Essex Street

Essex street, a considerable str. betn the Strand N. and Thames S. It is near St. Clements Church (and that end from Devereaux Court to the Thames, is commonly called Essex Buildings). L. 160 Yds, and from P.C. near W. 900 Yds.

[Essex Street.] Almost against St. Clements Church is an open Passage for Coaches into Essex Street, or Building, being a broad, clean, and handsome Street, especially beyond the turning into the Temple, where it crosseth Little Essex Street into Milford Lane; it conststs of two Rows of good built Houses, well inhabited by Gentry; at the bottom of which Street is a Pair of Stairs to go down to the Water side, where Watermen ply. This Place, before its being converted into Buildings, was a large Garden with one great House, first called Exeter House, as belonging to the Bishops of Exeter. Afterwards it came to the Earls of Essex, and was called Essex House. Which Name it retained, altho' afterwards possessed by Seymour Marquess of Hartford.

At length it was purchased by Dr. Barbon, the great Builder, and by him and other Undertakers converted into Buildings as now it is: Of late the Passage into it out of the great Street is widened, and made more convenient.

Essex street, In the Strand; so called from the Lord Essex's house formerly there.

Essex-Street, Strand,—at 210, the first on the L. about twenty-four doors from Temple-bar, extending to Essex-wharf and the Thames.

Essex-St., Strand is the first turning on the left hand, going from Temple-bar, and extends to Essex-wharf and the Thames.

Essex Street, Strand, built circa 1680, on the grounds of old Essex House, one of several building speculations undertaken by Nicholas Barbone, the great builder referred to above by Strype. Sir William Scroggs, Chief-Justice, K.B., of whom Roger North draws such a curious picture (Lives, vol i. p. 315), "died [1681] in Essex Street of a polypus in the heart." Arthur Maynwaring, Sir Simon Harcourt, and Dr. Hugh Chamberlain were among the earliest residents. Here, in the middle of the last century, was established an Oratorical Society called the Robin Hood Club, "chiefly composed" (says The Connoisseur March 28, 1754) "of lawyers' clerks, petty tradesmen, and the lowest mechanics, where it is usual for the advocates against religion to assemble and openly avow their infidelity." The presiding genius was a baker, which explains a misspelling in the following extract of a quiz of Henry Fielding's.

Importinent questions consarning relidgin and gubermint, handyled by the Robin-hoodians. ... This evenin the questin at the Robinhood was, Whether relidgin was of any youse to a sosyaty; baken bifor mee, Tommas Whytebred, baker.—Covent Garden Journal March 8, 1752; Works, vol. viii. p. 200.

The baker, however, must have been a man of eloquence and ability, and perhaps of education, as Sir Harry Erskine, not the least eminent of the young soldiers whom the success of Cornet Pitt led to a parliamentary career, is stated by Horace Walpole to have received lessons from him.

Of late he had turned his talent to rhetoric, and studied public speaking under the baker at the Oratorical Club, in Essex Street, from whence he brought so fluent, so theatrical, so specious, so declamatory a style and manner, as might have transported an age and audience not accustomed to the real graces and eloquence of Mr. Pitt—Memoirs of George II., vol. i. p. 42.

Walpole adds in a note to this passage:—

This went by the name of the Robin Hood Society, and met every Monday. Questions were proposed, and any person might speak on them for seven minutes; after which the baker, who presided with a hammer in his hand, summed up the arguments.—Ibid.

Burke spoke here in his early Temple days; and it is told that when he took a pension Sheridan said, "It is no wonder he should come upon the country for his bread, when he formerly went to a baker for his eloquence." Goldsmith was introduced to the society by his countryman Derrick.

Struck by the eloquence and imposing aspect of the president, who sat in a large gilt chair, he thought nature had meant him for a lord chancellor. "No, no," whispered Derrick, who knew him to be a wealthy baker from the City, "only for a master of the rolls."—Forster's Goldsmith, vol. i. p. 310.

At the Essex Head, now Nos. 40 and 41, Dr. Johnson established in the year 1783 a little evening club, occasionally called "Sam's," for the benefit of Samuel Greaves, the landlord, an old servant of Mr. Thrale's. "The terms," says Johnson, "are lax and the expenses light. We meet thrice a week, and he who misses forfeits twopence." The forfeit was found too small, and a member, for every night of non-attendance, incurred, very soon after, the heavier mulct of threepence. Boswell has printed the rules, drawn up by Johnson, for the regulation of this club.¹

The Young Pretender when in London, for the first and last time, was lodged in the house of Lady Primrose in this street.

That this unfortunate man was in London about the year 1754, I can positively assert. He came hither contrary to the opinion of all his friends abroad, but he was determined, he said, to see the capital of that kingdom over which he thought himself born to reign. After being a few days at a lady's house in Essex Street in the Strand, he was met by one who knew his person, in Hyde Park, and who made an attempt to speak to him; this circumstance so alarmed the lady at whose house he resided that a boat was provided the same night and he returned instantly to France.—Thicknesse's Memoirs, vol. i. p. 213.

It was in September 1750, and not in 1754, that the Young Pretender was in London, as we learn from Dr. King, who had a long conversation with him in Lady Primrose's dressing-room, and from the positive statement of the Pretender himself.² Dr. Lawrence, the friend and favourite physician of Johnson, died at his house in this street, June 13, 1783.

The "Musick Room" in this street was famous in its day.

On Thursday next the 22nd of this instant, November, at the Musick School in Essex Buildings; over against St. Clement's Church in the Strand, will be continued a concert of vocal and instrumental musick, beginning at five of the clock every evening. Composed by Mr. Banister, London Gazette, November 18, 1678.

Subsequently a famous Unitarian Chapel was established here. The chapel is now turned into a lecture hall.

Steps at the end of the street lead to the Thames Embankment and Temple Pier.

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¹ Croker's Boswell, p. 476.

² King's Anecdotes of his Own Times, p. 196; Earl Stanhope's History of England, vol. iv. p. 8.