CHAPTER 18: XI—NO. 58–59, CHARING CROSS AND NOS. 11 AND 13, SPRING GARDENS
Ground Landlords.
No. 58–59, Charing Cross, is the freehold of the London County
Council. Nos. 11 and 13, Spring Gardens, have been demolished.
History of the Site.
Among the sales of George and Thomas Cole on 20th December,
1618, (fn. 1) was that to Thomas Marshall of "all that messuage … on the Southside of the Kings highway leading from Charing crosse … towards St. James
Feilds, now in the tenure … of … Thomas Marshall, … and all that other
messuage thereunto adioyning on the Westside late in the tenure of Rowland
Hartley and now in the tenure of Anne Vaughan alias Anne Evans, midwyfe
… abutting uppon the Kings highway on the Northparte and uppon the
Wall of St James Parke on the South parte." No further trace of the
property has been found for over a century. (fn. 2) In 1721 is a reference (fn. 3) to
four houses near Charing Cross "held by John Green, late citizen and
Carpenter of London by Lease under Captain Dorrell Deceased." Captain
John Dorrill died in the disastrous expedition against Quebec in 1711, (fn. 4)
and no particulars of his estate have been found, but in 1769 John Chambers
Dorrill mortgaged (fn. 5) "all those two Messuages … situate … on the South
side of Charing Cross … and also all those two other Messuages … situate
in Spring Gardens on the back side of the first mencioned Messuages …
Which … four Messuages … were formerly Two Houses in the Several
Tenures of Thomas Marshall and Anne Vaughan otherwise Anne Evans …
and were afterwards used as three Messuages … and in the Occupation of
Nicholas Highmore, (fn. 6) Anne Jones, Widow, and Anne Stone, Widow …
which said four Messuages … now are or late were in the Several Tenures …
of John Humphrey, Stephen Wright, Margaret MacLeod and Elizabeth
Hatsell." (fn. 7) These houses are readily identifiable by means of the ratebooks
with Nos. 58 and 59, Charing Cross, and Nos. 11 and 13, Spring Gardens.
No. 59, Charing Cross, is in many deeds specified as The Black Horse.
Date and Description of Structure.
Nos. 11 and 13, Spring Gardens, had a brick front of three storeys
(see Plate 90), and the architectural evidence suggests that they probably
dated from the middle of the eighteenth century. A lead cistern on
the premises with a panelled front bore the date 1764 (Plate 84). It is,
however, doubtful whether the latter can be regarded as dating the house,
and the evidence of the ratebooks is almost decisive that both houses were
rebuilt in the period 1744–6. (fn. 8) They were demolished to permit of the
formation of the Mall Approach.
Figure 26:
No. 13, Spring Gardens
No. 58–9, Charing Cross, is a house of four storeys, including shop.
The first floor has two bay windows with shaped lead roofs, dating from the
early part of the nineteenth century, and probably inserted when the front was
given a coat of stucco. The staircase of the upper part of the premises has
turned balusters and a close string, and dates from the early part of the
eighteenth century. Normally this might be taken as indicating the date of
erection of the premises, but the evidence of the ratebooks rather suggests
a date about 1683, which might accord with the appearance of the back wall.
The two houses seem to have been combined about 1838 (see Historical
Notes).
Condition of Repair.
Poor.
Historical Notes.
The following are lists of the occupants of the houses from the time of their probable
erection to 1840:
|
| No. 11, Spring Gardens |
|---|
| 1747–51 | Eleanor Pymm |
| 1752–53 | Robt. Wood |
| 1754 | Chas. Slingsby |
| 1755–58 | Chas. Duncomb |
| 1759–61 | Hen. Drummond |
| 1762–70 | Eliz. Hatsell |
| 1771 | Phineas Atherton |
| 1772–78 | Eliz. Gleed |
| 1779–82 | Jas. Silver |
| 1783–86 | Anth. Groves |
| 1787–89 | Jas. Chaffy |
| 1790–95 | Mrs. North |
| 1796–99 | Miss Vernon |
| 1800 | Jas. Waldegrave |
| 1801 | Jas. Welwyn |
| 1802–3 | Gordon John Donaldson |
| 1804–5 | Gordon Graham Donaldson |
| 1806 | Rd. Ironmonger |
| 1807–8 | — Benstead |
| 1809–11 | W. R. Rogers |
| 1812 | — Davis |
| 1813–15 | Thos. Bonner |
| 1816–20 | Dr. Hutchinson |
| 1821–24 | Wm. Arnold |
| 1825–29 | Thos. Justice |
| 1830– | Chas. Witt |
| No. 13, Spring Gardens |
|---|
| 1748–50 | Lord John Sackville |
| 1751–58 | Richd. Vernon |
| 1759–60 | Col. Lindsey |
| 1761–62 | Wm. McLeod |
| 1763–4 | (Ratebooks missing) |
| 1765–78 | Margaret McLeod |
| 1779–98 | Stephen Wright |
| 1799–1801 | Chris. Papendick |
| 1803 | — Alexander |
| 1804–08 | Hen. Vaughan Brooke |
| 1809–17 | John Greathead Harris |
| 1818–20 | Dr. Boyton |
| 1821–24 | Dr. Jas. Johnson |
| 1825–33 | Wm. John Delange Arnold |
| 1834– | Thos. Baker |
| No. 58, Charing Cross |
|---|
| 1684–1704 | Sheldon Vicarage |
| 1705–06 | Anth. Blunt |
| 1707–09 | John Griffis |
| 1710–25 | Wm. Sinclair |
| 1726–46 | John Phillips |
| 1747–52 | Cath. Maddocks |
| 1753 | Chas. Lowder |
| 1754–61 | John Wayman |
| 1762–98 | Stephen Wright |
| 1799–1800 | Louisa Wright |
| 1801–20 | Valentine Read |
| 1821–26 | Eliz. Read |
| 1828–33 | Chas. Mcintosh |
| No. 59, Charing Cross |
|---|
| 1683–95 | Thos. Blackwell |
| 1696–1703 | Geo. Serle |
| 1704 | Geo. Bedoe |
| 1705–12 | Robt. Smith |
| 1713–14 | Widow Smith |
| 1715–17 | Ric. Daniell |
| 1718 | Widow Donnell |
| 1719–25 | Wm. Hutchinson |
| 1726–34 | Wm. Hatton |
| 1735 | Ann Hatton |
| 1736–47 | John Bigby |
| 1748–64 | John Humphrey |
| 1765–70 | Alex. McIntosh |
| 1834–38 | Saml. Matthews and
Chas. McIntosh |
| 1771–76 | Jas. Chaffy |
| 1777–81 | Chas. Chaffy |
| 1782–3 | Jos. Rea |
| 1784 | Wm. Lord |
| 1785–88 | Danl. Steward |
| 1789–96 | Wm. Deluce |
| 1797–99 | Geo. Broome |
| 1800–02 | Ann Broome |
| 1803 | — Dickenson |
| 1804 | Wm. Watkins |
| 1805 | — Palmer |
| 1806–08 | John Styche |
| 1809 | Thos. Elliot |
| 1810–13 | T. S. Lowther |
| 1814–21 | Saml. Kettle |
| 1822–26 | Francis Pontet |
| 1828–37 | Wm. Henry Clark |
| No. 58–9, Charing Cross |
|---|
| 1839– | Saml. Matthews and
Chas. McIntosh |
Lord John Philip Sackville, son of Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, was
born in 1713 and died in 1765. His son became the 3rd Duke in 1769.
James Johnson, born in 1777 at Ballinderry, Ireland, was at the age of 15 apprenticed
to a surgeon-apothecary at Port Glenone, co. Antrim. After further medical education at Belfast
and London he was appointed surgeon's mate and afterwards full surgeon in the navy. At the end
of the war, in 1814, he settled in private practice at Portsmouth, removing in 1818 to London.
In 1816 he founded the Medico-Chirurgical Review, which from 1818 to 1844 he conducted at
his own expense. In 1822 he suffered a long and painful illness, "and shortly afterwards removed
from Spring Gardens, where he had lived for the last few years, to 8, Suffolk Place." (fn. 9) He died
in 1845.
In the Council's Collection are:
Nos. 11 and 13, Spring Gardens
(fn. 10) Plan of premises (drawing).
(fn. 10) Exterior of premises (photograph).
(fn. 10) Detail of lead cistern (drawing).
No. 58–9, Charing Cross
(fn. 10) View of buildings in Charing Cross, from Trafalgar Square (photograph).