This church is a rectory, in the patronage of the Bishop of London. Maitland. Stow. English Architecture.
James court, 1. Berry street, Piccadilly. 2. James street, Featherstone street. 3. James street, Theobald’s row.
St. James’s Market, by Market street, is a place of considerable extent, with a commodious market house in the middle, filled with butchers shops, &c. The stalls in the market place are for country butchers, higlers, &c.
St. James’s Palace, view’d from Pall Mall.
S. Wale delin. J. Green sc. Oxon.
The Same from the Park.
S. Wale delin. J. Green sc. Oxon.
St. James’s Palace. On the place where this edifice stands, was once an hospital dedicated to St. James, originally founded by the citizens of London for only fourteen maids afflicted with the leprosy, who were to live a chaste and devout life; but afterwards new donations increased the extent of the charity, and eight brethren were added, to minister divine service. This hospital, which is mentioned in a manuscript of the Cotton library, so early as in the year 1100, was at length suppressed by King Henry VIII. who allowed the sisters pensions during the term of their lives, and taking down the edifice built a palace in its room, which retained the name of the hospital, and is still standing. In this edifice our Kings have resided ever since Whitehall was consumed by fire in 1697, and his Majesty usually resides here during the winter season: but though it is pleasantly situated on the north side of the Park, and has very convenient, and not inelegant apartments, it is an irregular brick building, without having one single beauty on the outside to recommend it, and is at once the contempt of foreign nations, and the disgrace of our own. In the front next St. James’s street, there appears little more than an old gatehouse; and on passing through the gate we enter a little square court, with a piazza on the west side of it leading to the grand stair case; the buildings are low, plain, and mean; and there are two other courts beyond, which have not much of the air of a palace. The windows however look into a pleasant garden, and command a view of St. James’s Park, which seem to be the only advantage this edifice enjoys, above many others devoted to charity. This palace claims a print, as it is the dwelling of a British Monarch, having otherwise not the least beauty to recommend it. The print shews both sides of it.
In other kingdoms the attention of foreigners is first struck with the magnificent residence of the Sovereign, on which all the decorations of architecture are lavished without the least regard to expence. The outside is grand and noble; and the galleries and apartments are adorned with all the boasted pieces of art, the finest efforts of genius, and the most rare and precious productions of nature: for the magnificence of the palace is intended to give an idea of the power and riches of the kingdom: but if the power, wealth and strength of the King of England should be judged from this palace, how great would be the mistake! We are however in no want of a design for an edifice suitable to the dignity of the British Crown; the celebrated Inigo Jones drew a draught of such a structure; but the ideas of that architect were greater than the spirit of the public, and the expence of building it has hitherto prevented its being begun: but as a taste for elegance in building gains ground, and new schemes are continually laid for building magnificent bridges, streets and squares, it is to be hoped that the erecting of so necessary a structure will not be much longer neglected: especially if it be considered, that however great the expence may be, it will cost the nation nothing, for on these occasions, what is given by the people is paid to the people.
St. James’s Park, was in the reign of Henry VIII. a wild wet field; but that Prince, on his building St. James’s palace, inclosed it, laid it out in walks, and collecting the waters together, gave to the new inclosed ground, and new raised building, the name of St. James. It was afterwards much enlarged and improved by King Charles II. who added to it several fields, planted it with rows of lime trees, laid out the Mall, which is a vista half a mile in length, and formed the canal, which is an hundred feet broad, and two thousand eight hundred feet long, with a decoy, and other ponds for water fowl. Succeeding Kings allowed the people the privilege of walking in it, and King William III. in 1699 granted the neighbouring inhabitants a passage into it out of Spring Garden.