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The Commission for Somerset House in the “Eye of the Public”’, the Georgian Group Journal, Vol Jocelyn Anderson, ‘The Commission for Somerset House in the “Eye of the Public”’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXIV, 2016, pp. 81–94 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2016 THE COMMISSION FOR SOMERSET HOUSE IN The ‘EYE OF THE PUBLIC’ JOCELYN ANDERSON Although architectural historians have long identified been debated in Parliament and in the press. This Somerset House as the single most important public article examines these debates and explores the public building project to be built in late eighteenth-century interest which surrounded the Somerset House project Britain, relatively little work has been done on public when Chambers received the commission, and in reactions to it. When Sir William Chambers received doing so, it analyses the context in which he produced the commission in November 1775, the project had his designs. been underway for months, during which time it had Fig. 1. North Front (Strand Facade) Somerset House. (Courthauld Institute of Art) THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXIV THE COMMISSION FOR SOMERSET HOUSE IN THE ‘ EYE OF THE PUBLIC ’ omerset House (Fig. 1) has long been recognized In the days that followed this announcement, a Sas the single most important public building series of proposals were debated by the House, project to have been executed in late eighteenth- and, although they were ultimately passed, they led century Britain. Intended to house offices for the to disputes. Newspapers criticised the project as a Navy, several tax departments, the Royal Academy, royal conspiracy, members of Parliament debated Royal Society and Royal Society of Antiquaries, what architectural style and expenditure would it was designed by Sir William Chambers. His be appropriate, and newspaper correspondents designs for the project have dominated architectural commented on the project’s potential to improve the historians’ studies of the building complex; city, and the architects who might be suitable for it. John Summerson, for example, argued that it From these notices, it is clear that while Chambers was ‘inevitable’ that he ‘should preside over its certainly brought his own architectural ideas and architecture’.1 While there is no question that convictions to the project, he worked within a rich Chambers dominated the project, he did not receive public discourse about it. the commission until November 1775, by which From the newspaper accounts of Somerset time it had been under way for several months.2 In House, it is evident that the public significance of the these early stages the project had been thoroughly project was established long before any final designs debated in parliament and in the press. Examining were made and that it had considerable significance these debates illuminates the public significance the for architectural discourse. In his analysis of James Somerset House project had acquired by the time Ralph’s A Critical Review of the Publick Buildings, Chambers took over, and by extension the terms Statues and Ornaments in and around London and under which he prepared his designs. Westminster (1734), Matthew Craske determined April 1775 was a pivotal moment in the history that architecture was not solely ‘the province of of the commission. Plans to build a government great patrons and the architects they employed […] office complex had first been discussed in 1771, Architecture had become a matter of public concern and Somerset House had been identified as the and its history and standards a matter of public appropriate site in May 1774. That month, the Board debate’.4 Urban building projects were particularly of Works reported that Old Somerset House was in appropriate subjects: Richard Wittman has argued ruins and the King authorised its demolition; the first that, given that they required enormous resources architect asked to prepare plans for the new buildings and ‘they shaped and partitioned public spaces’ and, was William Robinson, then Secretary to the Board by extension, reinforced social hierarchies, writing of Works. It was not until April of the following about urban architecture ‘was thus in a sense to year, however, that an Act of Parliament was passed comment on a material representation of the public to authorise these plans, and the Act and speeches sphere itself’.5 As we will see, the Somerset House associated with it sparked a series of articles in the project led people to question what the building London newspapers. Public interest was considerable: would truly represent: it was the largest public on 25 April, the Middlesex Journal reported that building project in later eighteenth-century London, ‘The matter of pulling down Somerset-house, and and it raised questions about royal authority, charging to the House of Commons the rebuilding constitutional values and civic pride. In addition, barracks and offices on where it now stands, will be Somerset House was one of the earliest public the great dispute of this session, and draw the eye of building projects to be begun in full view of an 3 the public, who look with attention on the event.’ increasingly free press; beginning in 1771, the House of Commons had largely stopped attempting to THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXIV THE COMMISSION FOR SOMERSET HOUSE IN THE ‘ EYE OF THE PUBLIC ’ suppress reports on parliamentary debates, and from The first newspaper reports on the subject then on these reports were extremely prominent.6 appeared before the House met. On 25 April, Papers rarely indicated who had written the reports, the London Chronicle announced that the House and the same articles frequently appeared in multiple intended to consider the King’s message on the papers, making it impossible to determine whose following day.10 The issue was already fraught with pen was at work; the same is true of commentaries potential controversy: the St James’s Chronicle published in brief notices and letters to the editor. published a notice that claimed the proposal Newspapers were read by thousands of Londoners: was ‘intended to give a Stab to a much beloved for most, the reports on the building project would Lady in Buckingham-House’ and, from another have been their main source of information.7 correspondent, a claim that it was ‘plainly a Cocoa- This article explores what information was being Tree Invention’; in other words, it was meant to presented to them, and how it embedded the undermine Queen Charlotte and it was a conspiracy Somerset House project into broader contemporary created by the Tory government.11 The Morning Post debates on government and architecture. edition of 26 April claimed: When the Somerset House project first came ‘The dispute about Somerset House is not a measure to the House of Commons, the initial issue under agreed to, but suddenly brought in, whilst all expected discussion was not the new building complex itself, a recess: by the surprize, a nemins contradicente was but the site: building on the site of Old Somerset obtained. The giving the Queen Buckingham-house House (Figs. 2 and 3) required the government for herself, and not adding it to the royal palaces, and refusing the giving away the crown lands and palaces to obtain it from George III. Lord North and the will be a point in which the king’s best friends may King had discussed this in 1774, but it was not until oppose the ministry […] it is universally thought the 12 April 1775 that the matter reached Parliament. proposition will be thrown out.’12 North presented the House of Commons with a message in which the King stated his desire ‘that a Despite these claims, when the House met, the better and more suitable accommodation should be matter was referred to a committee, which came made for the residence of the Queen’; that he was to a series of resolutions: that Buckingham House willing to settle Buckingham House on her in lieu of should indeed be settled on the Queen, that it Somerset House; and that Somerset House would should ultimately be annexed to the Crown, and that be made available for ‘such uses as shall be found Somerset House should be returned to the Crown most beneficial to the public’.8 For George III, this (it had been granted to the Queen) for the purpose was undoubtedly a practical plan: he had bought of ‘erecting and establishing certain public offices’.13 Buckingham House for Queen Charlotte in 1762, The House agreed to these resolutions, but the idea soon after their marriage, and it was the couple’s that the project was of greater advantage to the King main London residence; Somerset House was than the public persisted in the press. Charlotte’s official dower house, but it was extremely On 27 April many London papers published dilapidated (parts had already collapsed) and she accounts of the proposals which emphasised that did not live there. The House resolved to consider when he spoke about the plans, Lord North discussed the issue on 26 April; in the meantime, notices of the them in relation to the Civil List, effectively tieing King’s message were published in Lloyd’s Evening the project to the broader issue of royal expenditure. Post and the Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser.9 According to the General Evening Post, he began When the debate finally began, the focus was on the by outlining the condition of Somerset House proposal’s implications for the King’s property. and declaring that the new building would be ‘a THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXIV THE COMMISSION FOR SOMERSET HOUSE IN THE ‘ EYE OF THE PUBLIC ’ great ornament to the town’ – a concept which is clearly attempting to distance the Civil List from the more often associated with Edmund Burke, whose Somerset House project, the two were very closely argument, presented the next day, 28 April, will be associated at this stage.
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