XXIII.—No. 35 GREAT GEORGE STREET: (Demolished).
General Description and Date of Structure.
On 4th November, 1755, a lease was granted (fn. 1) to John Horne and
William Wilkinson of a "peice or parcell of ground with the messuage
"or tenement and all other erections and buildings now standing, erected
"and built thereon, scituate" on the north side of Great George Street at
the western corner of Delahay Street, containing 49 feet in front and rear
and 39 feet at each side. From the words in italics it would certainly appear
that the house was already in existence, and this is confirmed by the fact that
in March, 1756, the remainder of the term was assigned (fn. 2) to Francis Lequesne
"as security for the repayment of £850 and interest," an evident indication
that it did not concern simply a vacant plot. And yet the house and its two
fellows (Nos. 36 and 37) do not make their first appearance in the ratebooks
until 1793 or later!
The exterior of these premises was in plain brickwork, and had the
usual flat bands and cornice. The main front, however, was of a much
greater width than that of the other houses in the street, and had quoins at
each boundary, while the central doorway (fn. 3) was decorated with wood Roman
Ionic columns (Plate 64). The return front to Delahay Street had brick
recesses and bands, which had little relation to the main front. The interior
had little of interest, with the exception of a few marble mantelpieces. A
tablet from one on the first floor is illustrated.
Historical Notes.
The occupants of this house up to 1840, according to the ratebooks, were as follows:—
|
| 1793–1802 | (Sir) Thos. Turton. |
| 1803–10 | Commissary General's Office. |
| 1811–17 | Commander-in-Chief's Office. |
| 1818–36 | Chas. Short. |
| 1837– | Judge-Advocate-General. |
In the Council's Collection are:—
(fn. 4) General view of exterior (photograph).
(fn. 4) Entrance doorway (photograph).
Marble mantelpiece, ground-floor front room (photograph).
Marble mantelpiece, first-floor front room (photograph).
(fn. 4) Detail of central tablet to marble mantelpiece, first-floor front room (photograph).
Plaster cornice, first-floor front room (photograph).
(fn. 4) Ground and first-floor plans (measured drawing).
Footnotes
| 1 |
Middlesex Memorials, 1756, I., 400. |
| 2 |
Ibid., 1756, I., 451. |
| 3 |
Preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum. |
| 4 |
Reproduced here. |