Stanley House, St. Mark’s College.
Near to what is now the Chelsea Railway Station, on the north of the King’s Road, is Stanley House. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth this was part of the estate of Sir Arthur Gorges, who was knighted in 1597, and died in 1625, and who built a house on this site for his own residence. Rowland White, writing to Sir Robert Sidney, Nov. 15, 1599, says, “As the Queen passed by the faire new building, Sir Arthur Gorges presented her with a faire jewell.” The family of Gorges at this period possessed very considerable property in Chelsea, which they afterwards gradually disposed of to the Cheyne family and others.
Sir Arthur Gorges was the intimate friend of Spenser, who lamented the death of the first Lady Gorges, daughter of Viscount Bindon, and who died in 1590, in a beautiful elegy, entitled Daphnaida; he has recorded likewise the conjugal affection and the talents of her husband, under the name of Alcyon, in the following elegant lines:—
“And there is sad Alcyon, bent to mourne
Though fit to frame an everlasting dittie;
Whose gentle spright for Daphne’s death doth tourne
Sweet lays of love to endlesse plaints of pittie.
Ah! pensive boy, pursue that brave conceipt
In thy sweet eglantine merriflure;
Lift up thy notes unto their wonted height,
That may my muse and mates to mirth allure.”
Sir Arthur married, secondly, Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Henry, Earl of Lincoln, by which marriage he became possessed of Sir Thomas More’s house, which, in 1619, he conveyed to Lionel, Lord Cranfield. He died in 1625, leaving by his second wife six children. Lady Elizabeth Gorges, his widow, in 1637, sold this estate to her daughter, Lady Elizabeth Stanley, widow of Sir Robert Stanley, and confirmed the same by her will in 1643, in which year she died. The family of Stanley appear to have held possession of this estate, and resided here till the latter end of the seventeenth century, when this branch of it became extinct, in the male line, by the death of William Stanley, Esq. in 1691. The house was rebuilt about this period; and, being left in an unfinished state, was for several years unoccupied. It belonged, in 1724, to Henry Arundel, Esq. Admiral Sir Charles Wager died here in 1743. It is said that this gallant officer was educated a Quaker, and that though he left that society, he was always particularly kind to its members.
After passing through several hands, Stanley House became the property of Miss Southwell, afterwards the lady of Sir James Eyre, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, who sold it in 1777 to the Countess of Strathmore, one of the most intelligent female botanists of the age. Her ladyship had begun to build extensive hothouses and conservatories, brought exotics from the Cape, and was continually raising an increase to her collections, when, by an unfortunate marriage, the cruel spoiler came, and threw them like loathsome weeds away. The Countess married A. R. Bowes, Esq., whose barbarities to her exceeded every thing recorded in the annals of crime, and drew upon him the execrations of the whole country. [57] After suffering innumerable indignities from her husband, the Countess exhibited articles of the peace against him in the Court of King’s Bench, and obtained a separation, under heavy securities. She passed the remainder of her days in much affliction, both in body and mind, and departed this life on the 20th April, 1800. Bowes died miserably in a jail.
Stanley House was purchased of the Countess of Strathmore, by Mr. Lochee, who kept the Military Academy at Little Chelsea, and was for some time in the occupation of Richard Warren, M.D. This eminent physician was the son of the Rev. Richard Warren, Archdeacon of Suffolk. He died in 1797, and was buried in the chancel of Kensington Church, where a monument, with a Latin inscription, was erected to his memory.
About the year 1815, Stanley House was purchased by William Hamilton, Esq., who resided in it for some time, and made great additions to the original structure, by building a picture gallery on the east side. He had a good collection of paintings, a capital portrait of his father, the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, Vicar of St. Martin’s in the Fields, and many fine casts of the Elgin marbles. In 1822, Mr. Hamilton was appointed Envoy to the Court of Naples, and during his absence from Chelsea, he let the house to some distinguished families, amongst them may be mentioned the Marquis of Queensbury. Mr. Hamilton afterwards sold the estate to the National Society.