Chelsea, in the Olden & Present Times

by George Bryan

MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CHURCH.

There are many neat and well-designed marble tablets placed on the walls in different parts of the church, and one monument in particular which will be specially noticed. It would have afforded me great satisfaction to have transcribed all the tributes of affection there recorded, and also those in the Burial Ground, but the limited nature of this work would only admit of noticing a few of them. By adopting this course it will enable me to refer to a variety of interesting subjects, which otherwise in all probability must have been omitted.

The monument, to which allusion has just been made, commemorates a hero who distinguished himself during the Peninsular war:—

To the Memory of
Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable Henry Cadogan,
of his Majesty’s 71st Regiment,
who fell in the Battle of Vittoria, on June 1st, 1813,
in the 33rd year of his age.
The Officers of his Regiment have erected this Monument,
In token of their esteem and regret.

This beautiful production of the chisel of Chantrey, which is placed in the north gallery, represents two soldiers lamenting the death of their heroic commander, whose portrait is on a medallion surrounded with flags, with the Imperial eagle of France underneath; the letter “N.” is on the top of the pillar which supports the eagle. On the pedestal which supports the sarcophagus is the word “Vittoria,” encircled with a laurelled crown; the sarcophagus is ornamented with a guilloche moulding. Chastity of design and delicacy of execution are the special characteristics of this admirable specimen of art. There is another monument to the memory of this gallant officer, erected at the public expense, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, and also a third in the Cathedral of Glasgow.

During the battle Colonel Cadogan had been detached to an important position; and when it was discovered that he had been mortally wounded, it was proposed to take him off the field. “No,” said he, “my death is now certain, and very near; suffer me to conclude my life with the pleasure of seeing the continuation of our triumph; carry me to an height, from whence I can observe it.” He was carried to one, when his back was placed against a tree, and there he expired, after expressing his gratitude to those around him.

In a vault near this spot lies the remains of the Right Hon. Charles Henry Cadogan, Earl Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea, in the county of Middlesex, Baron Cadogan, of Oakley, in the county of Buckingham. Born 17th Nov. 1749, and died on the 23rd Dec. 1832.

Honoria Louisa Countess Cadogan, died September 12, 1845, aged 58.

Sophia Lucy Cadogan, wife of Lieut.-Col. Hon. Geo. Cadogan, Grenadier Guards. Born March 5, 1812; died Jan. 26, 1852.

Sacred to the Memory of
Admiral the Right Honourable George Earl Cadogan,
Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath,
Knight of the Imperial Order of Maria Theresa, of Austria.
Born May 5, 1783: died Sept. 15, 1864.

There are inscriptions on marble tablets to the memory of the following respected parishioners, amongst some others:—

General Wilford, who resided for many years at Ranelagh, departed this life in 1822, aged 69.

Mr. William Terwin, died Feb. 24, 1826, in the 74th year of his age. Also, his brother, Mr. John Terwin, died Jan. 8, 1827, in his 69th year.

Joseph How, Esq., of Swan Walk, Paradise Row, (Queen’s Road West,) died in 1825, aged 72. He was much respected.

Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, widow of T. Smith, Esq., of No. 1, Manor Terrace (now No. 167, King’s Road), who, by will, in 1828, bequeathed £500 three per cent. consols, to be expended annually as specified therein.

Thomas Bryan, Esq., of Cadogan Place, a magistrate for the county, died in 1830, aged 66. He was much respected, and was for some time treasurer of the Parochial Schools, and ever ready to promote a charitable object.

G. H. Hopkinson, Esq., died in the year 1829, and Charles Hopkinson, Esq., in 1830 (banker), resided in Cadogan Place for many years.

R. E. N. Lee, Esq., resided for many years in Cheyne Walk, and died in 1833. For 18 years he was Steward of the Manor.

Richard Harmer, Esq., of Sloane Street, died in 1840, aged 80 years. He was benevolent, and his death was much deplored by many of the tradesmen in the locality.

The Rev. G. Clark, M.A., chaplain at the Royal Military Asylum, a clergyman universally esteemed, died in 1848.

Peter Burrard, Esq., of Rayner Place, departed this life in 1842. He was a captain in Queen Charlotte’s Chelsea Volunteers, served the office of churchwarden, and was greatly esteemed by a large number of the parishioners.

Luke Thomas Flood, Esq., was a magistrate for the county, and for a great number of years treasurer of the Parochial Schools. There is a marble monument to his memory, near to the vestry door, in the church, which is a fine specimen of the sculptor’s art. His munificent annual gifts to the deserving and aged poor parishioners, however, is a memorial of greater value than the most costly monument. He died at Brighton, in 1860, at a very advanced age.

The Rev. Charles Kingsley, M.A., the late rector, and father of the Rev. C. Kingsley, the popular author, died in 1860, aged 78. A notice of this kind-hearted clergyman is given in the brief record of the Rectors of this church.

COST OF BUILDING THE CHURCH, &c.

The original sum for the building of the Church, as agreed to at a Public Vestry, held on the 20th of August, 1818, was not to exceed in all £30,000, including every other advance that may be made from the Commissioners of Churches, and others. The interest of this sum, together with the principal, was to be paid out of a church rate, and the rate for this purpose was not to exceed one shilling in the pound. [137] From a statement I possess, shewing the various amounts received and paid by the Trustees for building the church, and including the charges for constructing a sewer from it to the river Thames, from the 21st of July, 1819, to the 27th of October, 1824, it appears that the total sum expended to that period was £34,716 14s. 3d. This amount includes £2,020 paid for the sewer, and £3,595 for interest on annuities, up to the time of the above statement. The entire cost of building the church, &c., is generally estimated as being rather more than £40,000. It is calculated that it will very well accommodate 2,000 persons.

There was a petition signed against the New Church Bill, in which it was acknowledged that there was a total inadequacy of church accommodation in the parish—the population of which the petitioners stated to be 20,000 souls—but they submitted that “it would be better to erect two chapels, capable of holding 1,500 persons each, one to be situated at each extremity of the parish, which might be done for one half the church would cost.” Dr. Anthony Todd Thomson, of Sloane Street, who was one of the most able speakers in the parish, most powerfully advocated the erection of two chapels, but the opposition entirely failed.