The most remarkable buildings are, the parish churches of St. Mildred in the Poultry, and St. Mary’s Colechurch; Guildhall, Mercer’s hall, or Chapel, and Grocer’s hall, with the Poultry Compter.
This ward has an Alderman, and his Deputy, eleven other Common Council men, twelve wardmote inquest men, nine scavengers, eleven constables, and a beadle. The jurymen returned by the wardmote inquest, serve in the courts in Guildhall in the month of February.
Chelsea, a very large and populous village, two miles from London, pleasantly situated on the banks of the Thames almost opposite to Battersea. Here is the physic garden belonging to the company of Apothecaries of London, a particular account of which the reader may find in the article relating to that company. Sir Robert Walpole, the late Earl of Orford, had here for some time a house adorned with a noble collection of pictures, which was afterwards removed to Houghton-hall in Norfolk, and is now thought the finest collection in England[[3]]. There are several other private buildings worthy of the observation of the curious. I. At this place is the house and fine gardens that belonged to the late Earl of Ranelagh. See Ranelagh Gardens. Salter’s coffee house here is well known, being much frequented on account of the great number of natural curiosities to be seen there.
[3]. See an account lately published, entitled Ædes Walpolianæ.
Chelsea Hospital, a noble edifice erected for the invalids in the land servive. The original building on this spot was a college founded by Dr. Sutkliff, Dean of Exeter, in the reign of King James I. for the study of Polemic divinity, and was endowed in order to support a Provost and Fellows, for the instruction of youth in that branch of learning. The King, who laid the first stone, gave many of the materials, and promoted the work by a large sum of money, and the clergy were very liberal upon the same occasion; but the sum settled upon the foundation by Dr. Sutkliff being far unequal to the end proposed, the rest was left to private contributions; and these coming in slowly, the work was stopped before it was finished, and therefore soon fell to ruin. At length the ground on which the old college was erected, becoming escheated to the crown, Charles II. began to erect the present hospital, which was carried on by James II. and completed by William and Mary.
The whole edifice, which was built by the great Sir Christopher Wren, consists of a vast range of buildings. The front toward the north opens into a piece of ground laid out in walks for the pensioners; and that facing the south, into a garden which extends to the Thames, and is kept in good order. This side affords not only a view of that fine river, but of the county of Surry beyond it. In the center of this edifice is a pediment supported by four columns, over which is a handsome turret, and through this part is an opening which leads through the building. On one side of this entrance is the chapel, the furniture and plate of which was given by K. James I. and on the other side is the hall, where all the pensioners dine in common, the officers by themselves. In this hall is the picture of King Charles II. on horseback, with several other pieces as big as the life, designed by Signior Vario, and finished by Mr. Cook. These were presented by the Earl of Ranelagh. The pavement of both the chapel and hall are black and white marble. The altar piece in the chapel is the resurrection, painted by Sebastian Ricci.
The wings, which extend east and west, join the chapel and hall to the north, and are open towards the Thames, on the south; these are near 360 feet in length, and about 80 in breadth, they are three stories high, and the rooms are so well disposed, and the air so happily thrown in by means of the open spaces, that nothing can be more pleasant. On the front of this square is a colonade extending along the side of the hall and chapel, over which upon the cornice is the following inscription in capitals.
In subsidium et levamen emeritorum senio, belloque fractorum, condidit Carolus II. Auxit Jacobus II. Perfecere Gulielmus et Maria, Rex et Regina, MDCXC.
And in the midst of the quadrangle is the statue of King Charles II. in the ancient Roman dress, somewhat bigger than the life, standing upon a marble pedestal. This was given by Mr. Tobias Rustat, and is said to have cost 500l.
