XLVIII.—No. 25 QUEEN ANNE'S GATE: (Formerly No. 3 Queen Square).
Ground Landlord.
The freehold is the property of the Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd.
General Description.
On 5th April, 1726, the South Sea Company Trustees sold (fn. 1) to Isaac
Fernando Nunez, of Billiter Square, for £955, a plot with brick messuage
thereon "now or late in the occupation of Thos. Moore, Esq., being the
"first house on the south side of Queen Square."It is described as having
a frontage of 34 feet 4 inches, and a depth of 32 feet 5 inches to the way
leading to the square, and of 27 feet on the east side. The house is said to
contain three storeys in height, "and three roomes and a large closett on a
floor, with a kitchen, washhouse and other conveniences below stairs, and
garretts in the roofe. And all those three vaults under the square, and a small
yard paved with Purbeck stone, and iron railings in front of the messuage."
These premises are on the corner, and consequently are slightly different
in plan (Plate 105) from others on the same side of the square.
The entrance doorway retains its original hood as described above
(see p. 105). The wood cornice has been removed, the front wall carried up
with new windows and a slate roof substituted for the original.
The rooms generally are panelled, with a moulded chair-rail and heavy
moulded cornice. The stairs have a close moulded string, turned balusters
and square newels and plain panelling to the walls with a heavily moulded
cornice to the landings. A window to the staircase in the basement, overlooking an internal area, has its glass divided into small squares by substantial
sash bars. Bars of similar size were probably in all the windows in the square
before they were reglazed with the present thin bars, which belong to a later
period.
Condition of Repair.
Good.
Historical Notes.
The names of the occupiers of this house up to 1840, according to the ratebooks, are as
follows:
|
| 1707 | Mme. Parnwell. |
| 1708 | Col. Primrose. |
| 1711–12 | F. Campfield. |
| 1713–14 | Sir. Thos. Stepney. |
| 1715–17 | Duke of Beaufort. |
| 1718–19 | John Blockett. (fn. 2) |
| 1720–34 | Thos. Moore. |
| 1737–45 | John Malle. |
| 1746–47 | Mrs. Mall. |
| 1749–50 | Ric. Maule. |
| 1752 | Capt. Edgerton. |
| 1753–54 | F. Starking. |
| 1755–61 | Jane Forbes. |
| 1763–74 | Edw. Cartwright. |
| 1775–76 | Ann Harris. |
| 1777–79 | Jane Maxwell. |
| 1780–82 | John Arnold. |
| 1783–84 | Rev. R. Goodhall. |
| 1785 | Mrs. Connor. |
| 1787–94 | Geo. Brooks. |
| 1795 | Mrs. Buller. |
| 1800 | Mrs. Reynolds (see p. 121). |
| 1801 | — Holemby. |
| 1802–07 | Mrs. Holemby. |
| 1808–23 | John Hopkins. |
| 1824–29 | Edw. Jas. Hopkins. |
| 1832–34 | H. Stone Smith. |
| 1835– | Eliza Swainson. |
The Duke of Beaufort who was resident in this house was Henry, the 3rd Duke. He
succeeded his father in 1714 and died in 1746. The ratebooks show that on leaving No. 3
Queen Square in 1717 he crossed the road to No. 19, where he resided until 1720.
In the Council's Collection are:—
(fn. 3) General view of exterior (photograph).
(fn. 3) General view of exterior (measured drawing).
(fn. 3) Plans of ground and first floors (measured drawing).