Preface

PREFACE

On the retirement of Mr. Percy Lovell who had collaborated in the production of Parts 1 and 2 of the Survey of the Parish of St. Pancras it has fallen to my lot to assist Mr. Marcham in this third volume although I could not pretend to Mr. Lovell's detailed local knowledge. It was decided that we should deal with the South Western part of the parish which had suffered most heavily from the air-raids of the late war, and this included the formerly closely populated area west of Tottenham Court Road and the squares east of it. In its prime this neighbourhood was an attractive and interesting example of eighteenth and early nineteenth century urban development, but the loss of residents and the extensive war damage had marred its original charm and considerable sections had been destroyed or were in process of demolition. This circumstance and the large number of houses of almost uniform design have made it necessary to deal more summarily with the buildings than in past volumes of the Survey and streets have been described in general where the description of buildings would have been merely repectitive and wasteful of space. A similar policy has guided the record of the names of the inhabitants. To have inserted the whole of the occupants would have meant too great an addition to the size of the volume, and further there was the practical difficulty that the rate books of the parish were not readily available. An effort, however, has been made to include all the inhabitants of note who could be traced, and I must acknowledge the considerable help which the Committee has received from Miss Ida Darlington and her assistants at the London County Council in presenting this information. In the case of Fitzroy Square alone have we attempted a complete list but the terminal dates of residence do not pretend to accuracy, since the names have been extracted from the periodical rates of the Commissioners of Sewers, checked by references to contemporary directories. It will be noticed that the separate treatment of Fitzroy Square has involved a slight difference of arrangement in setting out the names.

Every effort has been made to collect all the essential information which will assist the student to carry his researches further into the history of this part of London. The Committee gratefully acknowledges the help accorded by a great number of persons connected with the parish and by the researches of its own members. Mr. John Summerson has written the accounts of University College and of Euston Station and Railway Works. In connection with the latter our thanks are due to Mr. G. Royde Smith, Secretary of the London Midland Region of British Railways, for giving every facility in the inspection of the premises at Euston, for lending certain documents, and providing access to the drawings in the Chief Engineer's Department. Thanks are also due to Dr. Leslie Martin, A.R.I.B.A. and Mr. Harold Wyatt, A.R.I.B.A., of the Railway architect's office for much information and advice.

Mr. Summerson has assisted in many other ways and our indebtedness to his books on Georgian London and John Nash is acknowledged in the text. The architectural description of Percy Street, Charlotte Street, and Fitzroy Square is largely the work of Mr. J. W. Bloe. The account of the panelling in the Chapel of St. Saviour's Hospital has been supplied by Mr. A. R. Dufty. We acknowledge the kind co-operation of the Vicar of St. Pancras and the incumbents of Christ Church, Albany Street, St. Mary Magdalene, Munster Square, and St. James', Hampstead Road. Mr. L. E. C. Osborne, Crown Surveyor, has been very helpful in providing the dates of Crown leases, the Rev. James B. Binns, Secretary and Librarian of New College, London, has assisted in the history of Coward College, and the Secretaries of University College and University College Hospital have kindly furnished information.

The illustrations have been drawn mainly from the collections of the London County Council and the National Buildings Record. The fine series of measured drawings were mostly made by Miss B. G. Bryan Brown when she was assisting the National Buildings Record. For other illustrations we are indebted to the following: Mr. Dennis Flanders and the Daily Telegraph (drawing of Gresse Street); The Guildhall Library (drawings of Percy and Fitzroy Chapels); St. Pancras Public Library (various drawings in the Heal Collection); Sir Ambrose Heal (Cecil Brewer's plans of the Farmhouse, Tottenham Court Road); Mr. F. A. Evans (drawings of houses in Whitfield Street and Tavistock House); Professor A. E. Richardson (drawing of University Memorial Hall); Mr. J. M. Lickfold (photographs of the Catholic Apostolic Church); The Editor of the Architect and Building News (plans of Woburn Lodge); Mr. Ian Grant (plans of Euston Square). We also have to thank the Marquess of Salisbury for permission to reproduce the plan of Tottenhall Manor (1591) from the Hatfield Collections; the Trustees and Curator of the Soane Museum for Robert Adam's drawings of Fitzroy Square; the Hon. Arnold Palmer and the Pilgrim Trust for permission to reproduce Miss Phyllis Ginger's drawing of No. 12 Park Village West from Recording Britain, and Mr. J. H. MacDonnell for the loan of several portraits from his collection. Other photographs are reproduced by the kind permission of the owners of the negatives.

On behalf of the Committee I should like to acknowledge the constant and valuable help given throughout by the London County Council. Not only have Miss Darlington and her staff given their personal aid, but the Council has recently appointed an assistant whose time will be devoted to the research required by the Committee in volumes prepared by them. This timely help is greatly appreciated and will materially assist the important work to which the Council and the Committee have jointly set their hands.

Walter H. Godfrey.