, wit, and honesty could save The humorous, witty, honest from tlie grave, His grave had not so soon its tenant found. With honesty, and wit, and humour crowned ! Or could esteem and love preserve our health. And guard us longer from the stroke of death. The stroke of death on him had later fell. Whom all mankind esteemed and loved so well."
Of "Joe Miller "Httle is known except what may be gathered from his tombstone. He was famous
"his 'Jest Book ' was originally pubHshed in 1739 as the compilation of his friend, Elijah Jenkins, but the real editor (and author, as it is asserted) was "|ohn Mottley, the author of a 'Life of Peter the Great.' The book itself appears to have gained a sudden celebrity, second only to that of 'Ingoldsby Legends' and 'Pickwick,' three separate editions of it having appeared in 1739, and seven editions being disposed of in as many years."
A MODERN "GOLGOTHA.
31
Mr. Peter Cunningham, in his " Handbook of London," pubHshed in 1850, speaks of Joe Miller's headstone as standing in the old burying-ground " half concealed in summer by a clump of sun- flowers," and draws the special attention of his readers to " the ' Grange ' public-house, with its old and picturesque inn-yard." It may be remembered
building stands close to the eastern entrance to Clement's Inn, and the access to it is through a gateway leading into a narrow and extremely dingy court, which opens out into Carey Street. It was converted from secular to religious uses in 1823, by a Dissenting congregation, of whom Mr. Dip- rose writes —
LYON's inn. From a View by S. Ireland, published 1800. {See page 34.)
that Sir William Davenant, in his " Playhouse to Let," mentions this hostelry in a way which implies that it was a haunt of players. " Let him enter and send his train to our house-inn, the ' Grange.' " But alas ! for the progress of modem improvements, the " Grange " and its yard are gone. It was taken down in 1853, and its site is now covered by a part of the hospital.
But far worse than the graveyard alluded to above, was another place of burial within the limits of this parish, long knou-n as Enon Chapel, but afterwards converted into a chapel of ease to St. Clement's, and called Clare Market Chapel. The
" These pious people, looking very naturally to ways and means, turned the vaults beneath their meeting-house into a burial-place, which soon be- came filled with coffins up to the very rafters, so that there was only the wooden flooring between the living youth and the festering dead, for a Sunday-school was held in the chapel as well as the congregational meeting. This state of things was allowed to continue till 1844, when anew sewer having to be carried under the building, the Com- missioners of Sewers discovered the loathsome charnel-house, and had the place closed, but left the bodies to lie there and rot, heedless of all
3^
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[The Strand Tributaries.
consequences. The upper premises then became tenanted by a set of teetotallers, who, amongst other uses, turned it into a dancing-room, where the thoughtless and giddy went to ' foot it ' away over ' the mouldering remains of sad mortality, part of the bygone generation turning to dust beneath the i dancers' feet." This loathsome abomination ceased | in 1847-8, when a surgeon, Mr. G. A. Walker, gained possession of the chapel with the intention of removing the remains from the vault, or " dust- hole," as it was usually called, to a more appropriate place. The work of exhumation was tlien com- menced, and a pyramid of human bones was exposed to view, separated from piles of coffin wood in various stages of decay. This "Golgotha" was visited by about 6,000 persons, previous to its removal, and some idea may be formed of the horrid appearance of the scene, when it is stated that the quantity of remains comprised four up- heaved van loads. The whole mass of bodies was decently interred by Mr. Walker, at his own cost, in one pit in the cemetery at Norwood, the coffin- wood being piled up and burnt. It is indeed !
strange to think that such foul abuses were not swept away until the reign of Victoria.
Was it in jest and scorn, or in a fit of royal pleasantry, that the little thoroughfare which joins the west end of Portugal Street to the south-west angle of Lincoln's Inn Fields was called Ports- mouth Street? At all events it is not a little strange that this should have been the case when the Queen of Charles II. was Catharine oi Portugal, and one of his court favourites the Duchess of Portsmouth. It is a short, narrow, and not very interesting street, though it still contains one or two of the few sur- viving wooden houses of the Stuart times. Mr. Peter Cunningham tells us that the " Old Black Jack," in this street, still standing, was a favourite hostelry of Joe Miller, and was long known as the " Jump," on account of the fact that another of its fre- quenters, " Jack Sheppard," that hero of our town- bred urchins, once jumped out of its first-floor window, to escape the emissaries of Jonathan Wild. John Timbs tells us that here used to meet, until the year 1816, the members of a club known as the " Honourable Society of Jackers."
CHAPTER V.
THE STRAND (NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES).— CLEMENT'S INN, NEW INN, LYON'S INN, ETC.
"He must to the Inns of Court. I was of Clement's once myself, where they talk of Mad Shallow still." — 2 Henry IV., Act iii. 2.
Curious Legend about St. Clement's Lane — Clement's Inn — New Inn — Stanhope Street — Birthplace of Grimaldi — Holywell Street — The "Old Drury" Tavern— Ancient Shop-Signs — "Bookseller's Row"— Wych Street— New Inn — The "White Lion"and Jack Shepherd— The "Angel" Inn and Bishop Hooper — "Saddling the Spit" — Lyon's Inn — The "Spotted Dog" — The Globe Theatre— The Opera Comique — The Olympic Theatre.
j descried in Clare Market. Anyhow, no one has j yet heard that he ever reached the Strand." j Fortescue, a celebrated man of letters in the j fifteenth century, was of opinion that the name I Inns of Court arose from these places being the j inns, hospitals, or hotels where young noblemen j and others belonging to the Court temporarily i resided ; for many persons of rank sent their sons I here to pursue a course of study, without designing j them to follow the profession of the law. ! Clement's Inn, the west boundary of the New I Law Courts, was so named, as we are told by Stow, " Because it standeth near to Clement's Church, but nearer to the fair fountain called Clement's Well. ' It is stated by Dugdale to have been an Inn of Chancery in the reign of Edward II. ; but Pennant speaks of it as dating back only as far as the reign of Edward IV.
The following is quoted from Sir George Buc, an old writer, whose style at least is quaint and amusing : — " Clement's Inne was a messuage
Turning southwards down that portion of St. Clement's Lane which still remains, and which lies between King's College Hospital and New Inn, it occurs to us that the narrow, dark, and irregular alleys in the neighbourhood of Clare Market and Wych Street, encumbered as they were with low projecting eaves, arched doorways, and bulkheads, must have afforded every facility, a century ago, or even less, for the unforeseen attacks of footpads and for the escape of the offenders; and even now it is almost as true as it was a century ago, that in the words of a writer in the Bjiilder, " the whole nest of streets and passages behind the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields requires re-arrangement and improvement. There is a legend hereabout that years ago a young man from the country, bearing a black bag, started one winter night from Portugal Street to get into the Strand, and that he has been wandering round and about ever since, constantly returning with a disconsolate aspect to his original starting-point. On foggy nights his form may be
The Strand Tributaries.]
HOLYWELL STREET.
33
belonging to the parish of St. Clement Dane, the deuise whereof is an anchor without a stocke, with a capital C couchant upon it ; and this is grauen in stone over the gate of St. Clement's Inne. It seemeth to be a hieroglyphike, or rebus (as some conjecture), figuring herein. St. Clement, who having been Pope, and so reputed head of the Church (and the Church being resembled to a shippe), both his name and office are expressed in this deuise of the ' C ' and anchor."
The entrance to Clement's Inn from the thorough- fare on the north side of the church of St. Clement Danes was formerly through a tall archway, sup- ported by lofty columns, which, however, has been demolished to make room for the New Law Courts. Our readers will scarcely need to be reminded that St. Clement's Inn is the one which Shakespeare has made immortal as the home of " Master Shallow " in his Templar days, as may be seen by the motto prefixed to this chapter.
Clement's Inn is said by Seymour in his "Survey to have descended to the Earls of Clare from Sir William Hollis, Lord Mayor of London in 1539.
In the garden is a celebrated bronze figure of a negro supporting a sundial, which was brought from Italy early in the eighteenth century by Lord Clare, by whom it was presented to the Inn. The Hall of Clement's Inn, the east end of which over- looks the site of the New Law Courts, is built of brick, and is an elegant, well-proportioned room. It contains, among other pictures, a good portrait of Sir Matthew Hale.
New Inn, which adjoins Clement's Inn, is said by tradition to have been removed to Wych Street from Seacole Lane, before which time there was here a common hostelry or inn, known by the sign of the " Blessed Virgin."
" To this inn," says Seymour, with his usual accuracy, in his " Survey of London and West- minster" (1735), "are pleasant walks and gardens. The north-easterly part joints to Clement's Inn, from which it is separated by a handsome iron gate, shut up a nights, which was placed here anno 1723."
Pennant, writing in 1805, says of it — " New Inn, where the students of the Strand Inn nestled after they were routed thence by the Duke of Somerset. In New Inn the great Sir Thomas More received the early part of his education before he removed to Lincoln's Inn." The armorial bearings of this Inn are Vert, a flower-pot argent. It became an Inn of Chancery in 1485.
Stanhope Street, in this immediate neighbour- hood, is worthy of^ a passing note as having been the birtiiplace of the famous clown, Grimaldi, who \
here first saw the light of day, Dec. 18, 1778. He seems to have been born in the purple of the theatre. His father was of Italian extraction ; his mother, according to Mr. Diprose, was a Miss Rebecca Erooker, who had been from infancy a dancer at Drury Lane, and subsequently played " old woman " at Sadler's Wells. From " Pink's History of Clerkenwell " we learn that "Joe Gri- m.aldi " made his first appearance at " the Wells " in 1 781 in the character of a monkey, became part proprietor of the house in 1818, and finally quitted it in 1832. He died, somewhat suddenly, at his house in Southampton Street, Pentonville Road, at the end of May, 1837, and was buried in the churchyard of St. James's, Pentonville, by the side of his friend Charles Dibdin.
There is but little in the way of antiquarian lore or of recent anecdote to be told concerning Holywell Street, which no doubt received its name — not, we fear, much in keeping with its real character — from the " holy well " already men- tioned near St. Clement's Church. Leigh Hunt, in his " London Journal," passes it by with discreet silence. Allen, in his " History of London," dis- misses it in a line, styling it a "narrow, inconvenient avenue of old, ill-formed houses ; " and Mr. Peter Cunningham "a narrow, dirty lane, chiefly occupied by old clothesmen and the vendors of low publi- cations."
It appears from honest Strype that in his day it was tenanted by " divers salesmen and piece- brokers," and was commonly called " the Back Side of St. Clement's." Mr. Timbs says that the "holy well" which gave to it its name was "under the 'Old Dog' Tavern" (No. 24); but this is clearly a mistake. He adds that the " salesmen and piecebrokers of Strype's day have nearly deserted it, and that it is now the head-quarters of old bookstalls." A few lofty-gabled and deep-bayed fronts still remain upon some of the houses, espe- cially on the southern side. It is only fair to add that during the last few years the character of the street has shown a marked improvement, owing to the stringent enforcement of Lord Campbell's Act against the sale of bad books and prints, for which formerly this thoroughfare was a notorious market. At the corner of one of the houses on the south side, near the centre of the street, there still re- mains a grotesque carving — a lion's head — pro- bably the last of such ornaments now to be found in the metropolis.
Holywell Street, we may be pardoned for adding here, was formerly used as the emporium of the mercers, who had their appropriate signs. Of these one still remains, the "Half Moon," a carved pro-
34
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[The Strand Tributaries.
jectingsign; another — the "Indian Queen," painted by one of the members of the first association of the Royal Academy, one Catton — might be seen down to a very recent period. The " Golden Ball " in this street was a noted house for silk remnants, and continued in repute to the end of the last century. As the mercery trade declined in Holy- well Street, the traffic in frippery and old clothes took its place, and has, to a certain extent, con- tinued to the present time.
Of late years many houses in this street have been occupied by booksellers of a certain class — those who deal in indecent and immoral literature ; and so bad has been its reputation that, in the interest of the more respectable inhabitants it has been proposed more than once to alter the name ' to " Bookseller's Row," and the idea has lately been carried out by the Metropolitan Board of Works, although the street continues to be known as Holywell Street. It is only right to add that in the street at the present time are many second- hand book-shops of a far different character from those above mentioned.
Wych Street — our pathway as we walk from St. Clement's Church towards Drury Lane — derives its name from the Via de Aldwych, whereof it originally formed a part, a lane leading from the north side of the Strand to Broad Street, St. Giles's. It still contains, especially on the south side, some of those curious old wooden-fronted and gabled houses which are equally picturesque and incon- venient. Like Holywell Street, of late years this thoroughfare has gained a notoriety for the sale of books and prints of an immoral class, and at present the sale of them is not wholly suppressed. In bygone days, however, it was tenanted by a very different class of persons ; although in 1734, according to a statement quoted by Mr. Diprose, this street was " much taken up by up- holsterers for the sale of bedding and second-hand household goods."
On the north side of Wych Street, nearly about the centre, is the entrance to New Inn, through which in the day-time there is a thorough- fare into the dismal region of Clare Market. In a narrow court of this street the notorious Jack Sheppard served his apprenticeship to Mr. Wood, the carpenter ; and in White Lion Passage stood the " hostelrie " of the " White Lion," the scene of many of the events in the career of that prince of " cracksmen," who used nightly to meet in the tap- room his professional friends and acquaintances, and with whose feats and various adventures the pen of Mr. Harrison Ainsworth has made us so lamiliar. The house was pulled down in 1880.
The site of the old " White Lion " was at the corner of one of the courts on the northern side, and was latterly occupied as a carpenter's shop.
Speaking of Wych Street as it was in the days of Jack Sheppard, we may say of the Via de Aldwych, as the writer of " Haunted London " says of Holborn Hill—
"The street curves quaint, And cumbrous sign-boards creak on left and right."
From the " Angel " Inn, at the bottom of Wych Street, Bishop Hooper was taken in 1554 to Gloucester to be burnt at the stake. Something more than two centuries later, the " Angel " Inn figured in a curious advertisement which appeared in the Public Advertiser, March 28, 1769 : —
"To be sold, a Black Girl, 11 years of age; extremely handy ; works at her needle tolerably, and speaks English well. Inquire of Mr. Owen, at the ' Angel ' Inn, behind .St. Clement's Church, in the Strand."
It is said by Allen, in his " History of London," that the " Great Fire" of 1666 was not the first of its kind which laid London waste, for that "in 1 136 a great fire happened within the City, which destroyed all the way westward to St. Clement Danes," but he does not mention the precise spot where this fire ended at the west.
We have seen that the parish of St. Clement Danes was not considered remarkable for decency and order in the reign of Queen Elizabeth ; for in spite of the rank, wit, and fashion which dis- tinguished it a century and a half later, we find that it even then bore no better character ; and the Clement's Lane of the First and Second Georges was no bad precursor to the Wych Street of our own day. The London Spy of that date observes, half in earnest and half in jest, that it "is deemed an excellent air for breeding attorneys in, the chief subject of all conversation turning here upon verdicts, costs, damages, writs of inquiry, &c."
According to the same authority, published in 1725, there was formerly in the parish of St. Clement's the custom of " saddling the spit," which, the writer adds, " is now laid aside, for reasons well known at Westminster Hall." It would seem that whatever this custom may have been- — and as far as we have been able to discover, history preserves a discreet silence as to its nature — it was a rough and boisterous one, " more honoured in the breach than in the observance."
Lyon's Inn, lately demolished, was an old Inn of Chancery, belonging in former days to the Inner Temple. It faced Newcastle Street, on its eastern side, between Wych Street and Holywell Street ; one entrance led to it from the latter, and also another through Home Court, next door to an
The Strand Tributaries.] THE GLOBE THEATRE
AND OPERA COMIQUE.
35
inn known as the " Spotted Dog." Mr. Diprose, in his "Account of St. Clement Danes," tells us that this same "Spotted Dog" had been a hostelry for some 230 years at least before its demolition in 1864, for the purpose of carrying out a building speculation of the "Strand Hotel Company," a speculation which ended in failure. It is said — but we know not with what amount of truth — that the once holy well, which gave its name to the street, was under the "Spotted Dog."
Howes, in his " Annals," in continuation of Stow, quaintly tell us that it was " a guest inn or hostelerie held at the sign of the ' Lyon,' and purchased by gentlemen professors and students in the law in the reign of King Henry VI H., and converted to an Inn of Chancery." Sir Edward Coke was a student there in 1578.
This Inn, never of much importance, had fallen utterly into disrepute before the beginning of this century, and become the resort of gamblers and swindlers. Here lived Mr. Weare, who was mur- dered near Edgware by Thurtell, in 1824. The latter in defence pleaded in extenuation that Weare had cheated him at cards out of ^^300.
Each of the three Inns alluded to in this chapter was governed by a Principal or Treasurer, and a number of" Ancients," corresponding to Benchers ; and Seymour tells us, in his " Survey," that there were " mootings " in each Inn in every term.
The property of "Lyons Inn" was sold about the year 1863, and on its site now stand two theatres, the " Globe," as if in memory of Shake- speare's theatre, and the " Opera Comique."
The Globe Theatre, which covers its western portion, was built and opened in 1868. It has a narrow frontage in Newcastle Street. On this site the Architectural Association had its first home. The theatre was built from the instructions of Mr. Sefton Parry, the proprietor, and will seat 1,500 persons. The auditorium is effectively deco- rated in relief, and has a domed ceiling, with a sunlight in the centre. The site having been exca- vated very considerably for the proposed hotel, the floor of the pit has been made many feet below the line of the street, and is approached by a steep flight of steps from Wych Street. In Wych Street also are the entrances to the gallery stairs, and that to the "royal box." The ordinary boxes are entered from Newcastle Street, and are on a level with the street, so that stairs are avoided. Here, too, enter the occupants of the stalls. The seats are all fairly commodious, and conveniently placed, so that all that is passing on the stage can be dis- tinctly seen and heard from any part of the house. | The house opened in December, 1868, with Mr. j
H. J. Byron's comedy of " Cyril's Success," which in itself proved a great success.
The principal front of the "Opera Comique" is in the Strand, and observant passengers who know the narrowness of the area between the Strand and Holywell Street will find it difficult to imagine how, even in London, where now-a-days theatres are edged in among houses anyhow, an " Opera Comique" can have been formed there. This frontage, however, is, in truth, nothing but the entrance to an underground way leading across Holywell Street to a theatre which has been built between that and Wych Street. The building, which is very small, backs on the " Globe," and is to a considerable extent underground, as will be understood when we mention that a long flight of stairs in Wych Street leads down to the stage level, and that the pit, of course, is lower than that again. The theatre was opened in 1870, and has seen several changes of lessees. It is nicely decorated, and commodiously arranged. Its greatest pros- perity has been in the production of those comic operas with which the names of Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan are popularly associated, notably "H.M.S. Pinafore," and "The Pirates of Penzance."
The Olympic Theatre, at the end of Wych Street, occupies the site of old Craven House, which was taken down in 1803, the ground being purchased by Mr. Philip Astley, of the " Amphitheatre " over Westminster Bridge, who constructed what was called at the time " a house of public exhibition of horsemanship and droll," wliich he styled " the Olympic Pavihon." It was opened as such in 1806, but the speculation does not appear to have been successful. In 1813 the lease was sold to Robert EUiston, who introduced pieces of sufficient merit to attract the fashionable dwellers in the West-end, and by that means raised the theatre to something like successful popularity. The building was de- stroyed by fire in 1849, but rebuilt and opened again in the same year, and is now one of the most popular theatres in London. Madame Vestris had the management of the "Olympic" from 1832 to 1839, and many of the most eminent actors of the day have appeared upon its boards. The pieces brought out at this theatre are principally melo- dramas of the superior kind. For many years Rob- son, one of the most gifted modern comedians, attracted thousands here to witness his wonderful delineations of the tears and laughter, the joys and sorrows, of human life in its humbler aspects. Mr. Horace Wigan was for some time manager here ; Mr. Benjamin Webster has likewise had the management, and since then Miss Ada Cavendish and others have taken it in hand.
OLD CRAVEN HOUSE, 1800. {Sec page 35.)
CHAPTER Vr.
THE STRAND (NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES).— DRURY LANE AND CLARE MARKET.
** O may thy virtue guard thee through the roads Of Drury's mazy courts and dark abodes ! " — Gay's " Trivia,*'
" Paltry and proud as drabs in Drury Lane." — Pope.
The Hundred of Drury — Drury House, afterwards called Craven House— The "Queen of Bohemia" — Drury Lane— Eminent Inhabitants— Resi- dence of Nell Gwynne— The "Cock and Magpie"— The "Craven Head" and the Norfolk Gianl— Disreputable Character of Drury Lane in the Past Century— Pepys' Visit to the " Cockpit "—Puritan Observances— The Theatre in Vere Street— " Spiriting Away "an Infant- Princes Street— Clare Market— John Henley, the Demagogue— Clare House— Killigrew's Theatre— Mrs. Bracegirdle's Benevolence— The "Bull's Head" and the Artists' Club-The " Spiller's Head" Tavern-Clare Market Chapel-Denzil Street— Holies Street.
"On the borders of St. Giles-in-the-Fields," says the London Spy, " is situated that ancient and venerable spot the Hundred of Drury, which, I hear, is the property of two or three parishes more." The character of this region may be inferred from the words which follow : " There are reckoned to be one hundred and seven ' pleasure-houses ' within and about this settlement ; and a Roman Catholic priest, who has lodged here many years, assures me that to his knowledge the Societies for the Refor- mation of Morals have taken as much pains, and expended as large sums to reclaim this new Sodom, as would have fitted out a force sufficient to have conquered the Spanish West Indies."
Pennant remarks it as a singular occurrence that this lane, " of late times so notorious for intrigue,"
should receive its name from a word which, in the language of Chaucer, had an amorous signification :
" Of bataile and of chevalrie, Of ladies' love and druerie. Anon I wot you tell."
Drury House, from which the lane originally took its name, stood at the west end of Wych Street. It was built by Sir William Drury, who is reported to have been not only the head of a great family, but Knight of the Garter. He held a command in the Irish wars in the reign of Elizabeth, and showed great ability as an officer. He unfortunately fell in a duel with a Sir John Burroughes, about a foolish quarrel for precedency. The house deserves to be remembered as the place where the rash friends of the Queen's favourite, the Earl of Essex,
The Strand Tributaties.]
CRAVEN HOUSE.
37
devised those wild schemes which led to the ruin of himself and his adherents. The "Account of St. Clement's in 1734," to which we have so often refeiTed, speaks of it as "a very large house, or which' may rather be termed several houses. The entrance," adds the writer, " is through a pair of
animated at once by love and duty. When on the death of her husband he could aspire to her hand, he is supposed to have succeeded ; at all events history says that they were privately married, and that he built for her the fine seat at Hampstead Marshal, in Berkshire, afterwards destroyed by fire."
THE "cock and magpie,
gates, which leadeth into a large yard for the re- ception of coaches." At the back of the house was a handsome garden. " In the following century," says Allen, in his "History of London," "it was possessed by the heroic Lord Craven, who rebuilt it. It was lately a large brick pile, concealed by other buildings, and turned into a public-house bearing the sign of the 'Queen of Bohemia,' the carl's admired mistress, whose battles he fought, 100
S40. (See pa;c 38.)
The services rendered by Lord Craven to London, his native city, are worthy of being recorded here. He was so indefatigable in preventing the ravages of fire, that it is said " his horse would smell the outbreak of a fire, and neigh to give the alarm." He and Monk, Duke of Albemarle, stayed in Lon- don throughout the visitation of the Great Plague in 1665, and at the hazard of their own lives preserved order in the midst of the horrors of the
3^
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[The Strand Tributaries.
time. Allen adds that there used to be in Craven Buildings a very good fresco portrait of this hero in armour, mounted on a white horse, and with his truncheon in hand, and on each side an earl's and a baron's coronet, with the letters " W. C." (William Craven). This painting, though several times re- coloured in oils, has long since perished ; but an engraving of it is preserved in Smith's " Antiquities of London."
It deserves to be recorded of Sir Robert Drury that he for some time entertained, as a welcome and honoured guest, at his mansion in Drury Lane, the amiable and learned Dr. John Donne, after- wards Dean of St. Paul's, when he was young and poor, having contracted marriage with a young lady of high connections, against the will, or at all events without the consent, of her relatives. It is added that he not only gave him and his wife the free use of apartments, but also Avas " a cherisher of his studies, and such a friend as sympathised with him and his in all their joys and sorrows." Such friends, no doubt, were rare then ; as rare, perhaps, as now-a-days ; but it is a pleasure to re- cord such an act of genuine friendship.
The exact date of the removal of Lord Craven's family from Drury Lane to their subsequent residence at Bayswater, where now is Craven Hill, is not known ; but it must have been just before the close of the seventeenth century. Craven House itself was taken down early in the present century, and the site is now occupied by the Olympic Theatre, as stated in the last chapter.
Drury Lane was once the " Via de Aldwych," a name still preserved in Wych Street, as already mentioned. Then the great family of the Druries built in it a town house, and the Earls of Craven and Clare followed. It became a Belgravia. Here lived Archibald, the famous and ill-fated Marquis of Argyle. Here, too, close to Cradle Alley, Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesey, and Lord Privy Seal under Charles II., had his town house. Here, too, in the heyday of her glory, lived Nell Gwynne, the "pretty Nelly" whom Pepys saw "standing at her lodgings' door in her smock sleeves and bodice, a mighty pretty creature." Here also resided John Lacy, the comedian, and Sir William Alexander, the poet, afterwards Earl of Stirling.
At the same period was residing here a relative of the staid Mr. Evelyn, who, after recording in his "Diary" that he attended the marriage of his niece to the eldest son of Mr. Attorney Montagu, at Southampton Chapel, and eulogising the mag- nificence of the entertainment, adds, "the bride was bedded at my sister's lodgings in Drury Lane."
It was in Drury Lane, not very far from the steps of the Olympic Theatre, that Lord Mohun made his unsuccessful attempt to carry off the beautiful and much-wooed actress, Mrs. Bracegirdle, as we shall presently show.
By the time of Steele, Drury Lane had changed its character, and its narrow, close, and filthy courts were rising into existence.
All that is now left of Drury Lane is its memory of past glories. The shades of the persons above mentioned, as well as those of the pretty Mrs. Bracegirdle, the fiery Lord Mohun, and of the quarrelsome Carlo Fantom, the Croatian, who challenged his man and killed him, " because the noise of his spurs pleased him not," haunt it still. On the west side is a small burial-ground, unknown to Stow or Strype, to most of the map-makers, and to Peter Cunningham. It lies between Russell Street and Long Acre. For many years it had exhibited a most desolate and miserable aspect ; indeed, it had become a sort of "no man's land." During the year 1874, however, the authorities of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, to whom the ground belongs, at some considerable expense had the graveyard levelled and converted into a garden with walks and shrubberies. A neat brick wall separates the grounds from the public street, and on one side a brick building has been erected, to be used as a mortuary.
Towards the lower end of Drury Lane, nearly opposite to Drury or Craven House, is a quaint old gabled house, with its pents still remaining. A quarter of a century ago it was known as the " Cock and Magpie," but more recently as " Stock- ley's Cheap Bookshop." It is said that the region to the north, leading up towards St. Giles's, was once known as " Cock and Pie Fields ; " but an- tiquaries are divided on the question as to whether they were so called from the house, or the house from them. Whichever may be the case, it is cer- tain that the "Cock and Magpie" as a sign, is but a travesty of a chivalric legend, which Douce thus explains : — " In the days of ancient chivalry it was the practice to make solemn vows or engage- ments for the performance of any considerable enterprise. This was usually performed during some great feast or entertainment, at which a roasted peacock, being served up by ladies in a dish of gold or silver, was presented to the knight, who then made his particular vow with great solem- nity. When this custom had fallen into disuse, the peacock nevertheless continued to be a favourite dish, and was introduced on the table in a pie, the head, with gilded beak, being proudly elevated above the crust, and the splendid tail expanded.
39
Other birds of smaller value were afterwards intro- duced in the same manner ; and the recollection of the old peacock vows might occasion the less serious, r«r even the burlesque, imitation of swearing, not only by the bird itself, but also by the pie : hence, probably, came the oath ' By cock and pie,' for the use of which no very great antiquity can be found." From " Cock o' pie " to " Cock and mag- pie " the transition was easy and obvious.
Opposite to the above is the " Craven Head " Tavern, which, from 185 1 to 1855, was kept by Mr. Robert Hales, the " Norfolk Giant." He was born in 1820, near Yarmouth, where his father was a small farmer, and was one of nine children, all far above the ordinary stature. He was exhibited by Barnum, in America, in 1848, and was one of the curiosities of London in the year of the first Great Exhibition. In the April of that year he was presented to the Queen, who gave him a watch and chain, and also to other crowned heads. He stood upwards of eight feet in height. His death occurred in 1863, at the age of forty-eight.
Little Drury Lane is a narrow street, leading down from Drury Lane to St. Mary's Church in the Strand. Its eastern side is composed of a range of houses which have stood apparently more than two centuries and a half
It will be remembered that in the Tatler (No. 46) Steele gives a picture of the morality of Drury Lane, describing it as a district divided into particular "ladyships," analogous to "lordships" in other parts, " over which matrons of known ability pre- side. ' Its character, too, as well in the present as in the past century, is delicately hinted at by Gay, in the lines quoted from " Trivia," at the head of this chapter. The " Dog," a low public-house in this street, was known as the robbers' den ; and nothing can confirm more clearly the character of the immediate neighbourhood, to which we have referred, than the fact that Drury Lane was the scene of the " Harlot's Progress," by Hogarth.
In Drury Lane was one of the several "cock- pits," or places reserved for cock-fighting, which a century ago or earlier were to be found scattered about London. Mr. John Timbs tells us that one of our oldest theatres was called the " Cock-pit," namely, the "Phcenix" in Drury Lane, and that the site of it is still to be traced in the name of Pit or Pitt Place, an abridgment of "Cock-pit" Place. Samuel Pepys thus describes in his "Diary" a visit to one of these places, not far from Drury Lane : — "December 21. To Shoe Lane to a cock-fighting at a new pit : but Lord ! to see the strange variety of people, from Parliament men, to the poorest 'prentices, bakers, brewers, butchers, draymen, and
what not ; and all these fellows, one with another, cursing and betting. Strange that such poor people, that look as if they had not bread to put in their mouths, shall bet three or four pounds at a time, and lose it, and yet bet as much the next battle, so that one of them will lose ^10 or ^20 at a meeting ! I soon had enough of it."
From Stubs's " Anatomic of Abuses," published in 1585, it is evident that in the good old Tudor times Sunday was the day of all the week especially set apart for this amusement. As early as the reign of Henry II., according to Fitzstephen, cock- fighting was the sport of school-boys in and around London on Shrove Tuesday ; and from that time, though occasionally forbidden by some of our sovereigns, it has continued to exist among us, as we shall see hereafter.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century it would seem that Drury Lane had succeeded to a part at least of the reputation of Grub Street, as the residence of poor poets and hack rhymsters, as witness the words of Pope, in his " Dunciad " —
" Cries he who high in Diury Lane, Lulled by soft zephyrs thioiiLh the broken pane, Rhymes ere he wakes, and prints bjfore Term ends, Obliged by hunger, and request of friends."
And in like spirit wrote Oliver Goldsmith — " Where the 'Red Lion,' staring o'er the way, Invites each passing stranger that can pay ; Where Calvert's butt, and Parson's black champagne, Regale the drabs and bloods of Dnary Lane, There, in a lonely room, from bailiffs snug. The Muse found Scroggins, stretch'd beneath a rug."
"Their Majesties' servants," as might have been expected, fared but ill during the austere tyranny of the Puritan faction. At the Restoration the sur- vivors of the old actors naturally formed themselves into a company, and Downes tells us that they acted at the Tennis-court, in Vere Street, Clare Market, till a new theatre was built ; and Guest is of opinion that both before and after that event they performed at the Cockpit in Drury Lane. The theatre in Vere Street was opened November 8th, 1660, by Killigrew and Davenant, under a patent which allowed women to act the female parts, a practice till then unknown in England.
It was at this theatre that an unknown young lady was performing the character of Roxana, in the Siege of Rhodes^ who fell a victim to Aubrey de Vere, the last (and most unworthy) Earl of Oxford of the ancient line. This scion of a noble house, finding that he could secure his prey in no other way, brought to her lodging a sham clergyman and a sham marriage certificate ; and she learnt to her cost, when it was too late, that she had no preten- sion whatever to style herself Countess of Oxford.
40
OLD AND NEW LONDON.
[The Strand Tributaries.
It is clear that although the Puritans disapproved of T^\a.ys pur et simple, they tolerated mixed entertain- ments of a musical kind. Such an entertainment, we know from Evelyn, was given after the death of Oliver Cromwell, for he writes, in May, 1659 : — " I went to see a new opera after the Italian way in recitative music and scenes. ... It was prodigious that in a time of such public conster- nation such a ' vanity ' should be kept up or per- mitted." That this entertainment was something different from a tragedy or comedy is clear from another entry by Evelyn in his " Diary," in January, 1 66 1 : — "After divers years since I had seen any play, I went to see acted The Scornful Lady, at a new theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields."
Mr. Peter Cunningham tells us that Laguerre, whose " sprawling saints " are immortalised by Pope, was a member of a club of virtuosi who used to meet at a house in Drury Lane, and diat he painted on its walls a Bacchanalian procession, which he presented to its members. But appa- rently the habitat of this club was unknown to him.
It was in a low lodging-house in Lincoln Court, one of the gloomiest purlieus on the eastern side of the upper part of Drury Lane, that in 1861 was discovered the infant son of a Mr. and Mrs. Hill — relatives of the Burdett family — which had been " spirited away " from its mother's charge at Rugby by its father. The story is thus told by a writer in CasseWs Magazine of May 24th, 1873 • —
"The boy's own father, after falsifying the register of its birth, took it to London, and handed it over to some women whom he met