Villier's Street

Villier's-St., Strand, is the fourth street on the right hand side, going from Charing Cross.

Villiers-Street, Strand,—at 31, the fourth street on the R. from Charing-cross.

Villiers Street, Strand, built circ. 1674,¹ and so called after George Villiers, second and last Duke of Buckingham of the Villiers family. [See York House.] Eminent Inhabitants.—John Evelyn.

November 17, 1683.—I tooke a house in Villiers Streete, York Buildings, for the winter, having many important concerns to dispatch, and for the education of my daughters.—Evelyn.

Sir Richard Steele, after his wife's death, from 1721 to 1724. In 1725 the rate-books of St. Martin's have the word "gone" against his name. He died in Wales in 1729.

In this street was a Music Room almost as celebrated in its day as the Hanover Square Room at a later period. There was also for a time a Music Room in Charles Street, Covent Garden, which was frequently coupled with it. Among Aaron Hill's Miscellanies (vol. iv. p. 106) is "A Prologue for the third night of Zara, when first played at the Great Mustek Room, in Villars Street, York Buildings," 1735. On this occasion a gentleman named Bond, who was acting the part of Lusignan, fell dead upon the stage.

About three years previous to Mr. Garrick's appearing at the Theatre in Goodman's Fields, he performed Chamont in the Tragedy of the Orphan, at a small house called the Duke's Theatre, in Villiers Street, York Buildings, which was situated within a few doors of the bottom of the street, on the right-hand side. The play was got up by the Scholars of Eton College. The ladies who were present at Mr. Garrick's professional debut were so fascinated by his splendid powers that they offered him their purses and trinkets from the Boxes.—Anthony Pasquin, Children of Thespis, p. 208, note.

All the houses on the right-hand side of Villiers Street were removed to make way for the Charing Cross Station and Hotel.

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¹ Rate-books of St. Martin's.