Spring Garden

Spring Gardens, between St. James's Park and Charing Cross and Whitehall, a garden dating at latest from the reign of James I., with butts, bathing-pond, pheasant-yard, and bowling-green, attached to the King's Palace at Whitehall, and so called from a jet or spring of water, which sprung with the pressure of the foot, and wetted whoever was foolish or ignorant enough to tread upon it.

In March 1610, there is a "Grant to Geo. Johnson, Keeper of the King's Spring Garden;" and in the same month funds are assigned for "making defence for orange and other fruit trees in the Park and Spring Garden." In March, 1611, the minion Robert Carr was created Viscount Rochester, and appointed Keeper of the Palace of Westminster, part of the duty being to "keep and preserve wild beasts and fowl in St. James's Park and Garden and Spring Garden" (Cal. State Pap., 1611–1618, p. 57, etc.) Among the Egerton MSS., No. 806, in the British Museum, is an account of "Charges don in doeinge of sundry needful reparacons about the Pke and Springe Garden, beginninge primo Julij, 1614, and ending ultimo Septem. next." The water was supplied by pipes of lead from St. James's Fields. Among other charges at the end is one, "For two clucking henns to sett upon the pheasant eggs, iiij^s." On the 29th of November, 1601, a payment was made to George Johnson, keeper of the Spring Garden, for a scaffold which he had erected against the Park wall in the Tilt Yard, for "the Countie Egmond" to see the tilters (Chalmer's Apology, vol. i. p. 340). And in 1630 Simon Osbaldeston was appointed keeper of the King's Garden called the Spring Garden and of His Majesty's Bowling-green there. It appears by the patent (Pat. 7 Car., pt. 8, No. 4) that the garden was made a Bowling-green by command of Charles I—Lysons's Environs, vol. i. p. 324; Lord Chamberlain's Warrant Book, vol. i. p. 252.

In a garden joining to this Palace [Whitehall] there is a jet d'eau, with a sun-dial, at which, while strangers are looking, a quantity of water forced by a wheel, which the gardener turns at a distance through a number of little pipes, plentifully sprinkles those that are standing round.—Hentzner's Travels, anno, 1598.

Water-springs of this description were not uncommon in gardens of the time of Queen Elizabeth, and even later. One of this character existed at Chatsworth; and Nares, in his Glossary, says that the spring-garden described by Plot was to be seen at Enstone, in Oxfordshire, in 1822.

But look thee, Martius; not a vein runs here,
From head to foot, but Sophocles would unseam,
And like a Spring Garden, shoot his scornful blood
Into their eyes, durst come to tread on him.
Beaumont and Fletcher, ed. Dyce, vol. ii. p. 484.

To John Sweate, carpenter, for framing and putting up two Sluces of tymber in the Spring Garden, and a new Bridge with tymber and plankes and nailes on each side, lx foote in length, to lead to the Duck Pond Island, and for framing and setting up a Sluce at the Pond in Scotland Yard ... £6 : 13 : 4.—Crown Works at Whitehall, 1634–1635.

April 18, 1633.—The Earl of Holland was on Saturday last very solemnly restord at Council Table (the King present) from a kind of eclipse wherein he had stood since the Tuesday fortnight before. ... All the cause yet known was a verbal challenge sent from him by Mr. Henry Germain to the now Lord Weston, newly returned from his foreign imployments, that ... he did him at such a time, even in the Spring Garden (close under his father's window) with his sword by his side.—Sir H. Wotton to Sir Edmund Bacon (Rel. Wott., p. 455).

The great bowling green in this garden, and a "new garden house for his Majesty to repose in," were made in 1629 by William Walker for Charles I., the bowling green with turf from Blackheath.¹

June 3, 1634.—The Bowling-green in the Spring Garden was, by the King's command, put down for one day, but by the intercession of the Queen it was reprieved for this year; but hereafter it shall be no common bowling-place. There was kept in it an ordinary of six shillings a meal (when the King's proclamation allows but two elsewhere), continual bibbing and drinking wine all day under the trees; two or three quarrels every week. It was grown scandalous and insufferable; besides my Lord Digby being reprehended for striking [Will. Crofts] in the King's garden, he answered that he took it for a common bowling-place, where all paid money for their coming in.—Garrard to Lord Strafford (Strafford Papers, vol. i. p. 262).

Since the Spring Garden was put down, we have, by a servant of the Lord Chamberlain's, a new Spring Garden erected in the fields behind the Muse [See Piccadilly], where is built a fair house, and two bowling greens made, to entertain gamesters and bowlers at an excessive rate; for I believe it has cost him £4000,—a dear undertaking for a gentleman barber. My Lord Chamberlain much frequents that place, where they bowl great matches.—Garrard to Lord Strafford (Strafford Papers, vol. i. p. 435).

When James, Duke of York, made his escape from St. James's Palace, April 20, 1648, he and Colonel Bamfield passed into and out of the Spring Garden "as gallants come to hear the nightingale."

As for the pastimes of my sisters, when they were in the country, it was to read, work, walk, and discourse with each other. Commonly they lived half the year in London. Their customs were in winter time to go sometimes to plays or to ride in their coaches about the streets, to see the concourse and recourse of people, and in the spring time to visit the Spring Garden, Hyde Park, and the like places; and sometimes they would have music and sup in barges upon the water.—Margaret Lucas, Duchess of Newcastle (temp. Charles I.)

June 13, 1649.—I dined with my worthy friend Sir John Owen. ... Afterwards I treated ladies of my relations in Spring Garden.—Evelyn.

Shall we make a fling to London, and see how the spring appears there in the Spring Garden; and in Hyde Park, to see the races, horse and foot?—R. Brome, A Joviall Crew, 4to, 1652.

May 10, 1654.—My Lady Gerrard treated us at Mulberry Garden, now y^e onely place of refreshment about the toune for persons of the best quality to be exceedingly cheated at; Cromwell and his partizans having shut up and seized on Spring Garden, w^ch till now had been y^e usual rendezvous for the ladys and gallants at this season.—Evelyn.

May 20, 1658.—I went to see a coach race in Hyde Park, and collationed in Spring Garden.—Evelyn.

The manner is as the company returns [from Hyde Park] to alight at the Spring Garden so called, in order to the Parke, as our Thuilleries is to the Course; the inclosure not disagreeable, for the solemnness of the grove, the warbling of the birds, and as it opens into the spacious walks at St. James's; but the company walk in it at such a rate, you would think that all the ladies were so many Atalantas contending with their wooers ... But as fast as they ran they stay there so long as if they wanted not time to finish the race; for it is usual here to find some of the young company till midnight; and the thickets of the garden seem to be contrived to all advantages of gallantry, after they have been refreshed with the collation, which is here seldom omitted, at a certain cabaret, in the middle of this paradise, where the forbidden fruits are certain trifling tarts, neats' tongues, salacious meats, and bad Rhenish; for which the gallants pay sauce, as indeed they do at all such houses throughout England.—A Character of England, etc. (attributed to Evelyn), 12mo, 1659, p. 56.

After the Restoration the Spring Garden at Charing Cross was called the Old Spring Garden, the ground built upon, and the entertainments removed to the New Spring Garden at Lambeth, since called Vauxhall.² Pepys preferred the new Spring Garden to the old one.

May 29, 1662.—To the old Spring Garden, and there walked long, and the wenches [his wife's two maids] gathered pinks. Here we staid and seeing that we could not have anything to eate, but very dear and with long stay, we went forth again without any notice taken of us, and so we might have done if we had had anything. Thence to the new one, where I never was before, which much exceeds the other.—Pepys.

In the early part of the 18th century there was another Spring Garden at Knightsbridge, like the Old and the New Spring Gardens, a place of public resort.³ The ground built upon was called "Inner Spring Garden" and "Outer Spring Garden."⁴

The Blue Posts in Spring Garden was the rendezvous of the conspirators in the plot to assassinate William III., in the spring of 1696.

Eminent Inhabitants.—Sir Philip Warwick, in 1661, etc., author of the Memoirs which bear his name; he lived in Outer Spring Garden. Warwick Street, adjoining, was named after him. Sir William Morris, in 1662, etc., in Outer Spring Garden. Philip, Earl of Chesterfield, 1667–1670, in Outer Spring Garden. Prince Rupert, from 1674 to his death in November 1682. The Lord Crofts, "mad Lord Crofts," 1674, etc. In the books of the Lord Steward's office he is described as living, in 1677, "in the place commonly called the Old Spring Garden." Sir Edward Hungerford, in 1681, after his removal from the site of Hungerford Market. Colley Cibber, from 1711 to 1714.

In or near the old Play-house in Drury Lane, on Monday last, the 19th of January, a watch was dropp'd having a Tortoise-shell Case inlaid with silver, a silver chain, and a gold seal ring, the arms a cross wavy and chequer. Whoever brings it to Mr. Cibber, at his House near the Bull Head Tavern in Old Spring Garden at Charing Cross, shall have three guineas reward.—The Daily Courant, January 20, 1703.

The Earls of Berkeley from 1772. [See Berkeley House.] Admiral Sir Charles Saunders, one of the most distinguished on our long roll of seamen, died at his house in Spring Gardens, December 7, 1775. Sir Gilbert Elliott (first Earl of Minto) was living here before his expedition to Toulon, 1793. George Canning at No. 13 (right-hand corner of Cockspur Street). On March 12, 1799, he writes to Malone asking him to take his place in the chair at "The Club."⁵

A lady having put to Canning the silly question—"Why have they the spaces in the iron gate at Spring Gardens so narrow?" he replied, "Oh Ma'am, because such very fat people tried to go through,"—a reply concerning which Tom Moore said that the person who does not relish it can have no perception of real wit.—Dyce's Rogers, p. 160.

The first Earl of Malmesbury at No. 14.

Sunday, November 3, 1805.—Mr. Pitt and Lord Mulgrave came to me in Spring Gardens, about 10 o'clock, with a Dutch newspaper in which the capitulation of Ulm was inserted at full length. As they neither of them understood Dutch, and all the offices were empty, they came to me to translate it, which I did as well as I could; and I observed but too clearly the effect which it had on Pitt, though he did his utmost to conceal it. This was the last time I saw him.—Lord Malmesbury's Diary.

Sir Robert Taylor, the architect of the Bank of England and founder of the Taylor Institute, Oxford, died at his house in Spring Gardens, September 27, 1788, leaving a fortune of £180,000, though, as he used to say, he began life with hardly eighteenpence. His son, Michael Angelo Taylor, whose name is attached to the well-known Act of Parliament 1816–1817, relating to paving, also died here in 1834. In June 1838 another eminent and equally prosperous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, "settled down," as he wrote, shortly after his marriage, at No. 20 (now 31) Spring Gardens, and continued to live there till 1844, when he removed to St. John's Wood; but the house in Spring Gardens continued to be his professional office till his death. The houses are now principally used as offices. No. 24 is the Land Revenue Records and Enrolments Office, and the Admiralty has No. 26. At the Park end, Nos. 10 to 14, was the office of the Metropolitan Board of Works, erected in 1860, from the designs of Fred. Marrable, architect to the Board. It is a large Palladian edifice, now occupied by the London County Council. The meeting-room has been (1890) enlarged to afford accommodation for the increased number of representatives at a cost of over £16,500. "The Great Room in Spring Garden," where the Society of Artists held their exhibitions for several years, now forms a part of the offices of the London County Council. Hogarth designed a frontispiece for the second exhibition in 1761. St. Matthew's Episcopal Chapel, at the corner of New Street, was built by an ancestor of Lord Clifford, and occasioned a dispute in 1792 between Lord Clifford and the vicar of St. Martin's-in-the Fields, who claimed the right of presentation. It is now closed as a place of worship, and is filled with Admiralty Records. [See Bull Head Tavern.]

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¹ Accounts, favoured by Lord Chamberlain's office.
² London Gazette of 1675, No. 981.
³ He carried me to the Spring Garden at Knightsbridge, where we walked in the gardens, and he treated me very handsomely.—Defoe's Moll Flanders, Talboy s ed., p. 243.
⁴ Rate-books of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields.
⁵ Prior, Life of Malone, p. 256.