THE PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.
These schools are situated at the east side of the Cemetery. The pointed style was adopted on account of the contiguity of the building to the Parish Church. It consists of a centre, with low wings. The wings are occupied by the schools, and the centre as residences intended for the master and mistress; a large pointed arch connects the two divisions. The first stone was laid on the 18th of June, 1824, by the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Wellesley, rector, with the customary formalities, at which there were present the late Rev. Henry Blunt, and several other clergymen, besides a vast number of the parishioners, including many ladies. In 1826 the entire building was finished, and the children were admitted.
CHELSEA WORKHOUSE.
Before the year 1723 there were no workhouses in England. It was the custom to relieve the able-bodied at their own dwelling places, and the aged and infirm were, in many cases, supported by the alms given at the church. In 1727, it was “agreed that the churchwardens should be empowered to take, with all convenient speed, a proper house upon lease, in the name of the parish, for the use of the poor.” In 1733 it was resolved, at a vestry, “That a committee be appointed to find out the most proper method to procure a workhouse for the poor, and an additional burial ground.” The result was that Sir Hans Sloane gave the present ground for both purposes, and the first erection of the workhouse took place about 1737.
The building, at the early part of this century, contained but few dwelling rooms, besides those occupied by the master and mistress. It had two wings, however, the one to the south-west was built in 1792, and the south-east wing in 1797. The whole did not occupy much space. There was a garden, tastefully laid out, with a neat box-edging around each compartment. [150] An aged inmate was the gardener, and he took great delight in keeping it in good order. How altered is now the appearance of the workhouse! The pretty garden, where once I plucked a flower, has long since disappeared, and on its site are erected extensive buildings, to afford necessary accommodation for the vast increase of inmates. Since the period to which I first alluded many additions have been made to the original workhouse, and consequently it was altogether devoid of uniformity; but as it has been within the last few years almost rebuilt, under the direction of G. Handford, Esq., architect and surveyor, of the King’s Road, the defect mentioned is no longer apparent. Indeed, unless it had been an entire new erection, no further improvement, as regards the exterior, could have been made. The interior is well arranged, both for comfort and convenience. There are at the present time upwards of 560 inmates, and the Guardians afford every reasonable indulgence to the aged and deserving amongst them. Thomas Symons, Esq., the Chairman of the Board, is highly esteemed by the parishioners, and they have recently presented to him a very handsome testimonial of respect.
THE KING’S ROAD CEMETERY.
This cemetery adjoins the workhouse, and the ground was the gift of Sir Hans Sloane. It was consecrated in 1736, by Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London. In 1790 it was enlarged by a grant from Lord Cadogan.
The obelisk, near the centre, was erected to the memory of Andrew Millar, an eminent bookseller in London, who died in 1768, aged 61 years; he had little pretensions to learning, but possessed a very nice discrimination in selecting his literary counsellors.
On a flat stone, on the north side, is an inscription in memory of John Martyn, F.R.S., Professor of Botany at Cambridge, and Eulalia, his wife, youngest daughter of the Rev. Dr. King, rector. She died in 1748–9, and Mr. Martyn in 1768.
John Baptist Cipriani, the celebrated artist, and one of the earliest members of the Royal Academy, was interred in this burial ground. On the north side is a tomb to his memory. Cipriani excelled in delineating the human figure, and was much employed by the printsellers in making drawings, which are well known by Bartolozzi’s beautiful engravings from them; he died in 1785, aged 58.