A Walk from London to Fulham

lh

as we enter the village stands Holcrofts' Hall (formerly Holcrofts') built about 1708, which is worthy of mention as belonging to John Laurie, Esq., and as having been the residence of Sir John Burgoyne, where he gave some clever dramatic performances, distinguished not only for the considerable talent displayed by the actors, but remarkable for the scenery and machinery, considering the limited space, the whole of which was superintended by the Honourable Mr. Wrottesley, son of Lord Wrottesley, who afterwards married Miss Burgoyne, an admirable amateur actress: here it was that the celebrated Madame Vestris died, on the 8th August, 1856, in her 59th year. During the time she lived there it was called Gore Lodge. The house has been since tenanted for a short time by Mr. Charles Mathews and his present wife. Holcroft's Priory, which is opposite, was built upon the site of Claybrooke House, mentioned by Faulkner. In the back lane (Burlington Road) F

n, at Fulham, having been frequented by

n order of genius that they may almost be considered as works of inspiration, we should know so lit

in unquestionable memories of Shakespeare, to admit of any feeling of jealousy in an attempt to connect his fame by circumstantial evidence with any other locality. I therefore venture to call at

relief of the poor of Fulham side, John Florio, Esq., w

the "Northend" of the parish, th

in the shape of novel documentary evidence for an attempt to connect the name of Shakespeare with Fulham; the ot

Lion, where any suburban traveller requiring refreshment may be supplied with a mug of excellent ale and bread and ch

you may ruin the

he roses will hang

site of an old hostelry, or inn, of the Tudor age, which was pulled down in April, 1836, an

he head of the pipe.-Why may not this have been the pipe of that Bishop of London who had risen into Elizabeth's favour by attending Mary on the scaffold at Fotheringay, and who, having fallen into disgrace in consequence of a second marriage

re into the cause of his lordship's sudden death? It is not even impossible that it may have been produced

s to this question. At the time of his father's death, he was in his twentieth year; and who will doubt that, at that period of his life, his father's (the Bishop's) house was his home. That he may have resorted to the Golden Lion, and there have met with Sha

h a copy of the original edition, bearing Shakespeare's very rare autograph, was not very long since purchased by the British Museum, at what was considered to be a very large price. When the genuineness of that autograph was ke

wealth I would

ings; for no k

t; no name o

not be known: r

ice, none: cont

f land, tilth,

tal, corn or

on; all men

o; but innoc

verei

ollowing in Florio's tr

of magistrate, nor of politic superiority; no use of service, of riches, or of poverty; no contracts, no successions; no occupati

ed dates with an imaginary career-which coincidences are too remarkable to have escaped the host of ingeni

ith some care, and we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that, with reference to parts of the conduct of the story, and in a few modes of expression, each of which differs from the general narrative and the particular

he composition of Shakespeare's play to 1597; adding, candidly enough, that "the exact date is really of very little importance; and we sho

f the composition of the 'Tempest,' it is important

as his brother-in-law, by Florio's recommendations to be the successor of "that poor poet, Edmund Spenser." Here, at once, by admitting Shakespeare's personal intimacy with Florio and Daniel, with his knowledge of their wr

inscribed "to our much respected and very worthy friend, Mr. H. Condell, at his country house at Fulham." Again, couple with the name of Condell that of Burbadge, in 1625, at Fulham; is not the association most extraordinary, although there is no further agreement in the Christian name than the first letter, Robert being that in the Fulham assessment of poor-rates, Richard that of Shak

cribes the village of North End, Fulham, where his uncle Plumbe resided, a

t (for my

the summe

llage t

the rathe r

ath a Plum

sant walk

address "to all courteous gentlemen," prefixed to his account of Middlesex

frequented by Florio and his brother-in-law Daniel; by Fletcher; by Henry Condell, Shakespeare's fellow-player; by some one of the name of Burbadge; by Joshua Sylve

by Mr. Street, of Brewer Street, and was afterwards sold to Lord Ellenboroug

chyard entrance is the Vicarage. The present vicar is the Rev. R. G. Baker. Opposite the vicarage is a piece of ground, which was consecrated in 1843 by Bishop Blomfield, who is buried there. Upon this recent addition to the burial-ground formerly stood Miss Batsford's seminary for young gentlemen. There ar

ediately opposite the chancel window. The stone bears the plain inscription "Th

88

little volume is devoted, so that we can pass on immediately to the next house, Thames Bank, the present residence of Mr. Baylis, whose well-known taste will no doubt

itted up with much good taste. There was a small boudoir on the side of the drawing-room, which was very rich in articles of virtù, more especially in some remarkably fine carvings, attributed to Cellini, Brustolini, and others. These

olded; repetitions and omissions are frequent: in short, a general want of care and finish is observable throughout, which must be attributed to the hurry in which he was compelled to write, arising from the multiplicity and distracting nature of his engagements. His tendency to caricature was innate; but even this would probably have been in a great measure repressed, had he allowed himself sufficient time for correction: while, on the contrary, in

ive journalist. Of his novels, 'Gilbert Gurney

engers across the river from Putney to Fulham, before the old bridge was built, were discovered. It was subsequently considered desirable to pull the villa down; and there now remains no trace of the house in which Hook lived and died, and which stood within a few paces of his grave. Bowack mentions that Robert Limpany, Esq., "whose estate was so considerable in the parish that he was commonly called the Lord of Fulham," resided in a n

furniture. The centre, or principal saloon, supported by large palm-trees of considerable size, exceedingly well executed, with their drooping foliage at the top, supporting the cornice and architraves of the room. The other decorations were in corresponding taste. The furniture comprised a lion's skin for a hearth-rug, for a sofa the back of a tiger, the supports of the tables in most instances were four twisted serpents or hydras: in fact, the whole

ed to Mr. Baylis, now of Thames Bank, who parted with it to Sir Ralph Howard, its present

lated for the right of themselves, their families, and all their dependents, that they should pass over the bridge toll free, which right exists at the present time; and passengers are often very much astonished at hearing the exclamation of "Bishop!" shouted out by the stentorian lungs of bricklayers, carpenters, or others, who may be going to the palace, that bei

d scarcely altered in any of its features since Chatelaine published his views of "The most agreeable Prospects near Lond

ight Bells' public-house, where the

eet, and on the right-hand side as we look towards London is Church Street (formerly Windsor S

Church Street. This bui

turer, he had achieved considerable reputation; and his unexpected death, at the early age of forty-four, brought to a sudden close the most popular monologue entertainment of this, or of any, time. Mr. Smith was an amusing writer and a most genial companion, and was ever ready to assist a professional brother in the hou