Mayfair, Belgravia, and Bayswater | Page 7

is Claridge's (formerly Mivart's) Hotel. Here lived: No. 25 (now 72), Edmund Burke; Sir Henry Holland, 1820-73; 63, Sir William Jenner; 74, Sir William Gull; 57 (now 25), Handel, the composer; Lord Lake, d. 1808; Welbore Ellis, Lord Mendip, d. 1802; Mrs. Delany; 20, Gerald Vandergucht, engraver, and his son Benjamin Vandergucht, painter; Thomas Barker, painter; 25, Rev. Sydney Smith; 30, Sir Charles Bell, d. 1832; 34, Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1809; 63, Sir John Williams, physician; 66, Sir B. Savory, Bart.; 74, Lord Balcarres; 84, Sir William Broadbent, physician; 86, Lord Davey, P.C., F.R.S.
In South Molton Street, on the wall of No. 36, is an inscription: "This is South Molton Street, 1721." At No. 17 lived William Blake, poet and painter, in 1807. The St. George's Schools, at No. 53, were removed in 1889 to Gilbert Street, and the building sold for ��2,500.
In Woodstock Street lived: Dr. Johnson, 1737; Prince Talleyrand, 1793; Dr. Parr, 1814. Running out of it are Sedley Place, so named in 1873 instead of Hanover Place, and Blenheim Street, up to 1760 called Pedley Street.
East of New Bond Street, Hanover Square, four acres in extent, was built as a fashionable place of residence in 1716-20. It was to have been called Oxford Square, but the name was changed in honour of the house of Hanover. A few of the old houses still remain, notably Nos. 17 and 23, but most of them have been rebuilt at various times, and are not in any way remarkable. The centre is enclosed and planted with trees, and at the southern end stands a bronze statue of Pitt by Chantrey, erected in 1831 at the cost of ��7,000. The principal houses are: No. 3, the offices of the Zoological Society, established in 1826, and removed here in 1846; those of the Anthropological Society; 4, a large handsome building erected in 1774 by Sir George Gallini, and opened by him as the Hanover Square Concert and Ball Rooms. Here J. C. Bach, son of Sebastian Bach, gave concerts from 1785-93. The concerts of Ancient Music and those of the Philharmonic Society also took place here. In 1862 the rooms were redecorated and styled the Queen's Concert Rooms, but were in 1875 disposed of to the Hanover Square Club, established in that year.
No. 10 was formerly the Brunswick Hotel, but has been rebuilt as chambers.
No. 12, formerly the offices of the Royal Agricultural Society, now those of the Shire Horse Society and Kindred Associations.
No. 13, Harewood House, was built by W. Adam for the Duke of Roxburghe, and purchased in 1795 by Lord Harewood, in whose family it remained until 1894, when it was sold to the Royal Agricultural Society, established in 1838 for the improvement of agriculture.
No. 15 now forms part of the Orthop?dic Hospital in Oxford Street.
No. 16 in 1845 was occupied by the Royal College of Chemistry, established in that year, and afterwards removed first to Oxford Street, and in 1835 to the School of Mines, Jermyn Street.
In No. 17 Mrs. Jordan is said to have lived under the protection of the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV. In 1864 it became the home of the Arts Club, established in that year for persons interested in art, literature, or science. The house contains a fine painted ceiling by Angelica Kaufmann, and some marble mantelpieces of Italian workmanship, but is soon to be demolished.
No. 18 is the Oriental Club, founded in 1824 by Sir John Malcolm for persons who have resided or travelled in the East. The present house, on the site of one occupied by Lord Le Despenser 1771-81, was built in 1827 by the Wyatts, and contains some good portraits of Lord Clive and other distinguished Anglo-Indians.
No. 20 is the offices of the Royal Medical, Pathological, and Clinical Societies, established 1867.
No. 21 was the site of Downshire House from 1793. It was before that date the property of the Earl of Hillsborough. Here, in 1835, lived Talleyrand, then French Ambassador; after him, Earl Grey. It has been rebuilt, and is now a bank, above which is the New County Club, located here in 1894.
No. 32 was the home of the Naval and Military Club from 1863-65.
At No. 23 lived Lord Palmerston, father of the Premier, in 1806, and the Duchess of Brunswick, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, d. 1813.
Other inhabitants: the present No. 20, Field-Marshal Viscount Cobham, 1736-48; George Granville, Lord Lansdowne, d. 1735; Ambrose Phillips, poet, d. 1749. At the present No. 10: Admiral Lord Rodney, 1792-96; Admiral Lord Anson, 1762; "Single Speech" Hamilton, 1765; Percival Pott, surgeon, 1777-88; Thomas Campbell, poet; Sir James Clark, physician, 1841.
The streets round Hanover Square are mainly broad, well built, and lined with shops. Hanover Street and Princes Street were built about 1736. In the latter Sir John Malcolm died