Hampstead Road.] CHARLES DICKENS'S SCHOOL-DAYS. 305 In the year 1800 the road from Whitefield's traversed by tramways, and has altogether a busiChapel hither was lined on either side with the ness-like aspect. hawthorn hedge, and then the "Adam and Eve" tea-gardens were the constant resort of thousands of Londoners; particularly at the time of Tottenham Fair, of which we have spoken in a previous volume;* and when, after its suppression, it was followed by a more innocent one called "Gooseberry Fair." At that period there was only one conveyance between Paddington and the City, which was called the "Paddington Drag," and which stopped at this tavern door as it passed to take up passengers. It performed the journey, as the notice-paper said, "in two hours and a half quick time." The same distance is now accomplished under this road by the Metropolitan Railway in about a quarter of an hour. At one time (long before the establishment of the Zoological Gardens), the "Adam and Eve" owned a sort of miniature menagerie, "when it could boast of a monkey, a heron, some wild fowl, some parrots, with a small pond for gold-fish." As late as July, 1796, the general Court-Baron of the Lord of the Manor of Tatenhall was held at this tavern by order of William Birch, who was at that time steward, dating his notice from Dean Street, Soho. There were also near to this tavern some celebrated baths, of which we find in an old paper of 1785 the following advertisement : "Cold Bath, in the New Road, Tottenham Court Road, near the 'Adam and Eve' Tea Gardens, is now in fine order for the reception of ladies and gentlemen. This bath is supplied from as fine a spring as any in the kingdom, which runs continually through it, and is replete with every accommodation for bathing, situate in the midst of a pleasant garden. This water hath been remarkably serviceable to people subject to lowness of spirits and nervous disorders. For purity of air and water, with an agreeable walk to it, an exercise so much recommended by the faculty, this Bath is second to none.” It is worth noticing, perhaps, as an appendage to the "Adam and Eve," that the first street to the north of that tavern, in the Hampstead Road, is called Eden Street, though it bears at presentwhatever it may have done heretofore-few signs or marks of Paradise. The Hampstead Road is a broad thoroughfare, which runs hence northwards in a direct line with Tottenham Court Road, connecting it with High Street, Camden Town, and so with both Hampstead and Kentish Town and Highgate. The road is * See Vol. IV., p. 477. The streets on the west side (with the exception of the first-Eden Street-which occupies part of the site of the old "Adam and Eve" tea-gardens) are mostly named after Christian names in the family of the owner of the land, such as Henry, Charles, Frederick, William, Robert, and Edward Streets. At the corner of Charles Street (formerly Sol's Row) is the "Sol's Arms," which is immortalised by Dickens in "Bleak House." It derives its name from the Sol's Society, an institution which was conducted somewhat upon the principles of freemasonry. They used to hold their meetings at the "Queen of Bohemia's Head," in Drury Lane; but on the pulling down of that house the society was dissolved. In Sol's Row, David Wilkie, the artist, resided for some time, and there painted his "Blind Fiddler." We found him afterwards in the more fashionable suburb of Kensington.† Each of the above-mentioned streets crosses at right angles a broader and more important thoroughfare, called Stanhope Street, which runs parallel with the Hampstead Road. The remaining streets on this side of the Hampstead Road bear more ambitious designations: one is called Rutland Street, the next is Granby Street, and the thoroughfare is terminated by Mornington Crescent, which connects the road with High Street, Camden Town. Granby Street commemorates the most popular of English generals, the "Marquis" of that name; and the name Mornington, no doubt, was given to the crescent out of compliment to the Earl of Mornington, GovernorGeneral of India, the brother of the Duke of Wellington, and afterwards better known as the Marquis Wellesley. At the corner of Granby Street is a Congregational Chapel, which, however, does not require further notice. We are told by Mr. J. Forster, in his "Life of Charles Dickens," that after his release from the drudgery of the blacking warehouse at Hungerford Stairs, when about twelve years old, the boy who became afterwards "Boz" was sent to a school, kept by a Welshman named Jones, in the Hampstead Road, close to the corner of Mornington Place and Granby Street; but the schoolroom has long since disappeared, having been "sliced off" at a later date to make room for the London and Birmingham Railway. It was ambitiously styled Wellington House Academy, and there are many allusions to it to be found in Dickens's minor writings; and there is a paper among his pieces, † See ante, p. 134 reprinted from Household Words of October 11, at Sunderland, towards the close of the last 1851, which purports to describe it in detail. The century, Clarkson Stanfield "had the sea for his school is also of interest, as having supplied some first art academy," and continued to make the sea of the lighter traits of Salem House in "David Cop- the principal theme of his art studies through life. perfield." At this time "Boz" was living with his At an early age he determined to be a sailor, parents, in "a small street leading out of Seymour and, curiously enough, joined the same ship in Street, north of Mr. Judkin's Chapel." Whilst which Douglas Jerrold was serving as a midshiphere he would ramble, in childish sport and fun, man; and it is told that the officers having got up over the "Field of the Forty Footsteps," scenes to a play, young Stanfield painted the scenery, while which he would often allude with pleasure in after | Jerrold acted as stage-manager. When he quitted life. Even at this time he was a great devourer of light magazine literature, and, along with his school-fellows, got up a miniature theatre, on the boards of which they would perform such pieces as The Miller and his Men. On another occasion they would act the part of mendicants, and go up as poor boys" to ladies in the streets, and ask for coppers-laughing heartily when they got a refusal. Verily, even at that early age, in his case the child was father of the man. 66 the service he accepted an engagement as scenepainter at the old Royalty Theatre, near Wellclose Square, which was then noted as a sailors' theatre, and in course of time transferred his services to Drury Lane Theatre. In 1827 he exhibited, at the British Institution, his first large picture, "Wreckers off Fort Rouge ;" and from that time he produced a large number of works. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1832, and became a Royal Academician three years later. He died in 1867, at Hampstead, where we shall have more to say about his later and more finished works. Of George Cruikshank we may remark that his artistic productions were for the most part confined to illustrating periodicals and other works of got over the difficulty by running their tunnel popular literature. The son of a water-colour under the house, which their engineer supported draughtsman and caricaturist, he had an hereditary on huge posts of timber during the process, thus claim to some artistic gifts, the humorous turn of dispensing with its removal. To the north of this which he began to develop at a very early age. tavern much of the land facing Eden Street was Among Cruikshank's best-known etchings are not built upon down to about the year 1860. those in "Sketches by Boz," "Oliver Twist," Here were large waterworks and a reservoir, "Jack Sheppard," "The Tower of London," sheltered by a grove of trees. The site is now "Windsor Castle," &c. In 1842 appeared the covered by Tolmer's Square, a small square, the first number of "Cruikshank's Omnibus," the letter- centre of which is occupied by a handsome Gothic press of which was edited by Laman Blanchard. Nonconformist chapel, with a tall spire. From the first this artist had shown a strong vein Drummond Street, the next turning northward, of virtuous reproof in his treatment of intoxica- extends along by the principal front of Euston tion and its accompanying vices: some instances Square Railway Terminus. This street crosses of this tendency are to be found in his "Sunday George Street, which forms a direct line of com. in London," "The Gin Juggernaut," "The Gin munication from Gower Street to the Hampstead Trap," and more especially in his series of eight Road. Between George Street and Cardington prints entitled "The Bottle." These also brought Street is St. James's Church, formerly a chapel of the artist into direct personal connection with the ease to the mother church of St. James's, Piccaleaders of the temperance movement. He more- dilly. It is a large brick building, and has a over himself became a convert to their doctrines, large, dreary, and ill-kept burial-ground attached to and was for many years one of the ablest advo- it. Here lie George Morland, the painter, who cates of the temperance cause. Late in life died in 1804; John Hoppner, the portrait-painter, Cruikshank turned his attention to oil-painting, and contributed to the exhibitions of the Royal Academy and the British Institution; among his latest productions in oil is a large picture called "The Worship of Bacchus," which was exhibited to the Queen at Windsor Castle in 1863. The whole of his etchings, which extend over a period of more than seventy years, and illustrate the fashions, tastes, follies, and frivolities of four reigns, including the Regency, were purchased, in 1876, by the managers of the Royal Aquarium, at Westminster. and were placed in their picturegallery. Cruikshank's talents were not confined merely to painting or etching, but he possessed no little dramatic taste, and often took part in amateur performances at the public theatres for benevolent purposes. He died in 1878. We must now retrace our steps to the Euston Road, in order to deal with the east side of the Hampstead Road. The "Old King's Head," at the corner opposite to the "Adam and Eve," has long presented an awkward break in the uniform width of the Euston Road, by projecting some feet beyond its neighbours, and so narrowing the thoroughfare. At the time of the formation of the "Underground Railway" it was considered that there was at last a chance of its removal. Such, however, was not the case; for the owner not being satisfied with the amount of compensation which was offered by the railway company, who, by the way, offered to rebuild the house, but setting it at the same time farther back, the latter who died in 1810; Admiral Lord Gardner, the hero of Port l'Orient, and the friend of Howe, Bridport, and Nelson; and, without a memorial, Lord George Gordon, the mad leader of the AntiCatholic Riots in 1780, who died a prisoner in Newgate in 1793, having become a Jew before his death! One of the best-known vicars of this church was the Rev. Henry Stebbing, author of the "History of the Reformation," "History of the Christian Church," "History of Chivalry and the Crusades," and "Lives of the Italian Poets." He died in 1883. Close by are the St. Pancras Female Charity School and the Temperance Hospital. It may interest some of our readers who do not advocate strict temperance principles to hear that the celebrated article now called "Old Tom" or "Jackey" was originally distilled at Carre's Brewery (formerly Deady and Hanley's distillery), in the Hampstead Road. We are now once more upon Russell property, as is testified by the names of several of the streets and squares round about; indeed, a considerable part of the district is called Bedford New Town. Ampthill Square, which we have now reached, and which is in reality not a square, but a triangle, is so named after Ampthill Park, in Bedfordshire, formerly the seat of the Earls of Upper Ossory, but afterwards the property of the ducal house of Bedford, to whom the land about this part belongs. The south-west corner of the square is crossed by a deep cutting, through which passes the NorthWestern Railway, spanned by a level bridge. At Camden Town.] STATUE OF RICHARD COBDEN. 309 the boy, by driving him home from the theatre in his own private royal carriage-a thing in itself enough to turn a boy's head. The mania for the "young Roscius" is one of the earliest "Reminiscences" of the veteran Mr. Planché; and an account of him will be found in Timbs' "English Eccentrics." his residence in this square, died, in September, | Clarence, it is said, used to show his partiality for 1874, at a good old age, Henry West Betty, better known as the "infant Roscius," more than seventy years after he had first appeared on the boards, under Rich, at Covent Garden, and had "taken the town by storm." He was born on the 13th of September, 1791, and having made his debut before a provincial audience at Belfast, he first appeared as a "star" at Covent Garden, December 1, 1803, as "Selim," in Barbarossa. He is said to have cleared in his first season upwards of £17,000. When quite young he retired and left the stage, but afterwards, being induced to come back, he was unsuccessful, and found that the public taste is a fickle jade. He was a great favourite with many ladies of fashion and title, and the Duke of Harrington Square-which, however, is a square in name alone, seeing that it faces only two sides of a triangular plot of ground, facing Mornington Crescent-adjoins Ampthill Square on the north, and ends close to the corner of the High Street, Camden Town. It is so called after the Earl of Harrington, one of whose daughters married the seventh Duke of Bedford. CHAPTER XXIV. CAMDEN TOWN AND KENTISH TOWN. "Vix rure urbem dignoscere possis." Camden Town-Statue of Richard Cobden-Oakley Square-The "Bedford Arms"-The Royal Park Theatre-The "Mother Red Cap"-The "Mother Shipton "-The Alderney Dairy-The Grand Junction Canal-Bayham Street, and its Former Inhabitants-Camden RoadCamden Town Railway Station-The Tailors' Almshouses-St. Pancras Almshouses-Maitland Park-The Orphan Working SchoolThe Dominican Monastery-Gospel Oak-St. Martin's Church-Kentish Town: its Buildings and its Residents-Great College Street-The Royal Veterinary College-Pratt Street-St. Stephen's Church-Sir Henry Bishop-Agar Town. and on Saturday evenings the upper part of the street, thronged as it is with stalls of itinerant vendors of the necessaries of daily life, and with the dwellers in the surrounding districts, presents to an ordinary spectator all the attributes of a market place. CAMDEN TOWN, says Mr. Peter Cunningham, | on a par with the other business parts of London; "was so called (but indirectly) after William Camden, author of the 'Britannia.' Charles Pratt, Attorney-General and Lord Chancellor in the reign of George III., created, in 1765, Baron Camden of Camden Place, in Kent, derived his title from his seat at Chislehurst, in Kent, formerly the residence of William Camden, the historian. His lordship, who died in 1794, married the daughter and co-heir of Nicholas Jeffreys, Esq., son and heir of Sir Geoffery Jeffreys, of Brecknock; and his lordship's eldest son was created, in 1812, Earl of Brecknock and Marquis Camden. Lord Camden's second title was Viscount Bayham; and all these names, Pratt, Jeffreys, Brecknock, and Bayham, may be found in Camden Town." Camden Town, we may here remark, was commenced towards the close of the last century, Lord Camden having, in the year 1791, let out the ground on leases for building 1,400 houses. The houses in Camden Road and Square have perhaps the most aristocratic appearance of any in the district. The High Street, which originally consisted of a row of small shops with one floor above, and trim gardens in their fronts, separated by hedges of privet, have within the last few years been for the most part either rebuilt or enlarged, and are now At the lower end of High Street, facing Eversholt Street, is a marble statue of Richard Cobden, which was erected by subscription in the year 1863. The statue, which stands in a conspicuous position, is rather above life-size, and is placed upon a granite pedestal of two stages, about twelve feet high, the plinth of which is simply inscribed "Cobden. The Corn-Laws Repealed, June, 1846." The great politician is represented in a standing attitude, as if delivering an address in the House of Commons. He is attired in the ordinary dress of a gentleman of the present day, and holds in one hand a Parliamentary roll. The sculptor's name was Wills. Born at Dunford, in Sussex, in the year 1804, Cobden was brought up as a lad to business, and served behind a counter in a large establishment at Manchester. About the year 1840 he helped to found the Anti-Corn Law League, whose efforts in less than ten years' time set aside the restrictions imposed by the old Corn |