The first time I heard of Notting Hill was many years since. I was asked to sign a petition, the prayer of which pleaded for Parliamentary interference to stop the action of the Proprietors of the Hippodrome at Notting Hill from running horses on Sundays. I have heard since that races were not run upon that day, but horses were tried as a preliminary step to the races during the week. In 1844, when I first became acquainted with the neighbourhood, I enquired what had become of the race-course and was shown an open country,—the place now occupied by St. John’s Church, Notting Hill, being the spot on which the grand stand had been erected, and the course as nearly as I can describe is now covered by Clarendon Road, Cornwall Road, Portobello Road, Horbury Terrace and Ladbroke Square. I found that the inhabitants had insisted upon a right of way across the grounds, and taking the law into their own hands, with hatchets and saws had removed the barriers and thus by maintaining their right to cross the ground when they pleased caused the racing men to abandon it. The changes which have taken place in the parishes are to my mind so marvellous that I think it will not be uninteresting to those whose acquaintance is of a later date to record what I remember of the locality 38 years ago. Starting from Edgware Road and passing down what was then called the Uxbridge Road, now known as the Bayswater Road. On the south side Hyde Park was enclosed by the old iron railings which were pulled down by the mob a few years since. Kensington Gardens were enclosed by an old wall which I esteemed to be a disgrace to London. The narrow pathway outside the wall was used by the parish authorities as a suitable place to keep reserved heaps of broken granite for repairing the road. The spot now occupied by Palace Gardens was also enclosed and formed a kitchen garden to the Kensington Palace. On the north side from Edgware Road, Connaught Terrace and a few houses on either side of the Burial Ground were existing, but Hyde Park Gardens were not. A little further on however was an old public house standing at the corner of a road known as Elm Grove and beyond that several wooden shops, one occupied as an oyster and ginger beer dealer and the other by a coach maker, beyond this was the Parish Ground known as “Bread and Cheese” land, occupied by a Mr. Cheese as Tea Gardens and by Mr. Hopwood as a Nursery Ground. Passing some villas we arrived at the “Black Lion” standing at the corner of Queen’s Road, then known as “Black Lion Lane,” then on to Bark Place and Orme Square, which was built by a Mr. Orme, formerly a print-seller in Bond Street, who also erected Bayswater Chapel, in St. Petersburgh Place. Behind these were Moscow Road and Coburgh Place, erected in 1814. Beyond Petersburg Place was Victoria Place, which led to a field upon which are now built Leinster and Princes Squares and Kensington Gardens Square.