Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881
Various
Science -- Periodicals
Flaxman had several London residences, but the house in Buckingham
Street, Fitzroy Square, is the one with which he is most intimately
associated, as he lived in it during the prime of his artistic career.
He went there in 1796, when he returned from Rome, and there he died
in 1826, being buried in the ground adjoining old St. Pancras Church
and belonging to the parish of St. Giles-in-the fields. The house is
on the south side of the street, close by Great Titchfield Street.
[Illustration: FLAXMAN'S HOUSE, BUCKINGHAM STREET.]
Canning's house, on the south side of Conduit Street is greatly
changed since the great statesman lived in it. It originally formed a
wing of Trinity Chapel, which has been swept away within the last few
years. This chapel was the successor of the chapel-on-wheels which was
used at the Hounslow camp in the reign of James II., and was
subsequently brought up to London. It is shown in Kip's view of old
Burlington House as standing in the fields at the back of that house.
When Conduit Street was built, a chapel was erected on the south side
to supersede the chapel-on-wheels. The house on the west side of the
chapel, where Canning lived for a time, was subsequently inhabited for
many years by the famous physician, Dr. Elliotson, F.R.S. After his
death, the front was altered, and a large shop window made, as seen
in the accompanying figure. It is now in the possession of Mr.
Streeter, the jeweler.
[Illustration: CANNING'S HOUSE.]
Dr. Johnson had so many residences in London that there is some
difficulty in choosing the one that is most interesting to us. The
house in Gough Square has special claims to attention, as it was there
that the great lexicographer chiefly compiled his dictionary. The
garret, with its slanting roof, in which his amanuenses worked, and
his own study are still to be been. Johnson himself, in his "Life of
Milton," observes, "I cannot but remark a kind of respect, perhaps
unconsciously, paid to this great man by his biographers; every house
in which he resided is historically mentioned, as if it were an injury
to neglect naming any place that he honored by his presence."
Emboldened by this expression of opinion, Boswell one evening, in the
year 1779, ventured to ask Johnson the names of some of his
residences, and he obtained the following list, which he printed in
his "Life of Johnson:" (1) Exeter Street, off Catherine Street,
Strand, (2) Greenwich; (3) Woodstock Street, near Hanover Square; (4)
Castle Street, Cavendish Square, No. 6, (5) Strand; (6) Boswell Court;
(7) Strand again; (8) Bow Street; (9) Holborn; (10) Fetter Lane; (11)
Holborn again, (12) Gough Square; (18) Staple's Inn; (14) Gray's Inn;
(15) Inner Temple Lane, No. 1; (16) Johnson's Court, No. 7; (17) Bolt
Court, No. 8. In this last place he died in 1784.
[Illustration: JOHNSON'S HOUSE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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