Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/24

 18

NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. vm. JcLY 6 ,

NOTES ON BOOKS, &o.

The History of the Squares of London, Topographical

and Historical. By C. Beresford Chancellor. (Kegan Paul & Co.)

MR. CHANCELLOR has given us in this work a valu- able addition to the literary and topographical history of London, and it should find a place in every reference library. Virtually all the resi- dential squares are dealt with. One is surprised to find that, with the exception of those in the City, the great majority are of recent date that is, not earlier than the eighteenth century.

The book opens with an account of Berkeley Square, which is one of the oldest and most im- portant, and contains Lansdowne House, which, with its grounds, occupies the whole of the south side. The house as is well known, is full of the choicest art treasures, collected by the ever-to-be- remembered, third Marquis, who claimed brother- hood with all literary men and artists. We have ourselves known instances of his impstentatious benevolence ; and when he saw an original poem in a paper, he would make inquiries as to the needs of the writer, and a cheque for a hundred pounds would be sent quietly to gladden the poet's heart. The Atheiueum in its obituary notice on the 7th of February, 1863, said that "of living men of letters it would not be easy to name a single one of emi- nence who has not lost in him a personal friend." It was at No. 45 that Lord Clive ended his brilliant career on the 22nd of November, 1774. At No. 10 another Indian hero, Lord Clyde, died ; and next door, No. 11, was occupied by Horace Walpole.

The next square noticed is one of the oldest Grosvenor Square. This dates as far back as 1695. It was here the rebel citizens, in 1641, on the approach of Charles after Edgehill, threw up a redoubt, long known as Oliver's Mount, from which the present Mount Street takes its name, Lord Chesterfield resided in the square from 1733 to 1750, and it was here that Dr. Johnson addressed to him his celebrated letter : " Seven years, my Lord, have now passed, since I ' waited in your outward rooms or was repulsed from your door." On the 10th of June, 1777, the Neapolitan Ambassador was attacked by footpads, who robbed him of his money and watch. Grosvenor Square was the last to be lighted by gas, and this not until 1839.

Cavendish Square early gained the reputation it still maintains as a residence for physicians. The fashionable Matthew Baillie resided here in 1804. He attended the poet Moore ; also Rogers, who, writing to his brother poet at the end of 1809, says : "Bile and Baillie have been my only companions." The square is no longer an artistic centre, but at one time its residents included John Wootton, Martin Shee, Francis Cotes, and the great painter Romney, whose house is the sxibject of interesting communications in our present issue.

Hanover Square at the time it was built was quite suburban, and Pennant remembered the neighbouring Oxford Road as being eastward from this spot, as far as High Street, St. Giles's, only a few isolated houses on its northern side. Among its past inhabitants was, at No. 23, Lord Palmer- ston, the father of the famous Prime Minister. The same house also had another illustrious occu- pant, the Duchess of Brunswick. No. 17 (formerly

15) had, it is said, a well-known occupier in the person of Mrs. Jordan.

St. James's Square, with its five acres, contains- fewer houses than any other square of a similar size; it dates from the time of Charles II. In Panton Square, in 1762, while the Ambassador irom Morocco was residing there, "one of his- attendants happened to displease him ; he had him brought up to the garret, and there sliced his head ott. Ihe Portman property contains no fewer than five squares, the largest being Portman Square, the most important house in which is Montagu House, built by the celebrated Mrs. Montagu, now the residence of Viscount Portman. At No. 15 reside* the Duchess of Fife, to whom Mr. Chancellor dedi- cates his book, as the only member of the royal family residing in one of the squares of London. As regards Leicester Square, with the possible exception of Reynolds's old house, there is not a. single building but has been rebuilt. Old Leicester House occupied the centre of the present square, and its gardens extended to Gerrard Street, where Dryden lived, and the street has now become the home of the publishers of this book. There is an illustration showing Wyld's great globe, which was built up in the centre of the square, and opened in 1851. The sphere was 65 ft. in diameter, the scale being ten miles to an inch horizontal, and one mile to an inch vertical. The earth's surface was figured on the inside instead of the outside of a sphere. Prof. Hunt, in describing this vast model in The Atheiuxum of the 8th of March, 1851, said : " The observer is at once struck with the distribution of land and water. He sees the great oceans occupying nearly 150,000,000 square miles ; while the old and new continents and all the islands are estimated at but 60,000,000 square miles." There was in the building a mineral collec- tion, to which was added the great gold nugget from Ballarat. This was melted and sold by Messrs. Haggard Pixley, bullion brokers, for 5,532/. Its weight before melting was 1,615 ounces, and it yielded 1,319 ounces of fine gold. Reference is made to a striking incident in connexion with the square. Londoners woke on the 17th of October, 1866, to find that the statue of King George had had the horse painted white with black spots, a fool's cap being placed on the King's head, and a broom- stick against his shoulder. Mr. Chancellor natur- ally attributes this act to some "idle persons, with more time on their hands than wit in their heads." As it happens, the chief mover who accomplished this was a well-known man of considerable wit and brains who was largely associated with the square, his object being to call public attention to its disgraceful condition.

We can follow Mr. Chancellor's pleasant per- ambulations to three more squares only : Vincent Square, now the home of the Royal Horticultural Society; Lorrimore Square, which possesses a church where the first Harvest Festi% T al was held and St. George's Square, where No. 40 should have' been mentioned as the residence of our founder and the house in which he died.

We heartily congratulate Mr. Chancellor on having produced this most useful work, its illustra- tions adding greatly to its charm. We like the book all the more for the modesty with which the author puts the result of much labour forth, as well as for the generous acknowledgment he renders to all who have helped him.