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.