Kensington, Notting Hill, and Paddington / With Remembrances of the Locality 38 Years Ago

by An Old Inhabitant

WESTBOURNE GROVE BAPTIST CHAPEL

Was erected 1853. The first cost was £5,500. Galleries had soon to be erected at cost of £579, and in 1866 it was thought necessary to enlarge the building by adding 16 feet on each side at cost of £5,895; total, £11,974, the whole of which was raised by voluntary subscriptions, under the pastorate of the Rev. W. G. Lewis. In 1881 Rev. J. Tuckwell, of Luton, accepted the pastorate, and under his ministry the church and congregation have largely increased. On the 20th of April, 1882, one of the finest organs in London was opened here, which has added much to the beauty of the building. It was built by Brindley and Foster, of Sheffield, at a cost of £820.

Horbury chapel was a sister church of Hornton Street, and was erected about 1846. The present honoured pastor, Rev. W. Roberts, being the first minister.

In 1831 the populate of Kensington was	20,945
1881 ,, ,,	162,924

1831 there were 3 Sunday Schools with 263 children.

In 1801 the populate of Paddington was	1,881
In 1831 ,, ,,	14,540
1881 ,, ,,	107,098

In 1811 I see the inhabitants of Kensington were very unequally divided.

Males	4,244
Females	6,642

I cannot say if this inequality still exists.

PART II.
“REMEMBRANCES” OF KENSINGTON, NOTTING HILL & PADDINGTON, 38 YEARS AGO.

The first time I heard of Notting Hill was many years since. I was asked to sign a petition, the prayer of which pleaded for Parliamentary interference to stop the action of the Proprietors of the Hippodrome at Notting Hill from running horses on Sundays. I have heard since that races were not run upon that day, but horses were tried as a preliminary step to the races during the week.

In 1844, when I first became acquainted with the neighbourhood, I enquired what had become of the race-course and was shown an open country,—the place now occupied by St. John’s Church, Notting Hill, being the spot on which the grand stand had been erected, and the course as nearly as I can describe is now covered by Clarendon Road, Cornwall Road, Portobello Road, Horbury Terrace and Ladbroke Square. I found that the inhabitants had insisted upon a right of way across the grounds, and taking the law into their own hands, with hatchets and saws had removed the barriers and thus by maintaining their right to cross the ground when they pleased caused the racing men to abandon it.

The changes which have taken place in the parishes are to my mind so marvellous that I think it will not be uninteresting to those whose acquaintance is of a later date to record what I remember of the locality 38 years ago.

Starting from Edgware Road and passing down what was then called the Uxbridge Road, now known as the Bayswater Road. On the south side Hyde Park was enclosed by the old iron railings which were pulled down by the mob a few years since. Kensington Gardens were enclosed by an old wall which I esteemed to be a disgrace to London.

The narrow pathway outside the wall was used by the parish authorities as a suitable place to keep reserved heaps of broken granite for repairing the road.

The spot now occupied by Palace Gardens was also enclosed and formed a kitchen garden to the Kensington Palace.

On the north side from Edgware Road, Connaught Terrace and a few houses on either side of the Burial Ground were existing, but Hyde Park Gardens were not. A little further on however was an old public house standing at the corner of a road known as Elm Grove and beyond that several wooden shops, one occupied as an oyster and ginger beer dealer and the other by a coach maker, beyond this was the Parish Ground known as “Bread and Cheese” land, occupied by a Mr. Cheese as Tea Gardens and by Mr. Hopwood as a Nursery Ground. Passing some villas we arrived at the “Black Lion” standing at the corner of Queen’s Road, then known as “Black Lion Lane,” then on to Bark Place and Orme Square, which was built by a Mr. Orme, formerly a print-seller in Bond Street, who also erected Bayswater Chapel, in St. Petersburgh Place. Behind these were Moscow Road and Coburgh Place, erected in 1814.

Beyond Petersburg Place was Victoria Place, which led to a field upon which are now built Leinster and Princes Squares and Kensington Gardens Square.

A footpath across this field led to Westbourne Grove. This footpath was the only way except Black Lion Lane by which Westbourne Grove could be reached. So much was this field in the country that I have several times seen Sunday School children taken there for their annual excursions.

A little farther down the road was Camden Street, a perfect rookery. Dirty men, women and children infested this place. Beyond this was Stourmont House, at that time a ladies’ school but it had been occupied by the Earl of Craven and let by him to Queen Ann as a nursery for the Duke of Gloucester. Dean Swift lodged here in 1712.

By the side of Stourmont House was Linden Grove—at that time a quiet grove in which resided several noted artists, including the celebrated Mr. Mulready, R.A.

Opposite Linden Grove was the Mall, another favourite residence of artists, and here lived at this time the celebrated Mr. Calcott, R.A., and Mr. Webster.

The Mall had in former time been made notorious by Thurtell, the murderer of Mr. Ware, in whose garden in the Mall the body of the murdered man was found.

At the corner of Linden Grove was situated the first shop in the village of Notting Hill, it was occupied by Mr. Fenn, tailor, who still has a business at Notting Hill and is the oldest tradesman there.

Notting Hill at this time was a little country place with few shops and those very small. It was however beginning to put on an appearance of life, for four large shops were being erected opposite Silver Street on the garden ground fronting a mansion which had been a large academy. This old house and others which have since had shops built in their forecourts may still be seen. Mr. King’s Italian Warehouse was the first London shop opened, and a crowd of people nightly assembled to see the place lighted with gas.

Shortly afterwards other shops were built before the next mansion which had been the residence of Madame Vestris.

In the front of this mansion was the turnpike and the toll-taker’s house. This was the first turnpike out of London.

At the corner of Portobello Road, now called Devonshire Terrace, was a mansion enclosed by a wall, then the residence of the Rev. Mr. Holloway, minister of Percy Chapel, Fitzroy Square.

Upon the death of Mr. Holloway this mansion was occupied by Rev. Mr. Gordon, a Presbyterian minister and the author of a pocket commentary on the Bible. Mr. Gordon conducted public services for some years on Sundays in a building attached to his house.

This mansion was afterwards demolished and shops built upon the site, which are now occupied by Messrs. Swain, Fenn, Leverett & Fry, Shirley, and the Devonshire Arms, also the houses by the side, Pembridge Gardens and Devonshire Terrace.

I have traced the main road as it appeared in 1844, from Edgware Road to the house now known as Devonshire Arms. At this point commenced a country lane, leading partly between hedges and afterwards through fields to Kensal Green.

It was a most delightful walk; from certain portions of the lane charming views could be obtained. This can hardly be understood by the present inhabitants; it will be made more clear if I say that looking from the back of either mansion I have mentioned from Stormont House to Portobello Lane the whole country was open, and only a few farms here and there. Hampstead, on the north, was visible, and from the hill by the side of Porto Bello farm, then occupied by Mr. Wise; on the east, London; and on the north-west, Harrow-on-the-Hill were clearly visible. No wonder that this pleasant lane was the favourite walk not only of the inhabitants of Notting Hill but also of many from the great city.

From west to north, from north to east scarcely a house was to be seen. Corn fields and meadow land on every side, the quiet only broken by the occasional passing of a train on the Great Western Railway at Kensal Green. It seems almost impossible to realize the fact, but it is a fact that during this 38 years the thousands of houses which are now to be seen from Ealing to Hampstead, Hampstead to Edgware Road have been built. Returning to the High Street, in the village of Notting Hill, the little shops from the Mall on the south side of the street were occupied by some of the principal tradesmen of that far off day.

There lived Mr. Burden, who kept a rag and bottle shop, and who was an orator and a great man on the Kensington Vestry, also a proprietor of Bayswater omnibuses, whose wife kept a greengrocer’s shop. Poor woman, she was of such proportions that when she died I saw the coffin lowered from the bedroom window into the street by ropes.

There also lived Mr. Brewer, who transacted the largest business of the village in the grocery, cheesemongery, and corn-dealing line; also a real candle maker, whose shop was reached up four stone steps. Then came the first village Inn, the “Swan” at the corner of Silver Street, which, like the “Hoop” a few doors past Silver Street, stood back from the street and had a horse trough in front. Of course these inns have been rebuilt, as also has the more important inn further up on the North side, the “Coach and Horses.”

At the corner of Silver Street was a little butcher’s shop, and next door a brush shop, the proprietor of which was a most intelligent man, but a “Chartist,” and a great friend of Fergus O’Connor. He was the principal mover in erecting a monument at Kensal Green over the remains of that gentleman, who seems, by the present condition of that monument, to have been forgotten by this generation, although he tried hard to get every working man a small portion of the land of his birth as a means of acquiring independency. Many tried it, but they found they could earn more by labour than they could grow in an acre of the best soil. Close by where the Notting Hill Gate Station now is stood in those days the Village Pump, concerning the removal of which sundry indignation meetings were held and fierce threats made of law proceedings. It was said at these meetings that no such pure water could be obtained any where else, but as I once lived near Aldgate Pump and used to hear the same, and drank of that water with relish until the horrid chemists analized it and said it was full of organic matter, percolating from Aldgate Churchyard, where the bodies of hundreds had been buried at the time of the plague, I had ceased to have faith in city or village pumps, and rejoiced to see an arrangement made by which pure water could be supplied from the Water Companies’ pipes through a tap. For years this tap existed in front of No. 71 or 73, High Street, but I find it has been removed.

I think, however, there should have been an inscription there—

“Here stood the Village Pump.”

There should likewise be another Tablet by Farm Street, stating—

“Here stood the Village Pound.”

In which pound I have seen many a disconsolate donkey, horse, or goat. I never saw the Village Stocks, perhaps the villagers of Notting Hill were always a sober, law-abiding people, and had no need of such civilizing structures.

I remember, however, seeing a man in the stocks at Lewisham, placed there for being drunk. As he was being well supplied with beer by his companions, I think it probable the result of the punishment was that he was more drunken after than before.

In 1844 there were only two shops in the village above one story high. The exceptions are now numbered 150, 152; the latter house was then, as now, a cheesemonger’s.

The shop windows were principally common glass. Plate glass had not come into fashion. Some of the shops were lighted with oil lamps, and, I think, some with candles.

I cannot speak for the intelligence of all the tradesmen of that time, but remember a serious conversation with one who, at the conclusion, very gravely remarked, “I suppose publicans in the time of the Saviour were a bad sort of people. I go every night to the ‘Coach and Horses’ to have one glass and a pipe, and the landlord is not a bad sort of a man, but in old times publicans seem always somehow mixed up with sinners.”

Behind the south side of High Street, where a number of small houses are now built, was a large brickfield, owned by a Mr. Clutterbuck. A single street only was then built, called New Street. The proper name, however, was Newcombe Street. At the south end of this street was