124
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. VIL FEB. IG, 1907.
wards Bishop of Lincoln) at Westminster
\bbey The first stone was laid by Mrs.
Bentinck in November, 1842, the consecra-
tion taking place in 1852 There have
been three incumbents : the Rev. C. F.
Secretan; the Rev. W. Rayner Cosens,
DD. ; and the present vicar, the Rev.
George Miller, who has held the living for
thirty-six years. Some of the stonework
had so far decayed that an accident was
feared, as many of the blocks were, by the
acids of the atmosphere, much in the state
of bars of salt.
The buildings in Bulmga Street and Atterbury Street went on well, the Army Military College, in the latter thoroughfare, being in a forward state, while the Alexandra Military Nursing Home, in the former street, with another frontage to Earl Street, will soon be ready for opening. I find that the Army Hospital was officially opened on 1 July, 1905, a fact I could not ascertain last year. The temporary bridge which did duty during the rebuilding of Vauxhall Bridge is to be removed ; but the end of the year did not witness the commencement of this work.
In Regency Street about five or six years ago some alterations were begun, but lagged very much. Between Page Street and Vincent Street three large blocks of resi- dences named Norfolk, Probyn, and Jessel Houses, after the first three Mayors of the reconstituted City of Westminster were begun in 1901, and have been occupied for some time. At the corner of Page Street was formerly situated the Regent Music-Hail, one of the best-designed buildings devoted to public amusements. Its proprietor was Mr. Shedlock, a gentleman connected for many years with the old brewery firm of Joseph Carter, Wood & Son. The venture was not a success, the entertainments being, as a rule, much in advance of the day, as was the case with the Strand Music-Hall, the predecessor of the old Gaiety Theatre. The architect of the hall was Mr. Ridley, a well-known member of the Westminster Vestry.
During the year just closed the old West- minster Radical Club, at the corner of Chapter Street, was, with some other houses, demolished, and on the ground thus cleared some flats have been erected ; they are numbered 40 to 44 Regency Street, 2 to 16 Chapter Street, 1 to 12 Frederick Street, and 27 to 42 Hide Place. On a portion of the land cleared, from the hall used by the Salvation Army to the corner of Causton Street, a large building is in progress for
the Commissioners of the Metropolitan
Police.
In Strutton Ground, on the west side, six houses 20 to 30, even numbers have been demolished, and the land is open for purchase by the highest bidder. On the opposite side, at the corner of Great Peter Street, a house (No. 51) reported to be a dangerous structure was summarily closed by police authority on Wednesday, 16 May, the people being then and there ejected ; almost immediately the house was demolished, and no building has yet been raised in its place. The new wing of the Greycoat Hospital, erected by the governors in order that the teaching staff might have increased accommodation, was duly completed, the formal opening taking place on Monday, 22 October, when a large concourse of West- minster people was present. It is worthy of note that Mr. Clement Y. Sturge, L.C.C., generously gave some very beautiful carvings, which adorn the chimneypieces in the various classrooms, whereby the beauty of the build- ing is much enhanced. I think that this completes my summary of the changes in the parish of St. John the Evangelist for the past year.
Those for St. Margaret's are not quite so numerous, but some of them are of con- siderable interest. First, as of right, come the extensive works completed, so far as the parish church is concerned, and in progress so far as relates to Westminster Abbey. The alterations in connexion with the latter structure are of much magnitude, and several years will elapse before the works in the north transept and north aisle are finished. The scheme for the venerable Abbey, which will occupy five years and cost 20,OOOZ. so said The People of 15 July last embraces part of the great north recessed portico, and the whole of the north transept. The stonework and beautiful rose window are much decayed and fretted the effect of time and London's highly charged chemical atmosphere, which is very detrimental to Bath stone. Many of the sensational stories now current are entirely devoid of foundation.
The various works at St. Margaret's Church the rebuilding of the east wall, underpinning the south-east corner of the south aisle, and reloading the fine old east window were successfully accom- plished. The extended chancel was dedi- cated by the Bishop of London on the afternoon of Sunday, 15 July. The new reredos looked somewhat garish when first exposed to view, but since that time it has
