Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
History
Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
Curiosities and wonders; Encyclopedias and dictionaries; Folklore
If the Bible here represented were that referred to by Herbert,
the circumstance of Bishop Juxon becoming the possessor of it might
be accounted for, by supposing that it was placed in his hands to be
transmitted to Charles II. with the George of the Order of the Garter
belonging to the late King, well known to have been given to that
Prelate upon the scaffold, January 30th, 1648-9.
LAMBETH WELLS, THE APOLLO GARDENS, AND FINCH'S GROTTO.
Among the numerous public places of amusement which arose upon the
success of Vauxhall Gardens, which were first opened about 1661, was
one in Lambeth Walk, known as Lambeth Wells. This place was first
opened on account of its mineral waters, which were sold at a penny
per quart. The music commenced at seven o'clock in the morning, and
the price of admission was three pence. A monthly concert under the
direction of Mr. Starling Goodwin, organist of St. Saviour's Church
Southwark, was afterwards held here, and Erasmus King, who had been
coachman to the celebrated Dr. Desaguliers, read lectures and exhibited
experiments in natural philosophy, the price of admission being raised
to sixpence.
This place was open before 1698, and existed as late as 1752, when "A
Penny Wedding after the Scotch fashion, for the benefit of a young
couple," was advertised to be kept there.
Lambeth Wells at length becoming a public nuisance, the premises were
shut up, and ultimately let as a Methodist Meeting-house. The music
gallery was used as a pulpit; but the preacher being greatly disturbed
in his enthusiastic harangues, he was obliged to quit, when the
premises were converted to various purposes, except the dwelling, which
is now known by the sign of the Fountain public-house.
On the site of Messrs. Maudslay's factory, in the Westminster Road,
formerly stood the Apollo Gardens. This place of amusement was opened
in 1788, by an ingenious musician named Clagget, who published, in
1793, a small quarto pamphlet, entitled "Musical Phenomena: An Organ
made without Pipes, Strings, Bells, or Glasses; the only Instrument in
the world that will never require to be re-tuned. A Cromatic Trumpet,
capable of producing just Intervals, and regular Melodies in all Keys,
without undergoing any change whatever. A French Horn answering the
above description of the Trumpet."
The Apollo Gardens had one spacious room elegantly fitted up, and
decorated in taste suitably to its intention. The gardens consisted
of a number of elegant pavilions or alcoves, well adapted for the
accommodation of different companies; they were ornamented chiefly with
a succession of paintings, relating to romantic histories, particularly
the different adventures of Don Quixote. It had a fine orchestra
erected in the centre of the gardens. The place being ultimately
converted into a receptacle for loose and dissolute characters, the
magistracy very properly suppressed it about the year 1799.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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