MEMORIALS OF OLD MIDDLESEX Memorials of the Counties of England General Editor : Rev. P. H. Ditchfield, M.A., F.S.A. Memorials OF Old Middlesex r Gateway designed by Inigo Jones for Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex, now at chiswick. HE MEMORIALS OF OLD MIDDLESEX EDITED BY J. TAVENOR-PERRY Author of A Chronology of Medieval and Renaissance Architecture The Mediaval Antiquities of the County of Durham The Priory of St. Martin, Dover &c. With many Illustrations "' T9 LONDON BEMROSE & SONS LIMITED, 4 SNOW HILL, E.C. AND DERBY 1909 [All Rights Reserved] PREFACE the following pages, by the term "Old Middlesex" IN is intended the historic County as it was known until recent years, exclusive of the ancient cities of London and Westminster; and no regard has been paid to the boundaries of the modern County of London, the creation of the Act of 1888, since they contain within them large portions also of Kent and Surrey, and are as purely arbitrary and as easy of alteration as those of the Metropolitan Police or the Metropolitan Water Board but all those two has ; Middlesex, except cities, been included within the scope of this volume. Small as is the County, the wide range of subjects which offered themselves for consideration, and the limited space of a single volume, made a satisfactory selection difficult but it is that the ; thought following chapters will be found to be as representative as interesting. The two papers on the ecclesiology of the County were urgently needed, as perhaps the village churches of Middlesex are less known than those of any other county. The historic houses have been given considerable prominence, for many obvious reasons, and are described by writers who are very specially acquainted vi Preface with them and their architectural features. Two have been, however, omitted—Hampton Court Palace, which has been so recently and so adequately described by in volumes Mr. Law three large ; and Kensington Palace, which has always formed part of Westminster, although by a recent arrangement or accident it became included in Kensington. Except as incidental to the various subjects, biographical notices have been avoided, since, especially in such a county as this, they would occupy too large a proportion of the book. The volume, although it deals with things old, is not intended to be merely a collection of archaeological papers, but to present in a readable and easily understood form, free from technical terminology, an account of the ancient buildings and events of the past. The illustrations have been carefully selected, and the editor has been fortunate in finding that many of the contributors have been able to add much by their own to the value of their articles and drawings ; special thanks are due to the Royal Institute of British Architects for the use of the drawing of the section through the dome of Chiswick Villa, and to Mr. Walter L. Spiers, of the Sir John Soane Museum, for the very beautiful photo- graphs with which his brother's paper is illustrated. CONTENTS Page . I The County of Middlesex . By J. Tavenor-Perry The Ancient Churches of Middle- By the Rev. J. Charles sex Cox, LL.D., F.S.A. 14 Roods, Screens, and Lofts in By Aymer Vallance, Middlesex F.S.A 85 The Battlefields of Middlesex . By J. Charles Wall . 102 Holland House .... BytheEARLOFlLCHESTER 117 Fulham Palace and the Bishops By S. W. Kershaw, M.A., of London F.S.A 138 The Monastery and House of By the Rev. J. Charles Syon Cox, LL.D., F.S.A. 154 Chiswick House .... By R. Phene Spiers, F.R.I. B.A., F.S.A. 173 The Parks and Historic Houses . By the Rev. J. Charles Cox, LL.D., F.S.A. 189 The Story of Chelsea By J. Tavenor-Perry . 212 Harrow-on-the-Hill By the Rev. W. Done Bushell, F.S.A. 233 Riverside Haunts of Poets and Painters ..... By Warwick Draper . 252 The Pilgrimage of the Brent By J. Tavenor-Perry . 268 Index 285 vn LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES Gateway designed by Inigo Jones at Chiswick . Frontispiece (From a photo, by Walter L. Spiers) Facing Page An Oak-lined Road at Cranford (From a photo, by F. A. Pope) 6 Harlington Church „ ,, „ 42 Arch of South Door, Harmondsworth Church ... 46 (From a photo, by Aymer Vallance) Ruined Church, Great Stanmore (From a photo, by F. A. Pope) 68 Stanwell Church „ „ ,, 70 Tottenham Church, South Porch . ,, „ „ 76 The Font, West Drayton Church (From a photo, by Aymer Vallance) 80 in 86 Remains of Screens Cowley Church „ ,, ,, Screens in South Mimms Church „ ,, „ 96 Holland House: East Front (From a photo, lent by Lord //Chester) 120 „ South Front ,, „ „ 124 „ North Front „ „ „ 130 „ West Front „ „ „ 134 Fulham Palace : Entrance to the Great Hall .... 142 (From a photo, by F. A. Pope) „ Archway to Walled Garden . .146 (From a photo, by F. A. PoJ>e) „ Bishop Laud's Buildings . 150 (From a photo, by F. A. Pope) Chiswick House .... (From a drawing by Knyff) 1 74 x List of Illustrations Facing Page Chiswick Villa: Section through Dome 176 (From a drawing; in the library of the R.I.B.A.) . ,, Interior, Circular and Middle Rooms .178 (From a photo, by Walter L. Spiers) a Walter L. l8o ,, South Front (From photo, by Spiers) 182 „ The Obelisk „ ,, „ ,, North Front and Summer Parlour „ 184 a F. Swakeley House, Ickenham . (From photo, by A. Pope) 208 Harrow-on-the-Hill : The Church „ „ „ 244 ,, The Old School ,, „ „ 250 Hogarth's House, Chiswick „ „ „ 260 Walpole House, Chiswick Mall „ „ „ 264 ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT Fig. Page i Sketch Map of Middlesex 8 2 Font of Holy Cross, Greenford Magna 35 (From a drawing by J. Tavenor-Perry) 3 Easter Sepulchre, Harlington Church ..... 43 (From a drawing by Miss V. H. H. Cox) a 4 Lych Gate, Hayes . (From drawing by J. Tavenor-Perry) 47 5 West Tower, Heston Church „ „ „ 49 a Miss V. H. H. 6 StOUp, HestOn Church . (From drawing by Cox) 50 a Tavenor-Perry) 7 Ickenham Church . (From drawing by J. 53 8 Chest, Littleton Church „ „ „ 57 9 Northolt Church . „ „ „ 59 10 Font from the Old Church, Great Stanmore ... 69 (From a drawing by J. Tavenor-Perry) 11 Portion of the Parclose Screen, Harefield .... 89 12 Sketch Map of Grime's Dyke (From a drawing by/. Charles Wall) 103 107 13 Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick ,, „ ,, List of Illustrations XI Fig. Pack 14 Sketch Plan of the Battle of Barnet . I IO (From a drawing by J. Charles Wall) 15 Warwick's Elm, Barnet . (From a drawing by J. Charles Wall) 112 16 The Barnet . Obelisk, „ ,, 113 17 Plan of Holland House in original state I20 (From a drawing in the Sir John Soane Museum) 18 Plan of Holland House as at present . 135 (From a drawing by R. W. Edis, C.B., F.S.A.) 19 Arms of Bishops Kemp, Grindal, and Abbot 140 (From a drawing by J. Tavenor- Perry) 20 Arms of Bishops Laud, Juxon, and Compton . '53 (From a drawing by J . Tavenor-Perry) 21 Chiswick House: Plan of Old Buildings . 174 (From a drawing by Rogue) 22 Chiswick Villa : Plan of Present Building 177 (From a drawing by R. Phene Spiers) 23 Chelsea Old Church : Interior .... 214 in Sir 24 ,, „ Capital Thomas More's Chapel 2l6 25 ,, „ Tilting Helmet . 217 26 „ „ The Chained Bible 2l8 27 „ ,, The Font 2l8 28 „ „ Exterior and Entry to Lombard St. 219 29 ,, „ Tower and Vestry 222 30 „ The Moravian Chapel 224 31 „ The "Waterman's Arms" 225 32 „ The "Adam and Eve" . 227 33 „ Paradise Chapel 228 34 „ Houses in Danvers Street 230 35 „ Some Old Street Tablets 230 36 „ In Cheyne Walk 231 37 Harrow-on-the-Hill : The Font . 243 38 Entrance to Strand-on-the-Green 254 39 Zoffany House .... 256 (All these from drawings by J'. Tavenor-Perry) Xll List of Illustrations Fig. Page 40 Obelisk Gate in Burlington Lane 259 41 A Corner in Chiswick 262 42 Perivale 269 43 Greenford Bridge . 271 44 Boston Manor House 274 45 Boston Lock . 275 46 The Old Church of New Brentford 277 47 A deserted Gazeabo 279 48 A Backwater in the Delta . 28l (A II these from drawings by J. Tavenor-Perry) THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX By J. Tavenor-Perry all MONG the counties of England there is, perhaps, not one which seems to possess less individuality, or that is less known as a territorial entity, than the one which contains the great capital of the British Empire. The smoke- cloud of the vast city has so overspread its fields that the country can scarcely be distinguished from the town; or, to change the metaphor, as the light of Mercury is lost in the blaze of the sun's glory, so the dazzle of London has obscured Middlesex. Middlesex, old in the annals of the State, yet the youngest born of the counties, only received its complete and corporate independence when, by the Local Govern- ment Act of 1888, the city sheriffs—one of whom bore the title of Sheriff of London and Middlesex—were relegated to city duties only, and when the County Council of London, with a territory, like a vast modern promcerium round the ancient city, carved out of the surrounding country, was established. The portion of Middlesex left —a mere scantlet after London had secured all that it wanted of it— the but sooner became new county ; no was its complete independence secured than, partly perhaps on account of it, a new set of circumstances occurred which have already gone far to obliterate its rural aspect, and to make it appear, after all, to be but a suburb of the great city.