Cavendish Square

Cavendish square, near Oxford street, has a spacious area which contains between two and three acres, with a large grass plat in the middle, surrounded with wooden rails, erected upon a brick wall; but both the rails and wall being much decayed, now make but an indifferent appearance. The square is, however, encompassed by noble buildings: the Lord Harcourt has a fine house on the east side; on the west is a noble edifice belonging to Mr. Lane, formerly the Lord Binbley's; and in the center of the north side is a space left for a house intended to be erected by the late Duke of Chandos, the wings only being built; however, there is a handsome wall and gates before this space, which serve to preserve the uniformity of the square. Adjoining to this square, Lord Foley has just built a very grand house, with offices, and a court before it.

Cavendish-Square, Marybone,—the N. end of Hollis-street, from 132, Oxford-st.

Cavendish-Sq., Mary-le-bone, is at the north end of Holles-street going from Oxford-street. It is a spacious area of between two and three acres in extent, with a well planted pleasure ground in the middle. This square has several fine mansions, particularly Harcourt-house, on the west side, designed by Inigo Jones, for the noble family whose name it bears; it is at present inhabited by the Duke of Portland. The north side has a row of handsome houses tastefully emebellished with Corinthian columns, erected on the site of an intended mansion for the Duke of Chandos, the Visto of Pope's Satires. They are inhabited by Mrs. Tuffnell, by whose family they were built, by the Earl of Charleville, Lord Viscount Beresford and other gentlemen of distinction. On the west side are the mansions of Lord Viscount Dungannon, built by the late Lord Bingley, Sire Claude Scott and Mr. Hamlet. The south side are houses of a more modrate size, principally inhabited by physicians, and occupied as hotels. In the centre of the garden is the much ridiculed statue of William, Duke of Cumberland.

Cavendish Square. Edward Harley, second Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, the munificent collector of the Harleian Library, married, in 1713, the Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles, from whom this square and several streets adjoining derive their names. The ground was laid out in 1717 or 1718, but the "South Sea Bubble" put an end for a time to the speculation. Writing in 1734, Ralph says it was also called Oxford Square. Anthony Collins, the freethinker (d. 1729), bequeathed his "dwelling house in Cavendish or Oxford Square" to his wife. The whole north side of the square was reserved, in the original plan, for the stately mansion of the munificent Duke of Chandos—the Timon of Pope's unsparing satire.

In the centre of the north side is a space left for a house intended to be erected by the late Duke of Chandos, the wings only being built; however, there is a handsome wall and gates before this space, which serve to preserve the uniformity of the square.—Dodsley, 1761.

The two houses at the corner of Harley Street (the residence of the Princess Amelia mentioned below) and of Chandos Street respectively are believed to belong to the wings of the Duke's house, but they have been divided and greatly altered. In the King's collection of maps and drawings (in the British Museum) is a view of "The Elevation of a New House intended for his Grace the Duke of Chandos, in Mary- bone-fields, designed by John Price, architect, 1720." Chandos Street, in the north-east corner of the square, preserves a memory of the intended structure. An equestrian statue in the centre of the square, modelled by John Cheere, represented William, Duke of Cumberland, the hero of Culloden. The inscription is remarkable:—

William Duke of Cumberland, born April 15, 1721—died October 31, 1765. This equestrian statue was erected by Lieutenant-General William Strode, in gratitude for his private kindness, in honour to his public virtue. Nov. the 5th, Anno Domini, 1770.

Reynolds alludes to this statue in his Tenth Discourse: "In this town may be seen an equestrian statue in a modern dress, which may be sufficient to deter modern artists from any such attempt." The statue was taken down in 1868, in order, as was understood, to be repaired or recast. The statue on the south side is of Lord George Bentinck, by Campbell. Eminent Inhabitants.—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Many of her letters to the Countess of Mar, written between 1723 and 1731, are dated from this square. George Romney, the painter, lived for twenty-one years at No. 32. When Sir Joshua Reynolds, in the course of conversation, was compelled to speak of his then rival, he merely indicated him by saying "The man in Cavendish Square." Romney sold the lease to Sir Martin Archer Shee, President of the Royal Academy, who lived in it as long as he practised his profession. The house was built by F. Cotes, R.A., who died here in 1770, and whose crayon portraits were greatly esteemed. John Wootton, the animal painter, died 1765 "at the house he had built for himself" in this square. "Captain and Mrs. Horatio Nelson" were living at No. 5 in October 1787. Matthew Baillie, M.D.; he died in 1823, in No. 25. William W. Barrington, Viscount Barrington (1717–1793). Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham (1734–1826). General Sir Robert T. Wilson died in 1849 at Marshall Thompson's hotel. The large house at the corner of Harley Street, the west wing of the Duke of Chandos's intended mansion, was bought on the death of George II. by his daughter Princess Amelia, who here for a quarter of a century held what Walpole termed her "tiney court," and died in 1786. John Hunter embalmed her body with his own hands. He was much fatigued and had hardly crossed the square on his way to Oxford Street when he was seized with one of those peculiar spasms which ultimately caused his death. The house was sold to Hope, Earl of Hopetoun, who made many alterations in it; it was next purchased by Mr. Watson Taylor, who expended an enormous sum upon its repair and embellishment,¹ and later was the residence of Viscount Beresford. Under its later tenancy it was divided into two and subsequently into three residences. Cavendish Square is now largely tenanted by fashionable physicians, surgeons, and dentists.

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¹ "I have seen Mr. Watson Taylor's bills for the repairs and additions of this house; they are £48,000, besides the original purchase money, which was £20,000."—J.W. Croker to P.C.