“That the Petitioner (over and above great sums of money lent by him to his late Majesty of blessed memory) did expend in building of a house called Fauxhall, for an operatory for engineers and artists to work public works in, £9000 and upwards, as appears by the bills of the workmen that built the house.
“That the Petitioner hath expended above £50,000 trying experiments and conclusions of arts, in that operatory, which may be useful to his Majesty and his kingdoms.
“That there being a grant made by your Majesty, under the Great Seal of England to the Lord Moore, of the manor of Kennington, (within which manor the said Fauxhall is situated and being) the Petitioner applied himself to your Majesty, and acquainted your Majesty with the Petitioner’s equitable right to the said Fauxhall, that thereupon your Majesty was graciously pleased to recall the said Patent, and to cause an exception to be made therein as to Fauxhall, which was done, whereby your Majesty might gratify the Petitioner therewith, but the Petitioner hath not hitherto desired the same.
“The Petitioner humbly prayeth that your Majesty will be graciously pleased, in consideration that the Petitioner hath built the said house, at so great a charge, to serve your Majesty,
“That you will be pleased to grant it to the Petitioner at some fee farm rent, as your Majesty shall think fit.
“And the Petitioner shall pray.”
This document divulges at least one important secret in regard to the Marquis of Worcester’s personal history, in connection with his practical mechanical pursuits. We now find that he actually built suitable premises as workshops at Vauxhall,[J] for “engineers and artists to work public works in.” That in that “operatory,” or laboratory, he had “expended above £50,000, trying experiments and conclusions of arts.” And that on the building alone he had laid out above £9000. It is, however, only by bearing in mind the enormous amount that these sums of money represent, considered in reference to the value they bore two hundred years ago, that we become fully alive to the princely expenditure of this great scientific experimentalist, whose patronage and encouragement of experimental philosophy, for practical designs, is without a parallel in any other age or country.
The very next month his Lady was necessitated to petition in the following terms, in regard to Worcester House.[K]
“To the right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, now assembled in Parliament.
“The humble Petition of Margaret, Marchioness of Worcester, wife of Edward, now Marquis of Worcester.