Preface

PREFACE

The present volume, constituting the first of those dealing with the former parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, is in effect a continuation of Vols. XIII and XIV of the Survey of London, which dealt with the neighbourhood of Whitehall, so far as that was included in the old parish of St. Margaret, Westminster. Briefly, the volume contains an account of (i) the area lying between the main street and the old wall of St. James's Park and the Spring Garden, from the Horse Guards (situated partly within St. Margaret) to the old parish boundary at the junction of Cockspur Street with Pall Mall, (fn. n1) and (ii) the district north of Horse Guards Avenue as far as the site of the Hospital of St. Mary, Rounceval. It had originally been intended to include in the volume an account of the site of the Hospital, but considerations of space prevented this from being done.

I gladly take this opportunity of placing on record the valuable assistance which the Council has received in the preparation of the volume.

The Marquess of Sligo very kindly granted permission for the reproduction of the oil painting by S. Scott showing Whitehall north of the Holbein Gateway about 1750. The Westminster City Council again placed its excellently arranged series of records, comprising ratebooks, overseers' accounts and vestry minutes, at the Council's service. They have proved of the utmost value. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster once more allowed the Council to examine and make extracts from their fine collection of registers, deeds and accounts. Much of the information that has been obtained relating to the period before the Reformation is derived from this source. Thanks are also due to the Librarians of All Souls' College, Oxford, and the Pepys Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge, for allowing the reproduction of drawings in the Wren and Pepys Collections, and to the London Topographical Society for permission to reproduce certain of their published prints. The Sun Insurance Office took much trouble in searching their records for information on the early history of Harrington House, and the particulars thus obtained were most useful.

The records of H.M. Office of Works and of H.M. Commissioners of Crown Lands have again been unreservedly placed at the Council's service, and the kindness of the former in lending many plans for reproduction is gratefully acknowledged. The assistance freely rendered by the officials in the Public Record Office and the British Museum is also much appreciated, and special thanks are due to the Librarian at the Westminster Public Library for valuable help, and for permission to reproduce several items in that Library's excellent collection of Westminster views. In the case of previous volumes the work of historical research had been facilitated by the use of the registers in the possession of the Middlesex Registry. These registers have now been transferred to the custody of the Council, and their presence at the County Hall (where they are open to examination by students of London history) has greatly facilitated research for the purposes of this volume.

The kindness of the Rev. E. E. Dorling, M.A., F.S.A., in revising the heraldic blazons and drawing the marginal shields is gratefully acknowledged.

The historical information contained in the volume has been compiled by Mr. W. W. Braines, B.A.(Lond.), a principal assistant in my department, who has also prepared the volume for press. Mr. Braines has been associated with the Survey of London from 1909, and I greatly regret that, owing to his impending retirement, this is the last volume in the preparation of which he will have any part. He has devoted to the work his deep knowledge of London history, and an exceptional skill and thoroughness in matters of historical research. The withdrawal of his valuable assistance will be a great loss to the work of the Survey. Mr. Braines has pleasure in acknowledging the great help which he has received from Miss Ida Darlington, M.A. (Lond.), an assistant in my department. The Architect to the Council desires that his appreciation shall be recorded of the work done in connection with the preparation of the volume by Mr. W. Dathy Quirke,
A.R.I.B.A.

G. H. GATER,
Clerk of the London County Council.
The County Hall,
Westminster Bridge, S.E.1.
4th September, 1935.