SLOANE TERRACE WESLEYAN CHAPEL.
This Chapel was built in 1811. It is a neat and substantial edifice. The galleries extend round three sides of the interior, and the whole will accommodate about 1200 persons. The erection of this place of worship is to be attributed to the liberality of several beneficent gentlemen, among whom may be especially mentioned Joseph Butterworth, Esq., who, at that time, had summer apartments in Chelsea. The attention of these Christian friends had been arrested by observing a large number of the middling and poorer classes, in the vicinity of Jews’ Row, wandering about upon the mornings of the Sabbath. They accordingly took a large room, or small chapel, at nearly the end of George Street, and subsequently erected Sloane Terrace Chapel. The congregation and the members rapidly increased, and at various times many alterations have been made so as to render the chapel and schoolrooms more commodious. It is a pleasing thought, that, amidst a vast amount of Sabbath desecration, there is not a Church or Chapel in the parish, where the Sabbath School is not well attended.
Nearly opposite to Sloane Terrace, in Sloane Street, resided for many years H. W. Burgess, Esq., a most accomplished artist. His gentlemanly deportment and piety endeared him to a large circle of friends. There was scarcely a benevolent society in the parish to which he was not a contributor.
Thomas Hoblyn, Esq., who for many years was the Rector’s Churchwarden at St. Luke’s Parish Church, occupied a house at the corner of Cadogan Street, Sloane Street. He was one of several newly-appointed magistrates, about the time of the passing of the first Local Act of Parliament for the better assessing and collecting the Poor’s Rate, &c.
The above house is now occupied as an Industrial Home for Girls, one of the many admirable institutions which reflect so much credit upon that part of Chelsea.
Captain G. Bague, R.N., resided also in Sloane Street, nearly opposite Cadogan Place, for a long period. He was made a magistrate for the county at the same time as Mr. Hoblyn.
The late Rev. H. Blunt, M.A., resided for a considerable time in Sloane Street.
The late Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, Bart., resided for some years at 72, Sloane Street. He died in 1869, at St. Petersburgh, after a short illness, which unexpectedly proved fatal, at the age of 58. He was born in London in 1810, was the only son of the late Mr. Charles Wentworth Dilke, chief proprietor and at one time editor of the Athenæum newspaper, and subsequently the manager of the Daily News, and who died about eight years ago. His mother was Maria, daughter of Mr. E. Walker. He was educated at Westminster School, and subsequently at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he took his degree in Law instead of Arts. In early life he was associated with the literary labours of his father, whom he largely aided by his cultivated tastes, his wide range of information, sound judgment, and habits of business. He was one of the earliest promoters of the first Great Exhibition, and, indeed, acted as the leading member of the Executive Committee. The fact of his occupying such a position naturally brought Mr. Dilke into close and frequent contact with the late Prince Consort, who was much struck with the ability he displayed, and at whose suggestion the honour of knighthood was offered to him in recognition of his services. That honour, however, he declined; and with it refused all pecuniary remuneration, wishing his services to be purely honorary. Her Majesty, however, resolved that he should not be wholly unrewarded, sent to Mrs. Dilke a handsome diamond-bracelet, which, no doubt, will become an heirloom in the Dilke family. Mr. Dilke was also associated with the second Great Exhibition as one of the five Royal Commissioners appointed by Her Majesty. It has always been understood also that the resuscitation of the Royal Horticultural Society of London has been in a very great measure due to his exertions as one of the most active of its vice-presidents. It will be remembered that almost immediately after the death of the Prince Consort Her Majesty was pleased to confer a baronetcy on Mr. Dilke in recognition of the Prince’s friendship and personal regard for him. Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke sat in the last Parliament in the Liberal interest for Wallingford, defeating Mr. Serjeant Malins (who has since attained the Judicial Bench), but he lost his seat at the last general election. The late baronet, who was a magistrate for Westminster and for the county of Middlesex, married in 1840 Mary, a daughter of Captain Chatfield, but was left a widower a few years ago. By her he has left a son, born in 1843, Mr. (now Sir) Charles Wentworth Dilke, of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, who was returned at the last election as one of the members, in the Liberal interest, for the newly-enfranchised constituency of Chelsea, and another son, Mr. Ashton Wentworth Dilke, born 1850.
The present Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, Bart., M.P., resides at his late father’s house in Sloane Street. He has extensively travelled in America, and has published a very interesting work, entitled “Greater Britain,” and is the author of several pamphlets on social and political topics.
The Pavilion, Hans Place.—A few particulars respecting this once beautiful estate will no doubt be interesting to many of the readers of this work. When Mr. Holland took the lease of the land, formerly known as “Blacklands,” now Upper Chelsea, he reserved to himself 21 acres of it, on which he built an elegant house for his own residence. This was called the Pavilion, and it was purchased of Mr. Holland’s executors by Peter Denys, Esq., and became afterwards the property of his relict, the Right Hon. Lady Charlotte Denys, who resided in it with her family for some years afterwards. It consisted of three sides of a quadrangle, open to the north, and the approach was from Hans Place. The house was superbly furnished.
In the library, on two mahogany pedestals, stood two busts in statuary marble of Pitt and Fox, by Nollekens. In the dining room were two excellent pictures by Fuseli; one a vision of Lady Jane Grey, before her execution, from a manuscript letter of Bishop Latimer to Dr. Bullinger; the other a scene from the tragedy of King Lear. To which might be added many others of equal worth.
The south front faced an extensive and beautifully-planted lawn, gently rising to the level of the colonnade and principal floor. This front was originally built as a model for the Pavilion at Brighton, and was ornamented by a colonnade of the Doric order, extending the whole length of the building.
On the west side of the lawn was an Ice-house, round which was erected an admirable representation of the ruins of an ancient Priory, in which the appearance of age and decay was strikingly faithful. The Gothic stone-work was brought from the ancient demolished residence of Cardinal Wolsey, at Esher, in Surrey. The lawn was ornamented by a fine sheet of water, which produced a most pleasing effect. The Priory displayed considerable variety of fanciful intricate paths and scenery, profusely ornamented with shrubs, and had a private communication with the house by the walks of the shrubbery.
Lady Charlotte Denys gave annually a treat to the children of the “Hans Town Schools,” &c., and had booths erected in which they partook of tea, whilst others contained fruit and playthings to amuse them. On these occasions the inhabitants were admitted to witness the pleasing juvenile scene.
Hans Place, Sloane Street.—Miss Landon (L.E.L.) was born in “snug Hans Place” in 1802, and spent the greater portion of her life in it. She went to school at No. 22, kept by Miss Rowden, who published “A Poetical Introduction to the Study of Botany,” and “The Pleasures of Friendship,” and at length became the Countess of St. Queutin.
Among the inmates of the same house have been Lady Caroline Lamb, who married the Hon. W. Lamb, afterwards Viscount Melbourne, Miss Mitford, Lady Bulwer, &c.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wigan, the talented artistes, resided for some time in Hans Place.
ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH.
This Church is situated a little to the north of Hans Place, and near to Walton Street. The exterior has no particular pretensions to architectural display. The interior is neat, and possesses a greater degree of architectural design. It will seat probably more than 1000 persons. The Rev. W. Niven, M.A., was the first Incumbent, and retained it until recently, when the Rev. George Weldon, M.A., succeeded him. Of Mr. Niven it may justly be said that he was zealous and faithful, kind to the poor, and respected by all classes. There are excellent schools and many charitable societies which are liberally supported by the contributions of the congregation.
Cadogan Place.—These capital houses were principally erected by Mr. W. Whitehead, sen., on part of the land leased originally to Mr. Holland, as previously mentioned. Amongst the residents at different periods may be selected the names of Capt. Acklom, R.N.; Thomas Bryan, Esq.; W. B. France, Esq.; each of whom were made magistrates for the county at the same time as Mr. Hoblyn and Capt. Bague; C. Hopkinson, Esq.; H. Warburton, Esq., M.P.; Sir William Clay, M.P.; Dr. Veitch; the Rev. Richard Burgess, and the Rev. J. B. Owen.
In Little Cadogan Place Mr. William Whitehead, jun., lived for a great many years. He was an extensive builder, and occupied a very prominent position in the parish.
Botanic Gardens, Sloane Street.—This garden was first planned and laid out in 1807, by Mr. Salisbury. The extent of ground was about six acres, and formed a delightful promenade for company. In the original plan the whole collection of plants was arranged according to the system of Linnæus, and was disposed of in seventeen different compartments. When Mr. Tate, in the year 1820, took possession of the premises, the inhabitants, wishing to make it a public promenade, the above arrangement was entirely superseded, and the interior of the ground laid out and converted into a Nursery. Mr. Tate, however, still devoted the hothouses and greenhouses to the raising of curious and rare exotics. Mr. Tuck, nurseryman and seedsman, is now in possession of a portion of the ground, but the whole presents a very different appearance to what it did many years ago.
The Roman Catholic Chapel, situated in Cadogan Street, was built in 1811, by voluntary subscriptions. Previous to the erection of this Chapel, the Irish poor and others in Chelsea, as well as the Roman Catholic veterans in the Royal Hospital, had not any place to resort to on Sundays, or at such other times as they deemed it necessary to attend. Besides, there were several families in the locality who considered the erection of the Chapel indispensable. The Clergyman’s house adjoins the Chapel, and was built at the expense of the Rev. Abbé Voyaux de Franous, D.D. On the south of Cadogan Street, some short distance west of the Chapel, are the Convent, the Schools, and the Burial Ground, the latter being now closed for interments.
Upon the site of the west end of Cadogan Street stood an ancient house, inhabited, in Bowack’s time, by Lady Matthews; it was afterwards known for many years as the Marlborough Tavern and Cricket Grounds. It is probable that the house was first established as a tavern during the life-time of the great Duke of Marlborough, who, it is said, resided at one time in Chelsea; hence Blenheim Street, &c., all contiguous.
The old Admiral Keppel Inn, with its tea gardens, was pulled down in 1856, on the site of which is now a large tavern.
Chelsea Common was called in ancient records Chelsea Heath. It was bounded on the north by the Fulham Road; on the east by Blacklands Lane, now Marlborough Road; on the south by College Place, abutting on the King’s Road; and on the west by Sydney Street. It was attached to the Manor. Certain ancient houses, cottages, and farms, had a right of pasturage for forty cows and twenty heifers. To keep these there was always a cowkeeper, whose business it was to mark the cattle, to drive home the cows at night to the several owners, and to impound all cattle unmarked, or any horses which broke into the Common, or were found there.
When the Old Church was to be rebuilt, the Common was enclosed by the consent of Charles Cheyne, Esq., Lord of the Manor, and the several proprietors, for 21 years, to defray part of the charges, by a lease bearing date March 1674, and thereby let to George Hill and Francis Guildford, who enclosed it, and quietly enjoyed it till 1695, when it was thrown open again. It would be an unnecessary waste of space to notice what took place for some years afterwards.
At the commencement of the present century, however, the Lords of the Manor, the Rector, and the other proprietors, let the Common on building leases; after which the leases were found defective, by reason of one of the proprietors being under age, and it being considered that the then Rector could not bind his successors. An Act of Parliament was therefore obtained, which confirmed the leases and made them effectual.
The Common (as was) has been for many years covered with houses, comprising Keppel Street, Whitehead’s Grove, College Street, Marlborough Square, Leader Street, &c.
The principal entrance to the Brompton County Court is in Whitehead’s Grove. The house was formerly occupied by the Rev. Dr. Roberts, who gave instruction to a limited number of young gentlemen who resided with him.
The Catholic Apostolic Church is situated in College Street, near to Whitehead’s Grove. The exterior has some claim to architectural design, although the entrance at the side is small, and there are no windows to give relief to its massive appearance. There is ample light, however, in the interior of the structure, and it is in every respect commodious.
The spacious Drill Hall belonging to the 1st Middlesex Engineer Volunteers is also in College Street, near to the Fulham Road, where recruits are enlisted.