All about Battersea

by Henry S. Simmonds

The Prince of Wales spoke in reply as follows:

Sir James Hogg and Gentlemen—I thank you in my own name and that of the Princess of Wales for your address, and I can assure you that it gives us both sincere pleasure to take a part in this day's proceedings. The opening of the five bridges westward of Westminster is an important event in the annals of the metropolis, and I rejoice that you should have chosen the Queen's Birthday to declare them free. It is a source of great gratification to us to hear your announcement that the other bridges will, before long, be equally open to the public. A free communication across the Thames is an incalculable boon to all classes of the inhabitants on both sides of the river, and it is our earnest hope that you will be enabled to carry your promised work into effect within the specified time. Let me state in conclusion that the Princess and myself are always ready to assist in advancing any object which identifies us with the population of London, and which tends to promote the interests of the public. The Prince then, amidst loud cheers, exclaimed, 'I declare this bridge open and free for ever.'"

Twenty carriages were devoted to the Members of Parliament, Members of the Metropolitan Board and the Officials the twentieth containing Sir James M'Garel Hogg and some ladies and following this came the three Royal carriages. The route being kept clear of traffic and the spectators massed in lines along side by the police—some 1600 were on duty—the arrangements south side of the bridges being in charge of Captain Braynes, while on the north side Colonel Pearson had the directions. His Royal Highness proceeded by way of the Albert Embankment to Vauxhall Bridge, the approach to which was exceedingly picturesque the banks of the Thames fluttering with flags, and the river crowded with boats that followed the cortège. The procession crossed and re-crossed Chelsea Suspension Bridge. In the London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway West-end Goods Traffic Yard a Royal salute was given on the arrival of the Prince by the crushing weight of a locomotive named Rennes, No. 130, passing over twenty-one fog signals, an arrangement previously made by Mr. J. Richardson, the effect of which gave general satisfaction. The west side of the Victoria Railway Bridge which spans the Thames was elegantly decorated from one end to the other by the London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway Company. Festoons and tri-coloured flags representing the colours used for signals on railways were voluntarily displayed in such profusion by Messrs. J. Richardson and Everest as to render the scene quite imposing. In front of Chelsea Hospital were drawn up two hundred warriors of olden times, pensioners in their beaver cocked hats who knowing more about "Brown Bess than the Martini rifle managed to do a salute with tolerable precision." The people assembled in Battersea Park made a rush for Albert Bridge as the procession approached that graceful structure. The Albert Bridge Company was represented by Mr. Ewing Matheson, the Chairman; Mr. Youngman, Manager; Mr. A. C. Harper, Secretary, and Mr. Frederick Stanley, Solicitor. (The Countess of Cadogan presented the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh with handsome bouquets on behalf of the ladies of Chelsea. Button holes of a very choice nature were also presented to the Prince of Wales and the Duke.) Mr. Kingsbury, Chairman of the Chelsea Vestry, had the honour of presenting a silver medal commemorative of the occasion to the Prince of Wales which was graciously accepted. At the north side of the bridge were drawn up the boys of the Duke of York Asylum; at the south side the children of the local schools, all singing with as much gusto as their little lungs would allow "God bless the Prince of Wales." The Pier Hotel and the houses facing the Albert Bridge were gaily and handsomely decorated with flags of all nations, and the balconies at the corner of Cheyne Walk being filled with ladies arrayed in summer toilets, thus lending an additional charm to the mise en scène. The military display consisted of guards of honour from the 1st Middlesex Engineer Volunteers and the 2nd (South) Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. The keys of the Albert Bridge were handed over on behalf of the Company by Messrs. Matheson and Stanley and a device swung across the bridge denoting that the latter was "free for ever." On the Chelsea side Mr. Stayton was the designer of the festivities. Passing along the Surrey side of the river the Prince made for Old Battersea Bridge the last of the five to be opened. Here the Surrey Volunteers and the Surrey Artillery mustered in force, and a Salvo of Artillery from the Citizen Steamboat Company announced that the bridge was free. At the approach to the Bridge in Bridge Road stands of evergreens were most tastefully arranged by the employés of Messrs. H. and G. Neal the well-known Nurserymen of Wandsworth Common. At no point in the line of route were greater demonstrations of joy expressed and loyalty manifested than by the Battersea people.

The Royal party returned to Marlborough House—-the other carriages then went to Chelsea Vestry Hall where a banquet was served, and at night there was a display of fireworks at Battersea Park supplied by the Crystal Palace Pyrotechnists, T. Brock & Co., the expense being borne by Earl Cadogan to wind up the eventful day's proceedings.

At the foot of Chelsea Suspension Bridge a board is erected on which is written the following: Notice, Metropolitan Board of Works. No Traction Engine, Steam Roller, or any load exceeding 5 tons on each pair of wheels, must be taken over this bridge. By order of J. E. Wakefield, Clerk to the Board, May, 1879.

Shortly after the freeing of the bridges the "bars" were removed, and the old toll house at the foot of Battersea Bridge entirely demolished.

The stupendous Railway Bridge across the Thames at Battersea from Battersea Park Railway Pier to Grosvenor Road Station is said to be the Widest Railway Bridge in the World. It consists of four arches each one hundred and seventy-five feet span in the clear, with a rise of seventeen feet six inches. The immense ribs which support the superstructure are formed throughout of wrought iron, and are firmly attached to massive cast-iron standards which are placed over the piers; the whole of the frame-work is thus made continuous throughout. On each side of the river is a land arch of seventy feet span, making the entire length of the bridge eight hundred and forty feet. The abutments were put in by means of coffer-dams, and the foundations are carried down thirty feet below Trinity high-water mark. The piers are built upon the same principle as that which was first applied by the late Charles Fox to the building of the Bridge at Rochester, Charing Cross, and Cannon Street, Railway Bridges. The bridge was first erected by Mr. J. Fowler. In 1865-6 it was enlarged by the late Sir Charles Fox.

Some antiquarians have stated that about fifty yards westward of Chelsea Suspension Bridge, Cæsar and his legions crossed the river Thames by a ford when in pursuit of the Britons who were retreating from the Romans. The ford is described at low water as a shoal of gravel not more than three feet deep, sufficient for ten men to walk abreast, except on the Surrey side where it has been deepened by raising ballast, and the causeway from the South bank may yet be traced at low water. Others think that the place of crossing was higher up the river, either at Chertsey or Kingston; the latter was anciently called Moreford, or the Great Ford. However, landing at Deal, it is natural the Romans would cross the river at some ford nearest that point.[1]

[1] The distance of Chertsey (Surrey) from London is about nineteen miles. Here, says Camden, Julius Cæsar crossed the Thames when he first attempted the conquest of Britain; but Mr. Gough, in his addition to the "Britannia," has advanced some arguments against this opinion. The passage some believe to have been effected at Coway Stakes, about a quarter of a mile below Chertsey Bridge, where Julius Cæsar crossed the Thames when he led the Roman army into the kingdom of Cassivellaunus, who had encamped his forces on the opposite shore. The Britons did everything in their power to prevent the Romans from crossing by driving stakes into the bed of the river and fencing the banks with wooden palisades. Obstacles of this kind were lightly estimated by the bold legionaries. The cavalry at once entered the river; the infantry crossed with their heads only above water, and panic-struck at the sight of Roman intrepidity, the barbarian warriors fled from their post without an effort to maintain it. Bede, who lived in the beginning of the eighth century, tells us, that some of the stakes were then to be seen, and were as big as a man's thigh. Mr. Milner says some of these stakes have been found at a recent period, hard as ebony, each being the body of a young oak tree.