Gardens -- England -- London; London (England) -- Description and travel; Parks -- England -- London
During the early period incidents connected with it are meagre. It is
for the most part only in royal accounts that references to Marylebone
Park are found, and they are merely a bare statement of facts. But
that hunting-parties, with all the show and splendour attending them,
took place frequently, is certain. Among the Loseley MSS. occur, in
1554, instructions to Sir Thomas Cawarden, as “Master of the Tents
and Toiles,” to superintend the making of “certaine banquiting houses
of Bowes [= boughs] and other devices of pleasure.” One of these was
made in “Marybone Parke,” and a minute description is given. It was
40 feet long, and “wrought by tymber, brick, and lyme, with their
raunges and other necessary utensyles therto insident, and to the like
accustomed.” Also three “standinges” were made at the same time, “all
of tymber garnished with boughes and flowers, every [one] of them
conteynenge in length 10 foote and in bredth 8 foote, which houses and
standings were so edified, repaired, garnished, decked, and fynyshed
against the Marshall Saint Andrewes comynge thethere by speciale and
straight comandement, as well of the late King as his counsell to
Sir Tho^{s.} Cawarden, Knt. M^{r.} of the said Office of Revels; and
Lawrence Bradshaw, Surveior of the King’s works, exhibited for the
same w^{t.} earnest charge done, wrought and attended between the 27th
of June and the 2 of August in the said year” [4th of Edward VI.].
Employed on the above works for 22 days at all hours, a space to eat
and drink excepted, “Carpenters, bricklayers, 1d. the hour; labourers,
½d. p. hour; plasterers, 11d. a day; painters, 7d. and 6d. a day.”
“Charges for cutting boughs in the wood at Hyde Park for trimming the
banquetting house, gathering rushes, flags, and ivy; painters, taylors
for sewing roof, etc., basket makers working upon windows, total cost,
£169, 7s. 8d.” Only about half of this total was due to the work in
Marylebone, as a similar pavilion, and three other “standings,” were
made in Hyde Park at the same time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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