opposite the entrance to the church. It is of stone, in the Roman Doric
order, and bears the following inscription on the east side of the
tympanum: “This gate formerly stood in High Street, A.D. 1800—John, Lord
Bishop of Chichester, D.D., Rector—W. L. Davies, William
Leverton—Churchwardens—was built in this place A.D. 1865. Anthony W.
Thorold, M.A., Rector. J. F. Corben, Thomas Willson—Churchwardens.”
The west side of the tympanum contains a carved oak lunette representing
the Resurrection (Plate 54). Other representations of the same subject
are to be seen at St. Mary-at-Hill, in the north-west vestibule (stone);
St. Stephen, Coleman Street, in the vestry (wood), a replica of which is
over the doorway to the churchyard from the street; St. Andrew, Holborn,
in the north wall facing Holborn (stone); and St. Nicholas, Deptford, on
the east wall of the south aisle (oak, now in a glass case).
The carving is probably the work of a wood-carver, named Love. In 1686,
directions were given by the vestry to erect “a substantial gate out of
the wall of the churchyard near the round house.” The gateway, which was
of brick, was completed in 1687. It cost, with the necessary alterations
to the churchyard, £185 14s. 6d., Love’s bill being £27.[665] In 1800,
according to the inscription, it was rebuilt, this time in stone, and
remained on the north side of the churchyard until 1865. The main
entrance to the church is still from a gate in the iron railings, at
about the same spot.
[Illustration]
To the south-west of the church, and now connected by a corridor, are
the church rooms which form the vestry. The larger room (Plate 55) is
panelled in deal with a wood cornice. Over the chimneypiece is a list of
rectors of the parish from 1547, and portraits of rectors hang on the
walls. There is a fine large oak table, dating from 1701, and on the
walls is a cast iron enlargement facsimile of the old seal of St. Giles’
Hospital.
The Rectors of the Parish up to the year 1800, according to
Hennessy,[666] were as follows:—
_Date of Appointment._
William Rowlandson, pr. 1547, April 20.
Galfridus Evans, cl. 1571, Nov. 8.
William Steward, cl. 1579, Aug. 3.
Nathaniel Baxter, A.M. 1590, Aug. 15.
Thomas Salisbury, A.B. 1591, Dec. 24.
John Clarke, A.M. 1592, Sept. 16.
Roger Maynwaring, A.M. 1616, June 3.
Wm. Heywood, S.T.B. 1635–6, Jan. 8 (ejected 1636).
Gilbert Dillingham (died Dec., 1635).
Brian Walton, A.M. 1635–6, Jan. 15.
Wm. Heywood, S.T.B. 1660 restored.
Robert Boreman, S.T.P. 1663, Nov. 18.
John Sharp, A.M. 1675–6, Jan. 3.
John Scott, S.T.B. 1691, Aug. 7.
William Haley, cl. 1695, April 4.
William Baker, S.T.P. 1715, Nov. 10.
Henry Gally, D.D. 1732, Dec. 9.
John Smyth, A.M. 1769, Sept. 21.
John Buckner, LL.B. 1788, May 22.
John Buckner, LL.D. 1798, Sept. 17.
IN THE COUNCIL’S COLLECTION ARE:—
[667]Old Church of St. Giles in 1718 (print).
[667]Plan of Church at ground level (measured drawing).
[667]Plan of Church at gallery level, looking up (measured
drawing).
[667]West front (measured drawing).
[667]West front, cross section (measured drawing).
[667]The exterior from the north-west (photograph).
[667]The exterior from the north-east (photograph).
The exterior from the south-east (photograph).
[667]Sectional view of the interior looking east (photograph).
General view of the interior from the west gallery (photograph).
[667]General view looking west (photograph).
[667]The columns and ceiling from the gallery (photograph).
The upper part of the chancel from the gallery (photograph).
[667]The altar and altar piece (photograph).
[667]Picture of Moses and carved frame, left-hand side of altar
(photograph).
Wrought iron chancel railing (photograph).
[667]Recumbent effigy of Lady Frances Kniveton (photograph).
[667]Painted glass panel in window over south-west staircase
(photograph).
Iron bound chest in north porch (photograph).
Plan of Vestry (measured drawing).
[667]General view of Vestry (photograph).
[667]Cast iron enlargement of Seal (photograph).
[667]Monument to Chapman drawn by J. W. Archer, 1844 (preserved in
the British Museum) (photograph).
[667]The Lich Gate (measured drawing).
The Lich Gate (photograph).
[667]Oak panel in the tympanum of the Lich Gate (photograph).
OLD PRINTS, ETC.
The christening of Joey. View of old church of St.
Giles-in-the-Fields. Heal Collection, Holborn Public Library, No.
320 (engraving).
The outside north-west view of St. Giles’ Church in the Fields,
built 1733. H. Flitcroft, Architect. D. F. Donnowell, Del. A.
Walker, Sculp. 16 × 12½, 1753. (British Museum Crace Collection,
Port. 28, No. 118) (engraving).
North-west view of St. Giles’s Church, in the style of T. H.
Shepherd, ink and watercolour, 25½ × 21½. Preserved in the Church
Vestry.
“The old entrance gateway to St. Giles’s Church Yard with the
bas-relief of the Resurrection, 1687.” (A water colour drawing by
T. H. Shepherd, 1851. 7 × 10. British Museum Crace Collection.
Portfolio 28, No. 122.)
“The new entrance gateway to St. Giles’s Church Yard, introducing
the old bas-relief. W. Leverton, Architect.” (A watercolour
drawing by T. H. Shepherd, 1851. 7 in. × 6½ in. British Museum
Crace Collection. Portfolio 28, No. 123.)
LV.–LVII.—NOS. 14 TO 16, NEW COMPTON STREET.
GROUND LANDLORD.
— Brinckman, Esq.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND DATE OF STRUCTURE.
The laying out of Stidwell Street on the pasture ground formerly
appertaining to the Hospital has already been referred to.[668]
In 1775–6, concurrently with the rebuilding of a great many of the
houses, the name of the street was changed to New Compton Street, and
the thoroughfare was at the same time extended over what had formerly
been known as Kendricke’s Yard.
In common with many other houses, Nos. 14 to 16, New Compton Street
seem, from the evidence of the rate books, to have been rebuilt in 1776,
and it is not possible to equate them with any premises existing before
that date.
Plate 42 shows three interesting 18th-century shop fronts. Nos. 14 and
15 have unfortunately lost the original bow glazing, the outline of
which is indicated by the fascias. No. 16 still retains its original
square bay windows.
CONDITION OF REPAIR.
The premises are in fair repair.
THE COUNCIL’S COLLECTION CONTAINS:—
[669]Nos. 14 to 16, New Compton Street. Shop fronts (photograph).
No. 6, New Compton Street. Shop front (photograph).
LXVIII.–LXIV.—NOS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 AND 11, DENMARK STREET.
GROUND LANDLORDS.
The ground landlord of No. 5 is Archibald Lawrence Langman, Esq.; of No.
6, Messrs. E. E. Belfour and C. H. Turner; of No. 7, the Combined
Estates Company; and of No. 11, the Rev. R. N. Buckmaster.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND DATE OF STRUCTURE.
From the description which has been given of the sites of the buildings
appurtenant to the Hospital, it would seem that Denmark Street occupies
the site of one or perhaps two of those immediately north of the
Master’s house. The street appears to have been formed a little before
the year 1687. It is not shown in Morden and Lea’s Map of 1682, but is
referred to in a deed of the former year[670] as containing plots
unbuilt on. Its name was apparently given in honour of Prince George of
Denmark, who had in 1683 married the Princess (afterwards Queen) Anne.
Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10, Denmark Street seem all to be the original
houses erected towards the end of the 17th century, but have been
considerably altered both externally and internally.
No. 4 retains its original deal doorcase with carved consoles; it has a
lion’s head in the centre over the doorway. The staircase has a
continuous newel with winders housed into it.
No. 5 still has its original deal staircase with panelled walls, close
strings and twisted balusters, a detail of which is given on Plate 56.
No. 6 is somewhat similar.
No. 7 has a doorcase somewhat similar to that of No. 4, but with a
pediment (Plate 57). The interior is of interest, as the original
staircase remains (Plate 58). It has close moulded strings, square
newels and turned and twisted balusters.
No. 9 has the original staircase with turned and twisted balusters.
No. 10 has a somewhat similar staircase, but the doorcase shown on Plate
59 is an 18th-century addition.
No. 11 has been demolished. It was an 18th-century building. The stone
doorhead is shown on Plate 59.
Hidden behind the rear of No. 27, Denmark Street is the old-fashioned
smithy shown on Plate 60. It is not a little surprising to discover an
example of such manual labour surrounded by firms using modern
mechanical labour-saving devices.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
Dr. John Purcell, a prominent London physician, who published _A
Treatise on Vapours or Hysteric Fits_ and _A Treatise of the
Cholick_ was living at No. 10 in 1730. He died in the same year.
The “Rev. Mr. Majendie,” afterwards “Rev. Dr. Majendie,” is shown
by the ratebooks as occupying No. 10 from 1758 to 1771. He was
probably John James Majendie, son of the Bishop of Chester and
Bangor. He was the author of several religious works in English
and French, and in 1774 became Canon of Windsor. He died in 1783.
IN THE COUNCIL’S COLLECTION ARE:—
Denmark Street. View of south side from the east (photograph).
[671]No. 5, Denmark Street. Details of staircase (measured
drawing).
No. 7, Denmark Street. Entrance doorway (photograph).
[671]No. 7, Denmark Street. Entrance doorway (measured drawing).
[671]No. 7, Denmark Street. Details of staircase (measured
drawing).
[671]Nos. 10 and 11 Denmark Street. Doorcases (photograph).
[671]Blacksmith’s forge (photograph).
LXV.—NORTH OF DENMARK PLACE.
To the north of Denmark Place the frontage to High Street seems to have
been fully built on before 1658 (Plate 3). Originally the garden of the
Hospital extended as far as here, for the limits of the parish of St.
Margaret, Westminster, are described in 1222, as stretching along what
is now Oxford Street as far as the Hospital garden.[672] In somewhat
later times the principal feature of this triangular plot was _The
Crown_ inn and brewhouse, which is referred to as early as 1452[673] as
“a brewhouse called _The Crowne_” with six cottages adjoining. It will
be seen, therefore, that even at that date there were a number of
buildings on this plot. Included in the portion of the Hospital’s
property which fell to the share of Katherine Legh were “one close rent
xij^s and iiij^d by the yere there goinge oute of a mese called _The
Crowne_, and one chieff rente of vi^s by yere goyng oute of a brew house
there, nowe so late in the tenure or occupacion of one Richard
Lightfoot.” When next heard of _The Crown_ brewhouse, with a close of 3
acres[674] and an orchard and garden adjoining, belonged to John
Vavasour, whose son Nicholas in 1615 sold it to William Bowes.[675]
At a spot immediately opposite _The Crown_ at one time stood the pound,
and according to Maitland[676], this was also the situation of the
gallows, between the date of their removal from the Elms in Smithfield
about the year 1413, and their further subsequent removal to Tyburn. It
does not appear, however, that Maitland had any authority for the
statement as to the removal of the gallows from Smithfield. As regards
the further removal to Tyburn, if it ever took place it must have been
before the year 1478, when it is quite certain that the gallows were
already in the position occupied by them for centuries to come, viz.,
opposite the southern end of Edgware Road. There is, indeed, a very
considerable probability that this was the case even in Edward I.’s
reign,[677] and it seems improbable that a permanent gallows ever stood
in St. Giles at all.[678]
The pound was originally[679] in High Street, St. Giles, just to the
west of where Endell Street now issues, and was removed thence in 1656
to the junction of High Street, Oxford Street and Tottenham Court
Road.[680]
LXVI.—SITE OF “THE ROOKERY” (BAINBRIDGE STREET, LAWRENCE STREET, MAYNARD
STREET, ARTHUR STREET AND BUCKNALL STREET).
Included in that part of the Hospital property which fell to Lord
Lisle’s share was “one close lyinge before the greate gate there
conteyninge by estimacion 16 acres, with appurtenances, nowe or late in
the occupacion of Maister Magnus.”[681] From this description Parton had
some justification in assuming that the ground covered the site of
Baynbridge Street, Arthur Street, etc. If this is correct, however, the
close must have been split up by the early part of Elizabeth’s reign,
and that part which covered the sites of the streets in question was, in
1583, in the possession of George Harrison. On his death in that year it
was found[682] that he was seized _inter alia_ of “a close ... called
_Le Church Close_ in the parish of St. Giles, containing by estimation
five acres of pasture.” He also owned 13 messuages with gardens on the
north side of High Street, stretching westward from _The
Maidenhead_,[683] which he had purchased from Lord Mountjoy,[684] but no
record has been found which might enable the previous owners of Church
Close to be traced. In 1632 John Barbor _alias_ Grigge bought[685] a
number of the houses, together with “all that close of meadow or
pasture ... called ... Church Close _alias_ Williamsfeild ... conteyning
5 acres,” and in 1649 the property was further transferred to Henry
Bainbridge.[686]
Hollar’s Plan of 1658 (Plate 3) shows the commencement of building on
this area, and Parton[687] notes that Bainbridge Street and Buckridge
Street were built on before 1672. These two streets, with Maynard Place
and Dyott Street, obviously took their names from the persons mentioned
in a fine of 1676,[688] from which it seems probable that Maynard,
Buckridge and Dyott were the married names of Bainbridge’s three
daughters. Church Lane and Church Street had obvious reference to Church
Close. The locality subsequently became one of the most disreputable
districts in London,[689] a state of things which was finally put an end
to by driving New Oxford Street[690] through the midst. At the same time
several of the old streets were abolished, and some of those which
remained had their names altered.
PRINTS, WATER COLOUR DRAWINGS, ETC.:—
In the collection of water colour drawings by J. W. Archer,
preserved at the British Museum are three of The Rookery,
representing:
Entrance from High Street.
Part of The Rookery in 1844.
A cellar in The Rookery.
In the Heal Collection, preserved in the Holborn Public Library,
are a series of views illustrating The Rookery.
LXVII.—NOS. 100, 101 AND 102, GREAT RUSSELL STREET.
GROUND LANDLORD.
His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND DATE OF STRUCTURE.
Northward from the site of The Rookery extends the manor of Bloomsbury,
a full account of which is reserved for the volume dealing with the
parish of St. George, Bloomsbury.
A plan of part of the manor in 1664–5, preserved in the British Museum
and reproduced in Clinch’s _Bloomsbury and St. Giles_, shows that the
western end of Great Russell Street and the whole of Bedford Square[691]
occupy the sites of two fields called Cowles Field and Cowles Pasture.
In Morden and Lea’s map of 1682, the only buildings shown on the site of
these fields are a few at the southern end of Tottenham Court Road.
Great Russell Street had, however, already been formed,[692] and houses
were in existence on the south side.
Nos. 100 to 102 formed originally one house, which in 1785–6 was in the
occupation of John Sheldon. It would therefore seem that this was the
house referred to by Elmes, who stated[693] that Sir Christopher Wren
designed a fine mansion in this street which was afterwards occupied by
his son, and “more recently by the celebrated surgeon and anatomist, Mr.
Shelden.”
The records of His Grace the Duke of Bedford, however, lend no
countenance whatever to the suggestion that Wren’s son occupied the
house, and indeed show Stephen Wren as residing in a house, afterwards
known as No. 32, on the south side of the street, in 1751, when he wrote
the letters “headed Great Russell Street,” on which Elmes apparently
relied in making his statement. As regards the ascription of the design
of the house to Sir Christopher Wren, the Bedford Estate records afford
no direct evidence.
There is, however, no doubt that these premises were originally “Thanet
House,” the Earl of Thanet having taken a lease of the house for a term
of 62 years from Michaelmas, 1693. It would seem, indeed, that the Earl
was actually in occupation some years previously, if this was the
mansion referred to in the statement that the Earl’s eldest son was born
“at Thanet House in Great Russell Street, on April 29th, 1686.”[694]
After 1787 it was divided into two houses, and is thus shown in the
illustration included in Parton’s _Hospital and Parish of St. Giles_, a
reproduction of which is given on the next page. A further division took
place about 1820.
Writing in 1823, Elmes says:[695] “Sir Christopher’s noble front, with
its majestic cantaliver cornice, has now been taken down by a
speculative builder, and common Act of Parliament fronts run up.” The
present elevation corresponds to this description, and the interiors of
the houses are without any noteworthy features. It is interesting to
note that the “speculative builder” is shown by the Bedford Estate
records to have been Thomas Cubitt.
[Illustration:
_G. Scharf. Lithog._
_Thanet House. Great Russell Street._
]
CONDITION OF REPAIR.
The premises are in good repair.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet, was born in 1644, and died in
1729.[696] Parton[697] mentions that the autograph of the Earl, as
a vestryman of St. Giles, occurs in the parish books between the
years 1684 and 1690. The death of his eldest son at “Thanet House
in Great Russell Street,” in 1686 has already been referred to.
When the Bloomsbury Rentals of His Grace the Duke of Bedford begin
in 1729 they show Sir Thomas Coke, Lord Lovel, in occupation of
the house. Sir Thomas Coke was a son of Edward Coke of Holkham. In
1718 he married Lady Margaret Tufton, daughter and co-heir of the
6th Earl of Thanet. In 1728 he was raised to the peerage as Baron
Lovel, of Minster Lovel, and in 1744 was created Viscount Coke, of
Holkham, and Earl of Leicester. He died in 1759.
In 1755, on the expiration of the Earl of Thanet’s lease, he had
obtained a reversionary lease of Thanet House, and the Countess of
Leicester is shown by the parish ratebooks in occupation for
1759–60.
For the years 1760–62 the same books give the name of “John
Bristow” in connection with the premises.
In 1765, until his death in 1767, the Marquess of Tavistock was in
occupation. This was Francis, son of John, fourth Duke of Bedford,
by his second wife, Gertrude, eldest daughter of John, first Earl
Gower.
In 1768 Lady Tavistock was still residing at the house, and in
1770 Richard Heron was the occupier.
In 1771 the house was taken by Lord Apsley, afterwards Earl
Bathurst. Henry Bathurst, second Earl Bathurst, was born in 1714.
He was called to the Bar in 1736, and became King’s counsel ten
years after. From 1735 to 1754 he represented Cirencester in
Parliament, and his attachment to the party of the Prince of Wales
secured for him the offices of solicitor-general and
attorney-general to the Prince. In 1754 he was appointed judge of
the common pleas. In 1770 the great seal was entrusted to three
commissioners, of whom Bathurst was one, and in the following
year, to every one’s surprise, he was created Lord Chancellor and
raised to the peerage as Baron Apsley. In 1775 he succeeded his
father in the earldom. He resigned the seal in 1778, but from 1779
to 1782 was again a member of the ministry as lord president of
the Council. He died at Oakley Grove near Cirencester in 1794. “By
a universal consensus of opinion Earl Bathurst is pronounced to
have been the least efficient lord chancellor of the last
century.”[698] His residence at Thanet House lasted until 1778.
In the following year the Bloomsbury Rentals show that the Hon.
Topham Beauclerk was in occupation. Topham Beauclerk, born in
1739, was the only son of Lord Sydney Beauclerk. A man of wide
reading and sprightly conversation, he owes his fame principally
to his great friendship with Dr. Johnson, and the space which he
occupies in the latter’s great biography. He married Lady Diana
Spencer, eldest daughter of the second Duke of Marlborough,
formerly wife of Lord Bolingbroke. Lady Diana was an amateur
artist, whose abilities excited the enthusiasm of Horace Walpole.
Beauclerk died at Thanet House on 11th March, 1780, and his
library of 30,000 volumes, housed in a building “that reaches half
way to Highgate,”[699] was sold by auction in the following year.
Lady Diana survived him for many years, dying in 1808.
In 1905 His Grace the Duke of Bedford affixed at Nos. 101 and 102,
Great Russell Street, a bronze tablet commemorative of the
residence of Topham and Lady Diana Beauclerk.
In 1781 William Murray, first Earl of Mansfield took up his
residence at the house. Particulars of his life have already been
given in the previous volume of this series dealing with St.
Giles-in-the-Fields.[700] His occupation of Thanet House dates
from the destruction of his mansion in Bloomsbury Square by the
Gordon Rioters in 1780. At Michaelmas, 1785, he removed to Nos.
57–58, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
The next occupant was John Sheldon, a distinguished anatomist,
whose residence here was apparently confined to the period 1786–7.
He was born in London in 1752. In due course he was apprenticed to
Henry Watson and studied anatomy at the latter’s private museum in
Tottenham Court Road. From 1777 to 1786[701] he maintained a
private theatre at No. 70, Great Queen Street, where he taught and
carried on research work. He died in 1808.
After 1787 the house was divided into two, the residents at which,
up to 1800, were Harvey Christian Combe and Charles Steers.
IN THE COUNCIL’S COLLECTION ARE:—
No. 19, Great Russell Street—View of front (photograph).
[702]“Thanet House,” Great Russell Street—Lithograph by G. Scharf
(print).
LVIII.—BEDFORD SQUARE (GENERAL).
During the period including the latter half of the 17th and the early
years of the 19th century, several large estates were laid out in the
western district of London. The planning of these generally included
several squares, each provided with a central garden for the use only of
the residents living in the surrounding houses.
When the 112 acres composing the Duke of Bedford’s Bloomsbury estate
were developed, over 20 acres were laid out as gardens for the use of
the occupiers of the houses overlooking them.[703] This estate, with its
wide streets and spacious squares, is an excellent example of early town
planning, and affords an illustration of the advantages gained by the
community when a large area such as this is dealt with on generous lines
by the owner.
Bedford Square is about 520 feet long and 320 feet wide between the
houses, and the oval and beautifully wooded garden (Plate 61) measures
375 feet on the major and 255 feet on the minor axis.
The general architectural scheme of the square is interesting. Each side
is separately treated as an entire block of buildings, having a central
feature and wings. The central feature of each side is carried out in
stucco, having pilasters and pediments in the Ionic order, those to the
north and south having five pilasters (Plate 97), and those to the east
and west, four (Plate 89). The western house being smaller, however, has
not the additional walling extending beyond the pilasters.
The houses at the ends of each block have balustrades above the main
cornice, and, generally, the windows are ornamented with iron balconies
at the first floor level.
The round-headed entrance doorways, other than those to the central
houses, are rusticated in Coade’s artificial stone,[704] and enclose a
variety of fanlights, of which a typical example is shown in No. 15
(Plate 80).
No drawing has been found showing the design for the laying out of
Bedford Square, which was carried out between the years 1775 and 1780.
The plots were leased by the Duke to various building owners. One plot
was taken by Thomas Leverton, architect, and 24 by Robert Crews and
William Scott, builders.[703]