'A PLEASING EXAMPLE OF SKILL IN OLD AGE': SIR AND MARLBOROUGH HOUSE^

ARTHUR SEARLE

THE lease of the site of what was to become Marlborough House (fig. i) was first granted to the Duke of Marlborough by in 1708.-^ The Duke left the whole matter of the projected town house to his Duchess, so the choice of architect was hers. In her own words: 'I sent for Sir C. Wren and told him I hoped it would be no trouble to him to look after the building I was going to begin. . .'^ By this time Wren was in his late seventies and anyway much occupied with the control of royal building works in his role as Surveyor-General. He was assisted in many projects, whether for the Crown or others, by his son Christopher, who had entered the Office of Works as Chief Clerk and Clerk Ingrosser in 1702.''• The younger Christopher was particularly involved with the work at Marlborough House, to the extent that it has been suggested that this was a deliberate attempt on the part of the ageing architect to gain his son credit for the design of a major building, and with it an increased chance of higher office.^ The Blenheim Papers give little information about the commissioning or design of Marlborough House. But in the arrangement of the collection all the papers relating directly to the house have been brought together;"^ they include a number of letters to the Duchess from both Wren and his son, which throw light on the collaboration between the two men in supervising the later stages of the building work, from September 1710. Since Wren could not give constant attention to the project, much of the day-to-day detail did indeed fall to his son. But in the arguments, which with Sarah Churchill were perhaps inevitable, the younger Christopher could and did refer the most trivial matters to his father's experienced opinion. At times this process of referral from one to the other takes on the appearance of a calculated technique for keeping their formidable client at bay. The technique may perhaps have played a part, along with the relative simplicity of Wren's design (fig. 2), in ensuring that the building went ahead at a good pace. The Duchess laid the foundation stone in May 1709;"^ the house was roofed and work on the interior well advanced before serious differences set in. Most of the letters were written by the younger Wren, but there are seven from Sir Christopher, all of them apparently unpublished. Some are holograph, others written

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Fig. 2. Marlborough House, ground plan (from Colin Campbell, Vitruvius Britannicus, , 1725, vol. i, pi. 39) out in another hand and only signed by Wren; they are here printed in full. The first of his letters in the group is dated from Whitehall, 23 September 1710:^ Madam I had the honour of Your Grace's Leter by Mr. Tilson the 20th instant, vi^hich I perused with diligence, and I hope every thing will be carryed on to Your Grace's satisfaction and with all the frugality soe large a Fabric will admit of according to the directions your Grace hath allready given, and which was in hand before your Grace left us. I crave leave to acquaint Your Grace what wee are at present in hand with. The Joyner is setting up the framing only in all the Roomes without the pannells, the framing is first to be don which was all cut out before; the pannells may be put on at any time when your Grace will please to give direction, and till then I shall omit what can be spared. The boarding of the ordinary roomes of the Wings may be don at present with ordinary but drie boardes, but the best roomes must be floored heerafter when the Joyner and Painter have both finished their worke. I hasten to finish all durty worke out of the way. The descent of black steps into the Garden is finished and is very noble, the other in the Front is in hand, and I hast before Frosty weather to finish all pavings and worke without dores, you may finish the inside at your leasure. Both pair of Staires are don except the Iron worke. Wee are finishing the porter's Lodge and place for the Cisterne, which must be don before the Courtes can be levelled and paved. I thinke the outside Shutters and dores must be don out of hand for security of the House in winter, that a porter and his Dog may preserve it. Mr. Wise beeing about to plant his Trees will drive us out of the Garden, and therfore I crave leave to use the confectionary roomes at present in the west wing for the stores while there is worke in the house, and old things left that may be usefull. Madam, I shall take the best care I can of your Expence, and I dare beleive Your Artizans are all well satisfied in your Grace's assurance of good payment with your convenience. What Your Grace hath farther to thinke off let me have the honour to receive Your Commandes, and I or my Son in my absence will carefully observe them, and I beseech you to accept of my thakes for favours, and the sincere profession of my humble duty as Madam your Grace's most obedient humble servant Chr. Wren Henry Wise's detailed bill for work laying out and planting the gardens from 29 May 1710 to 31 March 1711 is preserved with the papers.^ On 31 October 1710 the younger Wren wrote about the arrangements he had made for a water-supply for the house and included an estimate of the number and type of tiles that would be needed for floors and fireplaces. ^° This letter the Duchess, with evident approval, sent off to Marlborough so that he could arrange for the tiles to be imported from Holland. In her covering letter Sarah incidentally expressed her dislike of excessive ornament, finding plain white tiles for a fireplace 'mighty hansome'. However, the disputes about materials and tradesmen's costs foreshadowed in Wren's first letter were to become a feature of the early months of the 1711 building season. On 8 March 1711 the younger Wren wrote, 'Madam, my father's resolutions are to prevent as far as possible all disputes that may any ways disturb your peace and to act for your Grace as for himself. ^^ At the end of March a letter signed by both father and son, though with the text wholly in Sir Christopher's hand, was

39 Marlebrough House, March 29th. Madam I have your Grace's commands allweis in my thoughtes and pursue them with all the care I can to a conclusion, and I hope such as your Grace will approve off, and the whole would by this time have been concluded, but I beg your Grace to remember you commanded a Stop to be put to all the workemen in Generall. Afterward by an other Leter you allowed the Joyner to proceed to set up what he had cut out, which he is doing, and the Clerke is measuring all the worke as if don, for some roomes are finished, soe as to give us full Light into the remainder under hand; as soon as I have this measurement you shall have the Bill with Blankes for the prices, which I will presume to put in Black Lead according as I thinke in my conscience it will deserve without losse to the Artist, leaving it to your Grace's own opinion; and I pray your Grace to remember the worke was performed according to a patterne of your own chusing much out of the way of the usuall work of the best maner, which will make it more difficult to conclude. I will doe what I can to bringe him to reason, and you have the mony in your hand, and all you have directed (which I know of) is near finished. All the carpenter hath don is measuring and you shall have that alsoe very speedily; but the HoUidayes give us some disturbance. The paviour looses time: you need not feare he will bring any account for Gravell.'^ Wee should thinke our selfes happy if you would commande us to attend upon the place and receive your owne thoughtes, for Letters occasion mistakes. But I beseech you be assured that wee are to the utmost Your Grace's most obedient faithfull servants Chr. Wren Chr. Wren On 4 April Sir Christopher wrote again about the negotiations over the joiner's contract. The joiner in question was John Hopson, whose presence was indicative of the high level of workmanship Wren sought for Marlborough House. He had worked on St. Paul's Cathedral with his father. Sir Charles Hopson, who died in April 1710, and like others of the artists and craftsmen involved with Marlborough House he had also been employed at Blenheim. ^''^ Madam I sent your Grace Mr. Hobson's bill as I had corrected it, leaving out those particulars which you excepted as what ought to be included in the measurement. I did not put in the price of the worke by the yard for which I wrangled to have brought him to 5sh. and 6d., but upon his insisting upon 6sh. he was willing to appeal to your Grace, which you have been pleased to allow him since. And I am of opinion that his Gain is very htle considering the goodness of the materialls which have been kept many yeares. I have got him at last to Signe to your Grace's Articles with an exception to some particulars which indeed there is good Colour for. The Shasses for the plate Glasse will have 2 hundred of lead in the 4 weightes, which is allwais found by the plumber, the joyner only makes the mould for the Plumber. Wee alwaies use to allow small mouldings into the measurement of Deale worke, but when Corneses exceed 10 inches it is just to allow a moderat price by the foot running according to the mould. I know not yet whither your Grace doth consent to the paviour to proceed in his worke, he having agreed to your Grace's prices and is afrayd to loose his men. It remaines now that you agree with the Carpenter; hee is yet at Hamptoncourt, but his worke of the floores is the last after

40 the Joyner hath don, and may stay till your Grace's returne, which I wish may be happy. You may be confident all care shall be taken in your absence by Madam, Your Grace's most obedient and most Humble servant Chr. Wren In this letter^^ the cramped handwriting of old age begins to be tremulous; in Wren's brief letter of 6 ApriP^ it is, as David Green has observed, 'alarmingly shaky' (fig. 3):

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Fig. J. Letter of Sir Christopher Wren to the Duchess of Marlborough, 6 April 1711. Add. MS. 61357, fol- 45 Madam After more dispute then ever I had before in any bargain I have induced the timorous young man to signe the contract your Grace hath sent, and is heerin inclosed. If your Grace allowes him a summe in hand, your Grace may at the same time oblige him to a performance of the worke by a prefixed time. The Carpenter is not yet returned out of the Country. I am Your Grace's most obedient and most humble servant Chr. Wren At this point, if at no other, there seems to be justification for Vanbrugh's jibe that at Marlborough House the Duchess had 'the direction in chief to herself, with Sir Christopher Wren as her Deputy Surveyor'. ^"^ The news of the 'timorous' young

41 Hopson's agreement to the Duchess's conditions had also been conveyed by the younger Wren in a separate letter. ^^ Sir Christopher wrote again on the same subject on 7 April, though on this occasion he had the text written out for his signature: ^^ Madam I receiv'd the Honour of your Grace's letter, but can't communicate your Grace's Com- mands to Mr. Hopson, or return his answer to the proposal you are pleas'd to make, that he should enter into an obligation of finishing the work by a certain day, he being at pre- sent at Hampton-Court and will not return 'till munday, but am apt to beleive He will comply with it. I have sent to the Painter to finish the Shasses, and nothing more; your Grace shall have his Bill, as soon as I can gett it. I have directed the smith to do no more, 'till He has brought in his Bill. The Carpenter has given in his Prices to your Grace, and has said. He will sink no lower, but I will speak with him again the beginning of the week, when, I suppose, he will return from Hampton-Court. I am. Madam, your Grace's most obedient most Humble Servant Chr. Wren Hopson undertook to finish the work in six weeks on condition that he was given ;(^i,ooo in advance.^"^ Even then, the final decision on the work he was to carry out on the hall (now known as the saloon) of the house had not been taken. The younger Wren's letter of 23 April was concerned with that room, in particular with the disposition of the Gentileschi ceiling paintings, formerly at the Queen's House, Greenwich: The Pictures design'd for the Hall are so large that they fill the whole Ceiling, and hardly allow room for the frameing which is but small in proportion to the pictures; the Hall they came from at Greenwich was larger then yours, so that Mr. Walton was oblig'd to cutt them in such a manner as to fitt the Ceiling exactly, and the spaces between will appear small at that distance from the eye ... I showM the design for placeing the pictures to the Duke of Marlborough at Somersett House when they were first brought there to be mended. He approved it, and applying himself to me, desired I would take care to have it perform'd in that manner, and it will be very hansome and proper; tho the room is a first room, it will be a very good one . . .-^^ The method of fixing the pictures to the ceiling was also in dispute, as was the way the paving was being laid in the courtyard. But from this same letter it is clear that most other work had indeed been stopped and that the Wrens had been instructed to arrange a meeting of the workmen to inspect bills and to consider further action. The stop seems to have been part of a careful plan on the part of the Duchess, for she had in the meantime brought in her own workmen. On 25 April the young Wren was stung into writing '. . . we find to day a Painter primeing with Size . . . this way of painting is very ill, will peel off, and spoyl the Wainscot and is never used but in poor tradesmen's Houses that can afford no better . . .'^^ Undismayed, Sarah continued to use her own men inside the house, with the exception of Hopson. Sir Christopher Wren's next letter, dated from Whitehall, 14 July 1711, makes this

42 Madam I am not a little afflicted that, by the late change of Offices at Court,^ I have had so much Business upon my hands at St. James's, Hampton Court, and Kensington besides my own little affairs that I Confess I must needs appear rude in not complying with your Grace's commands signified in your Letters, and indeed I was at a loss how to give your Grace Satisfaction, since you have been pleased to change your workemen for those who doe not think themselves concerned at all with me; neither have I now any place to sitt downe and examin any Bills or measurements. And your Grace Having too soon discharged Sparvill,^^ with whome I left severall directions, and who was truely for your Grace's Interest, and I am Confident very honest In his trust, it will not be so easy for me to make out the Deductions intended in the last Bills, and to settle all things to your Grace's satisfaction. I am very well pleased that you will Contract your self, for what is yett to be done, but I beg of you that it may be as well performed, and that you would think a few pence may sometimes be ill saved. I doubt Your poor Glazier will not performe as He Should att the price sett, which will prove noe little damage to the House, to secure it from Wind and Weather. The stooles will require a man of some sence, otherwise they will be often troublesome to you hereafter. Madam, I begg you to beleive I shall never decline any Service you will lay upon me that may be consistent with the time I owe to Her Majesty's Service. And that I am with all Sincerity, Madam, Your Grace's most Obedient and most Humble Servant Chr. Wren This letter is again written out in an unknown hand and signed by Wren. Despite its sadly resigned tone, it is not quite the final communication. One last surviving letter, its text written out by the younger Wren, but signed by Sir Christopher alone, is dated 9 August, once more from Whitehall.^'^ It shows that the Wrens still felt concern for the whole project, and equally that the Duchess did not hesitate to use them to sort out final exterior details, even while employing men herself to make the interior ready for moving in. Madam Her Majestie's business hath lately multiplied upon me, as the Chapel at Hampton Court, and other Works there, and at Windsor and at St. James's, with much attendence at the Treasury, and my own Concernes, that I fear I may have incurr'd your Grace's displeasure in not answering your last commandes; I was last week with Mr. Wise at your Grace's House, not to direct any thing, but to satisfie myself what is yet to be done that seem'd to me necessary, and accordingly to advertise your Grace. The Joyner goes on, and I beleive will finish in the time prescribed, if the Chimny-peices were sett: the Carpenter's work and materials are very good, and he will have finish'd speedily, but cannot complete his worke till the hearthes are layed. I have many thinges to say, if I had the honour of seeing your Grace upon the Place, but I give no directions to your Grace's workmen, I beg you to doe that yourself, and allso to adjust their Bills, for I beleive you have made closer Contracts then I could doe, haveing proceeded upon supposition that both materialls and worke ought not to be of the ordinary sort, where late-built-houses are now dropping, and such as were done within 20 years: but your Grace's work as far as I have inspected it, is substantial and well perform'd, what is more to be done is wholy left to your Grace's judgement. The ground of the laundry-yard is cumbred with materials, most of which will be return'd as soone as the Carpenter has done and the

43 deductions made upon his bills. The Necessary-House is not cover'd, though the slats lie ready. The shed for wood and Coals (which I long since directed) stays for your Grace's order, the time of the year will require it, and it will soon be done, if you think fitting. What to doe with the old Peeres I cannot determine, if I take them down I must lay open a part of a man's house, who tho he hath manifestly incroached upon you, yet is too obstinate to permit it quietly to be done. I have ordered the Stone Copeing of the outward Court to be taken down as you desire, and insteed of it there must be a brick coping, and if the iron work must be fixed, as you seem to allow, for light to the Public-house, some of the stone must be used there to fix the iron in.^^ The principal thing remaining will be the Water-Stools, for which I wish you would use your former Plumber, who very well understands my thoughts what should be done there; the Cisterne for that purpose is not yet set, but the Pipes are fitted to it. There are some other things which I have suspended till your comeing to town least you should have other commands which I shall obey, if you give me leave, without reserve, as becomes Madam, your most faithfull humble servant Chr. Wren The Duchess was able to move in on 24 October 1711, although only the upper floor was habitable. ^^ She continued to harass the workmen appointed by Wren, whose letters of justification are included in the collection.^^ They in turn were driven to write a public defence which appeared in the Post Boy of 27 December 1712.^^ By that time the Marlboroughs' fall from favour had led Sarah to leave the country, though even from abroad she kept a wary eye on Laguerre's progress on the cycle of wall paintings celebrating the Duke's victories. ^^ Once returned she continued to justify her part in this architectural quarrel,^^ just as she set out on a far more elaborate justification of her part in the larger disagreements over .

1 The phrase 'a pleasing example of skill in old 4 H. M. Colvin, The History of the King's Works, age' comes from Robert Kerr's description of vol. V (London, 1976), p. 471. Marlborough House in The Gentleman's House 5 Ibid., pp. 36-7. (London, 1871), p. 44. Some documentation on 6 Add. MS. 61357. the house is given in A. T. Bolton, H. D. 7 Wren Soe, vol. vii, p. 226. Hendry (eds.). The Royal Palaces of Winchester, 8 Add. MS. 61357, fol. 3- Whitehall, Kensington, and St. Jameses . . . 1660- 9 Ibid., fol. 34. n^5-< Wren Society, vol. vii (Oxford, 1930), 10 Add.MS. 6i43i,fol. 142. The text, together with pp. 225-9, 247> 248 (cited as Wren Soe); the that of the Duchess's covering letter, is printed principal account of the building of the house is in H. L. Snyder (ed.). The Marlborough- that given by David Green in Blenheim Palace Godolphin Correspondence, vol. iii (Oxford, 1975), (London, 1951), pp. 105-9, where full use is pp. 1654-5. Snyder has followed the endorse- made of material in the Blenheim Papers. A ment in assigning the letter to Sir Christopher description of the house is given in Royal Wren, but it is in the hand of, and signed by, Commission on Historical Monuments, London, his son. vol. ii (London, 1925), pp. 132-3 and pi. 209-25; 11 Add. MS. 61357, fol. 9. a summary history, with a description and 12 Ibid., fol. 32. illustrations of the house as it is now, is to be 13 Gravel was being dug on the site in the process found in John Charlton's guide book, Marl- of laying out the gardens. Ibid., fol. 31. borough House (London, 1978). 14 D. Green, op. cit., p. 268. 2 Wren Soe, vol. vii, p. 225. 15 Add. MS. 61357, fo*- 41- 3 Quoted by D. Green, op. cit., p. 106. 16 Ibid., fol. 45.

44 17 Quoted in D. Green, op. cit., p. io6. cised considerable control over the Office of 18 Add. MS. 61357, fol. 47. Works. H. M. Colvin, op. cit., vol. v, pp. 174-5, 19 Ibid., fol. 49. 239; J. C. Sainty, Treasury Officials, i66o-i8jo 20 Ibid., fol. 54. (London, 1972), p. 19. 21 Ibid., fol. 55. The paintings can be identified 25 Daniel Sparvill, labourer-in-trust on the site. among the goods of Charles I reserved for the Add. MS. 61357, fol. 65. use of the state after his execution. O. Millar 26 Ibid., fol. 71. (ed.). The Inventories and Valuations of the King''s 27 The northern boundary of the site, which abutted Goods, i64g~i6si, Walpole Society, vol. xliii the backs of the buildings in Pall Mall, caused (Glasgow, 1972), p. 137. For a reproduction of these problems with completing Wren's brick part of the paintings see J. Charlton, op. cit., courtyard screen and with providing a sufficiently P- 15- wide carriage entrance. 22 Add. MS. 61357, fol- 59- 28 Hertfordshire Record Office, Panshanger MSS. 23 Ibid., fol. 68. F228.1 am indebted to my colleague Dr. Frances 24 Extensive work on the chapel at Hampton Court Harris for drawing my attention to this reference had begun early in 1711. Wren may also be and to Lady Ravensdale for permission to use referring to the need to carry out alterations it. in apartments assigned to new courtiers at St. 29 Add. MS. 61357, fols. 78-87. James's and Kensington, a more obvious conse- 30 Reprinted in Wren Soe, vol. vii, p. 228, and in quence of the fall of the Whig ministry in 1710. D. Green, op. cit., p. 305. In addition, following the change in government, 31 Wren Soe, vol. vii, pp. 228-9. Harley, as Earl of Oxford, had been appointed 32 Add. MS. 61357, fols. 93-110; Wren Soe, vol. Treasurer on 30 May 1711; the Treasury exer- vii, p. 227.

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