Goring House

Goring House, the town house of George Goring, Baron Goring and Earl of Norwich (d. 1662), and of his son and heir, Charles Goring, Earl of Norwich, who dying March 3, 1670, without issue, all his honours became extinct. It occupied the site of part of the Mulberry Garden, and Buckingham Palace stands exactly where it stood. In the Treasury Records (Works' Accounts), 1646–1647, is an entry of a payment for fitting up Goring House for "Mr. Bellieure, French Ambassador Extraordinary." The lease was renewed for ninety-nine years from midsummer 1672 at a rental of 20s. a year. Lord Goring laid out about £12,000 upon it. The last earl let it to Lord Arlington, by whom it was rebuilt, or enlarged and renewed, and it was subsequently known as Arlington House. It was sold to the Marquis of Buckingham, May 13, 1702, for £13,000.

In May 1638 the Earl of Elgin and Sir William Crofts were in a coach driving from Charing Cross "to debate their unkindnesses in my Lord of Berkshire's garden at St. James's," but on the way they thought it better to fight the matter out at once, so, taking their swords, they two only walked into the fields over against Hyde Park, near my Lord Goring's garden wall; there they chose a place and fought like courageous men."¹ Berkshire House stood where Bridgewater House now stands, so that the "fields" must have been the Green Park, and the site of the duel Constitution Hill.

July 23, 1646.—Goring House ordered for the Speaker.—Whitelocke, ed. 1732, p. 216.

July 10, 1660.—This day I put on my new silk suit, the first that ever I wore in my life. Home, and called my wife, and took her to Clodins's to a great wedding of Nan Hartlib to Mynheer Roder, which was kept at Goring House, with very great state, cost, and noble company.—Pepys.

July 12, 1666.—To St. James's, to Goring House, there to wait on my Lord Arlington, ... but he was not up, being not long since married; so after walking up and down the house below, being the house I was once at Hartlib's sister's Wedding, and is a very fine house and finely furnished, etc.—Pepys.

April 17, 1673.—She [the Countess of Arlington] carried us up into her new dressing-roome at Goring House, where was a bed, two glasses, silver jars and vases, cabinets, and other so rich furniture as I had seldom seene.—Evelyn.

September 21, 1674.—I went to see the greate losse that Lord Arlington had sustain'd by fire at Goring House, this night consumed to y^e ground, with exceeding losse of hangings, plate, rare pictures and cabinets; hardly any thing was sav'd of the best and most princely furniture that any subject had in England. My lord and lady were both absent at the Bathe.—Ibid..

It appears from No. 27 of the Augmentation Records that the fountain-garden belonging to Goring House was bounded "on the west with a cherry garden and kitchen garden, in the tenure of Hugh Audley, Esq." From this Hugh Audley, Audley Street, Grosvenor Square, derives its name.