The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4

Allen, Thomas

1827

Hanover Square.

 

In this was an open field, without houses of any kind in its immediate neighbourhood; but it appears in the plans of London of , and the houses round it were built soon after the accession of the present family to the throne of these kingdoms. Both in the square, and in adjoining, there are several specimens of the German style of building. occupies a space of about acres; the middle is enclosed with a handsome iron railing.

In a periodical publication of early date, appears the following paragraph:

Not far from

Tavistock-street

lives a man, by profession a measurer and surveyor: this fellow is everlastingly boasting of himself, and vapouring of his performance, and has the boldness to style himself the prince of that calling. If towards being a prince of a trade it is necessary to make himself wealthy and great, by undoing all that are subject to his management, he richly deserves the name; for you must understand that, as among authors, there is a

cacoethes scribendi

, so there is an

aedificandi cacoethes

, or an itch of building, that prevails much among our tribe that dabble in mortar. All the raw and inexperienced workmen that lie under this evil, have been drawn by this boaster to buildings about

Hanover-square

, till they have built themselves quite out of doors in this part of the world, and so are obliged to cross the water to another climate, and take up their lodgings in the streets adjacent to Mint square, where they still rear their palaces in their imaginations, and metamorphose themselves into that species of men called castle-builders; and there they and their families fill their mouths with curses against their projecting prince.

In the same publication of the preceding year, are the following observations:

Round about the new square, which is building near Oxford-road [now

Oxford-street

], there are so many other edifices, that a whole magnificent city seems to have risen out of the ground, that

one

would wonder how it should find a new set of inhabitants. It is said it will be called by the name of

Hanover-square

. The

chief persons that we hear of who are to inhabit that place when it is finished, having bought houses, are these following: the lord Cadogan, a general, general Carpenter, general Wills, general Evans, general Pepper, the

two

general Stuarts, and several others, whose names we have not been able to learn. On the opposite side of the way, towards Mary-le-bone, which seems a higher and a finer situation, is marked out a very spacious and noble square, and many streets that are to form avenues to it. This square, we hear, is to be called

Oxford-square

; and that ground has been taken to build houses on it by the right honourable lords, the earl of Oxford, the earl of Carnarvon, the lord Harcourt, the lord Harley, and several other noble peers.

On the east side of is an elegant concert-room, principally used by the members of the ancient concerts, which is a branch that seceded from the academy of ancient music. It is under the superintendance of directors, who are chosen from among the nobility. The leading feature is the utter exclusion of all modern music. The vocal performers are always of the class and are liberally paid.

On the north side is Harewood-house, which was originally built from an elegant design of the Adams's, for the duke of Roxburgh. After the death of the original proprietor it was purchased by lord Harewood, from whom it received its present name.

On the west side of , nearly opposite the Argyle rooms, is

 
 
Footnotes:

[] The Weekly Medley for Sept. 1718.

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 Title Page
 Dedication
CHAPTER I: Site, local divisions, and government of the City of Westminster; history of the Abbey; Coronation Ceremonies; and lists of the Abbots and Deans
CHAPTER II: Westminster Abbey, and Description of the Tombs and Monuments
CHAPTER III: History and Topography of St. Margaret's Parish
CHAPTER IV: History and Topography of St. John's Parish, Westminster
CHAPTER V: History and Topography of the parish of St. Martin's in the Fields, Westminster
CHAPTER VI: History and Topogrpahy of the parish of St. James, Westminster
CHAPTER VII: History and Topography of the Parish of St. Anne, Westminster
CHAPTER VIII: History and Topography of the parish of St. Paul, Covent Garden
CHAPTER IX: History and Topography of the Parish of St. Mary-le-strand
CHAPTER X: History and Topogrpahy of the parish of St. Clement Danes
CHAPTER XI: History and Topography of the parish of st. George, Hanover Square
CHAPTER XII: History and Topography of the Precinct of the Savoy
CHAPTER XIII: History and Topography of the Inns of Court
CHAPTER XIV: History and Topography of the Precincts of the Charter-house and Ely Place, and the Liberty of the Rolls
 CHAPTER XV: Historical Notices of the Borough of Southwark
CHAPTER XVI: History and Topography of the Parish of St. Olave, Southwark
CHAPTER XVII: History and Topography of the parish of St. John, Southwark
CHAPTER XVIII: History and Topography of the parish of St. Thomas, Southwark
CHAPTER XIX: History and Topogrpahy of the parish of St. George's, Southwark
CHAPTER XX: History and Topography of St. Saviour's Parish
CHAPTER XXI: History and Topography of the parist of Christ-church in the County of Surrey
 CHAPTER XXII: A List of the Principal Books, &c that have been published in Illustration of the Antiquities, History, Topography, and other subjects treated of in this Work
 Addenda et Corrigienda
 Postscript