HYDE PARK
FROM
DOMESDAY-BOOK TO DATE
BY
JOHN ASHTON
AUTHOR OF “SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE,” ETC., ETC.
ONE MAP AND TWENTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS
London
DOWNEY & CO.
YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON
1896
[All rights reserved]
LONDON:
GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED,
ST. JOHN’S HOUSE, CLERKENWELL ROAD, E.C.
PREFACE.
The only History of Hyde Park, at all worthy of the name, is Vol. I. of “The Story of the London Parks,” by Jacob Larwood. But, its author says, definitely, “What happened in Hyde Park subsequently to 1825, approaches too near to contemporary history to be told in these pages.” This (for Hyde Park has a history since then), added to the inaccuracies and imperfections of the book, has induced me to write a History of Hyde Park from Domesday Book to Date.
JOHN ASHTON.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I] | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| The forests round London—The Manor of Eia in DomesdayBook—Its subdivision—The Manor of Hyde—TheManor of Ebury—The Manor of Neate—The Neathouses—Henry VIII. and Hyde Park—Queen Elizabethand Hyde Park—James I.—The deer in the Park—Lastshooting therein—Foxes—The badger | [1] |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| Hyde Park in the early Commonwealth—Its sale—Toll onhorses and carriages—A hurling match—Cromwell’saccident—Attempts to shoot him in the Park—Noticesagainst trespassers—The Park at the Restoration | [14] |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| The camp in Hyde Park during the Plague of 1665—BoscobelOaks in the Park—When first opened to thepublic—What it was then like—The Cheesecake House—Itshomely refections—Orange girls | [24] |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| Foot and horse racing in the Park—Prize fighting—Duelling—Theduel between Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton | [32] |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| Duelling in Hyde Park | [39] |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| Skating on the ponds and Serpentine—The Ring—Manynotices thereof—Fireworks in the Park—Bad roads therein,and accidents caused thereby—Regulations in the timeof Queen Anne—Making the drive—Riding in the Park | [49] |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| Rotten Row, the King’s Old Road—The New King’s Roadmade and lighted—The Allied Sovereigns in the Park—ThePark after the Peninsular War—The Duke ofWellington in the Park—The Queen and Royal Familyin the Park | [61] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
| The springs in Hyde Park—Used as water supply forWestminster—Horses in the Park—The Westbourne—Makingthe Serpentine—The “Naumachia” thereon—Satiresabout it—The Jubilee Fair | [65] |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
| Coronation of George IV.—Boat-racing on the Serpentine—Illuminationof the Park—Fireworks—Coronation ofQueen Victoria—Fair in the Park—Fireworks in HydePark, at “Peace rejoicing,” May, 1856 | [75] |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
| The Great Exhibition of 1851 | [94] |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
| Royal Humane Society’s Receiving House—Boats and bathing—TheDell—Chelsea Water Works reservoir—Walnut-trees—Flower-walk—Militaryexecutions—TheMagazine, Whip, Four-in-hand and Coaching Clubs—Theirdress—Satire on Coaching—The Park as amilitary centre—The first review—Fort at Hyde ParkCorner—Guard-house—Camp in Hyde Park—Insubordinatetroops | [120] |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
| Grand Reviews in 1660-1661-1668, 1682-1695-1699—Campsin 1715-1716-1722—Poem on the latter—Reviews in1755-1759-1760 | [132] |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
| Reviews in 1763-1764—Shooting-butts in 1778—Camp in1780—Severe sentence of a Court-martial—VolunteerReviews, 1799-1800—The rain at the latter | [142] |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
| Volunteer Reviews of 1803—Review in honour of the AlliedSovereigns, 1814—Popularity of Blücher—Review bythe Queen in 1838—Volunteer Review, 1860 | [152] |
| [CHAPTER XV] | |
| Volunteer Reviews, 1864, 1876—Mobs in the Park—Funeralof Queen Caroline | [163] |
| [CHAPTER XVI] | |
| Commencement of the reign of King Mob—Sunday TradingBill, 1855—Riots—Withdrawal of the Bill—Meetingsabout high price of food, 1855—Rough play and windowsmashing | [177] |
| [CHAPTER XVII] | |
| Sympathy with Italy, 1859—Garibaldi riots, 1862—ReformLeague Meeting, 23rd July, 1866—Police proclamationagainst it—Attempt to hold it—Hyde Park railingsdestroyed | [187] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] | |
| Reform League Meeting of 25th July, 1866—Burning a tree—Stone-throwing—Temporizingpolicy of the Government—Specialconstables sworn in—Meeting abandoned—Returnof police injured—Meeting of “WorkingMen’s Rights Association,” 1867—Reform League Meetingof 6th May, 1867—Police warning—Legal opinions—Meetingheld—Meeting on 5th August, 1867 | [200] |
| [CHAPTER XIX] | |
| Demonstrations against the Irish Church, 1868—In favourof Fenians, 1869—Regulations made by Commissionersof Works—Fenian Demonstration, 1872—A speakersentenced—Meeting about the Eastern Question, 1878—Fight—Preachingin the Park—Modern instances—May-Dayand May 6, 1894—Against the House of Lords,Aug. 26, 1894 | [212] |
| [CHAPTER XX] | |
| The Children’s Fête in Hyde Park, 1887 | [224] |
| [CHAPTER XXI] | |
| List of Rangers—A horse jumping the wall—Highwaymen—HoraceWalpole robbed—Other robberies—Assaults,offences, etc., in the present reign—A very recent case | [235] |
| [CHAPTER XXII] | |
| The Gates—That into Kensington Gardens—Improvementsin the Park—Encroachments—The case of Ann Hicksand the other fruit-sellers—Seats in the Park—Newhouse in ditto | [253] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII] | |
| Works of art in the Park—Drinking fountain—Marble Arch—HydePark Corner—Achilles statue—Walk round thepark—Cemetery of St. George’s, Hanover Square—Sterne’stomb and burial—Tyburn tree—The Tybourne—Peopleexecuted—Henrietta Maria’s penance—Localityof the gallows—Princess Charlotte—Gloucester House—DorchesterHouse—Londonderry House—Apsley House—Allen’sapple stall—The Wellington Arch—Statues ofthe Duke—St. George’s Hospital, Knightsbridge—Afight on the bridge—Albert Gate and George Hudson—KnightsbridgeBarracks | [265] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| PAGE | |
| Exhibition of 1851: Osier’s Glass Fountain and the Transept | [Frontispiece] |
| Boscobel Oaks, 1804 | [27] |
| Cheesecake House, 1826 | [30] |
| Duel between Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton | [37] |
| Duel between George Garrick and Mr. Baddeley, 1770 | [42] |
| Winter Amusement, 1787 | [50] |
| The Row, 1793 | [62] |
| ” ” 1814. The Allied Sovereigns | [62] |
| ” ” 1834 | [62] |
| The Duke of Wellington | [64] |
| A Spring in the Park, 1794 | [65] |
| Houses in the Park, 1794 | [66] |
| A Man of War, 1814 | [73] |
| “Albert, spare those trees!” | [103] |
| Tailpiece: Col. Sibthorpe and Exhibition of 1851 | [119] |
| Map of Hyde Park from “Roque’s Survey,” 1741-1745 | [120] |
| Volunteer Review by George III., 1799 | [143] |
| The Soldiers’ Toilet, 1780 | [145] |
| Returning from the Review, 1800 | [150] |
| Popularity of Blücher, 1814 | [157] |
| The Broken Windows at Apsley House, 1831 | [280] |
