Beaufort Buildings

Beaufort Street (or Buildings) on the S. side of the Strand, near Bedford House.

[Beauford Buildings.] Then on the South side of the Strand, near adjoining to the Savoy, but more Westwardly, is Beauford Buildings; which formerly was a very large House with a Garden towards the River Thames, with wast Ground and Yards behind it Eastwards, called Worcester House, as belonging to the Earls of Worcester, and descending to Henry Duke of Beaufort; his Grace finding it crazy, and by its Antiquity grown very ruinous, and altho' large, yet not after the modern Way of Building, thought it better to let out the Ground to Undertakers, than to build a new House thereon, the Steepness of the Descent to the Thames rendring it not proper for great Courts, nor easy for Coaches, if the House were built at such a Distance from the Street, as would have been proper: And having at the same time, bought Buckingham House at Chelsey, in an Air he thought much healthier, and near enough to the Town for Business. However his Grace caused a lesser House to be there built for himself, to dispatch Business in, at the End of a large Street leading to it, and having the Conveniency of a Prospect over the Thames. On both sides are now very fair and good Houses built, well inhabited, generally by Gentry, especially in the Part next the Thames, which is much broader, than at its Entrance out of the Strand. The front Houses in the Strand, which are lofty and well built, are inhabited by Tradesmen; with one very fine Tavern, which hath the Sign of the Fountain, very conveniently built for that Purpose, with excellent Vaults, good Rooms of Entertainment, and a curious Kitchin for dressing of Meat, which with the good Wine there sold makes it to be well resorted unto.

Beaufort's buildings, in the Strand. †

Beaufort-Buildings, Strand,—at 95, nearly opposite Southampton-st. Covent-garden.

Beaufort-Bldgs., Strand, is a turning nearly opposite Southampton-street, Covent Garden.

Beaufort Buildings, Strand, opposite Exeter Street.

Then on the south side of the Strand, near adjoining to the Savoy, but more westwardly, is Beaufort Buildings; which formerly was a very large house, with a garden towards the river Thames, with waste ground and yards behind it eastward, called Worcester House, as belonging to the Earl of Worcester, and descending to Henry, Duke of Beaufort; his Grace finding it crazy, and by its antiquity grown very ruinous, and although large yet not after the modern way of building, thought it better to let out the ground to undertakers, than to build a new house thereon, the steepness of the descent to the Thames rendering it not proper for great courts, nor easy for coaches, if the house were built at such a distance from the street as would have been proper: and having at the same time bought Buckingham [afterwards Beaufort] House at Chelsea, in an air he thought much healthier, and near enough to the town for business. However his Grace caused a lesser house to be there built for himself to dispatch business in, at the end of a large street leading to it, and having the conveniency of a prospect over the Thames. ... This house of the Duke, with some others, was lately burnt down by the carelessness of a servant in one of the adjacent houses.—Strype, B. iv. p. 119.

On Saturday, in the evening, about five o'clock, a violent fire broke out in Beaufort Buildings, in the Strand, in the house of John Knight, Esq., Treasurer of the Custom House, which in less than two hours burnt that house down to the ground, and also consumed the Duke of Beaufort's house and another.—The Postman of the year, 1695, No. 80.

Again, on the morning of March 19, 1875, the re-edified Beaufort House, then partly in the occupation of Mr. Rimmel, perfumer, as a manufactory, was totally destroyed by fire, together with some of the adjoining houses. It was soon after rebuilt, and is now Rimmel's factory. In a house on the site of Beaufort Buildings, Aaron Hill, dramatist, was born in 1685. George Arbuthnot, the son of the great wit, and Pope's executor, died at his office in these buildings. Henry Fielding lived here, with his sister, it is said.¹

It seems that "some parochial taxes" for his house in Beaufort Buildings had long been demanded by the collector. "At last Harry went off to Johnson and obtained by a process of literary mortgage the needful sum. He was returning with it, when he met an old college chum whom he had not seen for many years. He asked his chum to dinner with him at a neighbouring tavern, and learning that he was in difficulties, emptied the contents of his pocket into his. On returning home he was informed that the collector had been twice for the money. 'Friendship has called for the money and had it,' said Fielding, 'let the collector call again.'" Thackeray, English Humourists, Fielding.

At the corner of Beaufort Buildings in the Strand (the east corner, now No. 96) lived Charles Lillie, the perfumer—known to every reader of The Tatler and Spectator. Rudolph Ackermann (d. 1834), the well-known print-seller and publisher, went to No. 96, and about 1796 he removed to No. 101. In 1827 he returned to 96, which had been rebuilt for him by John B. Papworth, architect. The weekly evening gatherings in his great room of artists, literary men, and persons of artistic tastes, and the exhibition of new prints, pictures, etc., did much in their day to promote a taste for art and extend artistic culture. Richard Brothers, "the Prophet" (then a half-pay naval officer), lived at No. 5 Beaufort Buildings, Strand, September 9, 1790,—the year of his "first call," when he sent a letter to the Admiralty, refusing to take the oath required to enable him to draw his pay.

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¹ Gentleman's Magazine, 1786, p. 659.