PART I.

“NOTES” OF KENSINGTON, NOTTING HILL, AND PADDINGTON.

Before entering upon my own remembrances of Kensington and Paddington, it will be interesting to notice some things connected with the history of these places.

Kensington is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Chenesiton. Chenesi was a proper name, and “Lyson” says that in the time of Edward the Confessor a person of that name held a manor in Somersetshire. It may be that Kensington was once a town belonging to a “Chenesi.” At the time of the Romans this district comprised the northern boundary of the marshes formed by the overflowing of the Thames, Chelsea and Fulham being liable to inundation, but the higher elevation of a great portion of this parish rendered it fit for cultivation.

In 1218, in the reign of Henry III., it was disafforested. Before this time it, with Paddington, had formed a portion of the Forest of Middlesex.

In Henry the Eighth’s time a great portion of Notting Hill and Paddington was still forest as appears from records dated 1543.

In 1610 Sir Walter Cope became possessed of the manor of St. Mary Abbot’s by a grant from the Queen. It is recorded that he died possessed of the manor called Earl’s Court, Kensyngton, with its appurtenances, in Kensyngton, Chelsey, Hammersmith and St. Margaret’s, Westminster. Two hundred acres belonging to the Ould House Kensyngton and all that wood called Notting Wood or Knotting Wood, for which he paid as under:—

Manor of Abbot’s £5 0 0 per ann. Earl’s Court 2 0 0 ,, Ould House and land 5 0 0 „ Knotting wood 1 0 0 ,, St. Margaret’s Westminster 1 0 0 ,,

The Kensington division of the hundred of Ossulstan includes Fulham, Hammersmith, Chiswick, Acton, part of Brentford, Ealing, Willesden and Chelsea.

The name of the hundred is probably derived from the German word Waassel which signifies water. Others suggest Ousel, a bird, Ossultun, a town noted for its birds.

AGRICULTURE AND GARDENING.

Fifty years ago the greater portion of Kensington and Paddington was under cultivation for corn, market gardening, nurseries and grass land.

It would appear from ancient records that in past time the temperature of England must have been much higher than at present, for we read of vineyards and of wine being produced in very large quantities. Of those vineyards, especially about Brompton, there are many records.

“Bewick” writes of a spot of ground called Brompton Park as being famed all over the kingdom for the growth of plants, and adds the stock is so large that if reckoned only at a penny each plant the whole value would be above £40,000.

PADDINGTON in the time of Edgar was given to the monks of Westminster at the cost of two hides of land. As the value of a hide of land in Henry the First’s time was 3/-, the monks had a good bargain.

The name is of doubtful derivation, Pad may mean a path or a robber. It may also mean a saddle. The place may have been infested by robbers, or it may have been a place where travellers stopped to bait their horses and “re-padded.”

Pope Nicolas IV. gave the whole proceeds of the manor of Paddington to the poor.

This manor at the reformation passed into the hands of the Established Church. Much as I value the Reformation I cannot pass on without asking what the people to whom this manor of Paddington was given have done for the poor. If the poor had that which others have taken from them we should not have the sad spectacle of old couples driven into a workhouse in which no provision is made for them to end their days together. Married by a church which says “What God has joined together let no man put asunder.” That very church has become possessed of the means which would have enabled them to end their days in peace and comfort.

In Henry the Eighth’s time the manor of Paddington was valued at £41 16s. 8d. Edward the Sixth granted the manor and rectory to Bishop Ridley, then Bishop of London, and to his heirs and successors.

KENSINGTON church lands were also very extensive, as much property was given in the reign of Henry the First to the monastery of Abingdon. St. Mary Abbot’s district of Kensington will indicate the ground which was thus handed over to the abbots.

In 1527 a curate of Kensington (Sebastian Harris) was charged with having in his possession a New Testament and a Lutheran book.

He was ordered to leave Kensington within 2 days and not to return within 4 miles of the place for 2 years.

Tyndale’s New Testament was published 1525.

In 1612, in the reign of James I., the Archdeacon and other officials of churches were commanded to make answer to certain questions which threw some light upon the condition of the church and people of Kensington. From those answers I gather—

1. That all the parishioners receive Communion at Easter.

2. That the ministers are very careful about baptizing children at the font.

3. There is no stranger preacher, only men of worth.

4. That they intend to have a new Bible shortly.

5. That two poor men teach the children—sometimes they have a few, sometimes none. They are men of honest behaviour and sound of religion.

6. That there was a woman—Alice Maybanke—who did not go to church, but frequented an ale house.

7. That certain strangers were excommunicated for not attending Communion at Easter.

8. Also one honest man, who had been tried by the Archdeacon, and not satisfying him, he, the honest man, was excommunicated.

Non-Communicants, none. Communicants (both sexes), 400.

As the authorized version of the Bible was printed in 1611 it is probable the churchwardens wished to substitute that for the Bishops’ Bible which was published 1568.

And as James I. had stated that “he would make all men conform or harry them out of the land, or else worse,” perhaps the strangers and honest man were Baptists, Independents, or Puritans.

A happier time, however, came with William III.

The old church, which was taken down a few years since, was built in 1696, King William III. giving £300 and Princess Ann £100 towards the cost, the whole charge of which was £1,800.

In 1811 it was repaired and improved at a cost to the ratepayers of £3,000.

The first organ cost £500.

Some financial extracts from the old parish books may be interesting and amusing—

£ s. d. 1698 Paid the ringers for the King’s 00 06 08 coming home 1703 Paid for prayer books at general 00 3 06 thanksgiving 1704 Paid Mr. Jackson for a barrel of 00 15 00 beer for victory over French and Bavarians 1709 Paid ringers for forcing the French 00 13 04 lines 1712 Paid ringers when the Queen made 00 6 08 her speech for peace (N.B.) 1713 Paid ringers when the Peace came 00 6 08 over 1714 Paid ringers for the pious memory 00 13 04 of Queen Ann 1716 Ditto, when King George went 00 6 08 through the town Aug. 1 For a bonfire and Ringers 00 5 08 1683 Collection by order of the Bishop 03 12 06 for relief of poor of London 1693 Paid for a truss of straw for a 00 00 04 poor soldier Paid for maimed soldiers 00 06 00 1694 1 bushel of coals for a poor family 00 01 00 1711 Paid for French prisoners and a 00 01 00 woman at Wingsdale Barn 1727 Paid charity boys for blowing organ 00 16 00 bellows and ringing the saint’s bell for one whole year Paid Theef Ketchers enquiring who 00 09 00 robbed the Church

Kensington was not at all a noted place until William III. ennobled it with his court and residence.

Noel House, Kensington Goar, was built 1804.

Kensington House about William Third’s time.

Kensington Square in James Second’s reign, 1698.

Church Street probably took its name from the church at the end, or from the house called Church House, which was occupied by the “poore of the sufferance.”

Camden House was built by Sir Baptist Hickes, who possessed considerable property in the parish in 1612.

Phillamore Place was built 1787, and in 1811 David Wilkie, Esq., R.A., resided here. His works the “Blind Fiddler,” “Rent Day,” “Village Holiday,” &c., will be remembered by all.

Sir Isaac Newton, who by the way was never married, lived on Camden Hill. Here he died, March 20th, 1726–7, at the age of 84.

His nephew wrote of him. “His whole life was one continued series of labour, patience, charity, generosity, temperance, piety, goodness and all other virtues without any mixture of vice whatever.”

The Royal Palace of Kensington is situated in the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster.

The original mansion was built by a person named Finch, one of whose descendants was promoted to the Peerage. The house was then called Nottingham House.

The 2nd Earl of Nottingham sold it to King William III., 1691, for 18,000 guineas, and here, December 28, 1694, Queen Mary died of small pox.

William, who was much attached to this palace, divided his time between Hampton Court and Kensington.

In the month of February, 1702, he was thrown from his horse and brought back to Kensington, where he died March 8, 1702, in the 52nd year of his age.

Queen Ann and Prince George of Denmark were the next inhabitants of the palace. The Queen died here August 1, 1714.

In the reign of George I. the palace was much altered and improved. George II. died in this palace 25th October, 1760, aged 77.

The State Apartments were not occupied afterwards.

The lower apartments, in the south-east portion of the palace, were for some years occupied by the late Duke and Duchess of Kent, and on the 24th May, 1819, an infant princess was born here, who is now our beloved

QUEEN VICTORIA.

KENSINGTON GARDENS.—“Bewick” writes, 1705: “Whatever is deficient in the house is made up in the gardens. There is a noble collection of foreign plants—every inch is well improved—the whole, with the house, not being above 26 acres. Her Majesty (Queen Ann) has been pleased to add near 30 acres more toward the north. Upon this spot nearly 100 men work daily.”

In George Second’s reign Queen Caroline threw a string of ponds in Hyde Park into one, so as to form what is called the Serpentine River.

Her Majesty also added 300 acres from Hyde Park.

At this time the gardens were only opened on Saturday, whilst His Majesty and Court went to Richmond, and company appeared only in full dress on this day.

Hyde Park was originally Hyde Farm, and belonged to the Monastery of Westminster. At the Reformation it became vested in the Crown.

During the Commonwealth the Park was sold in 3 lots. 112 acres on Bayswater side were bought by Richard Wilcox for £4,141, and John Tracey bought 177 acres on the Kensington side for £3,906 7s. 6d.

Anthony Deane, of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, bought Tyburn Meadow, a banqueting house at Park Corner, Bayard’s watering, a fortification, a barn and stable, and land down to Park Corner, for £9,020 8s. 2d.

The fortification was opposite St. George’s Hospital, and another was in Mount Street, Park Lane.

These fortifications were hurriedly put up by the inhabitants to prevent the royalist army reaching London.

Hudibras writes:

“Marched rank and file, with drum and ensign. T’entrench the city for defence in; Raised rampiers with their own soft hands, To put the enemy to stands.

“From ladies down to oyster wenches Laboured like pioneers in trenches, Fal’n to their pick axes and tools, And helped the men to dig like moles.”

HORTON STREET CHAPEL,

Formerly a Congregational Chapel, now a Baptist, was erected principally by Mr. Forsyth, head gardener to George III.; Mr. Thomas Broadwood, of Pulteney Street, and Mr. Saunders, body coachman to George III., with whom he was a great favourite. The King was much accustomed to converse with the latter upon religious subjects. The first minister who officiated was the Rev. Mr. Hall, of Edinburgh. The first stated minister was Dr. Lake, who left to take a curacy in the Established Church. He was succeeded by Rev. John Clayton, who was afterwards minister of Poultry Chapel.

Dr. Liefchild succeeded him, then Dr. Vaughan, then Dr. Stoughton, for whom, after many years, a new chapel was built in Allen Street.

SILVER STREET CHAPEL,

Now Westbourne Grove Baptist Chapel, was erected 1823 by several humble Christian men, who were soon joined by Mr. Baxter, editor of the Polyglot Bible. The names of Mr. Farmer, Mr. Worger and Mr. Baxter ought to be remembered by the Church.

The first pastor was Rev. W. Southwood 1826–1830 The second Rev. John Broad 1831–1841 The third Rev. John Berg 1841–1843 The fourth Rev. Frances Wills 1843–1847 The fifth Rev. W. G. Lewis 1847–1881

Under Mr. Lewis the church increased so much that it was felt necessary to take ground to build a larger chapel.

WESTBOURNE GROVE BAPTIST CHAPEL

Was erected 1853. The first cost was £5,500. Galleries had soon to be erected at cost of £579, and in 1866 it was thought necessary to enlarge the building by adding 16 feet on each side at cost of £5,895; total, £11,974, the whole of which was raised by voluntary subscriptions, under the pastorate of the Rev. W. G. Lewis. In 1881 Rev. J. Tuckwell, of Luton, accepted the pastorate, and under his ministry the church and congregation have largely increased. On the 20th of April, 1882, one of the finest organs in London was opened here, which has added much to the beauty of the building. It was built by Brindley and Foster, of Sheffield, at a cost of £820.

Horbury chapel was a sister church of Hornton Street, and was erected about 1846. The present honoured pastor, Rev. W. Roberts, being the first minister.

In 1831 the populate of Kensington was 20,945 1881 ,, ,, 162,924

1831 there were 3 Sunday Schools with 263 children.

In 1801 the populate of Paddington was 1,881 In 1831 ,, ,, 14,540 1881 ,, ,, 107,098

In 1811 I see the inhabitants of Kensington were very unequally divided.

Males 4,244 Females 6,642

I cannot say if this inequality still exists.