Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney | Page 2

Kensington
and Hammersmith, but Hammersmith borough includes this, ending at
Norland and St. Ann's Roads. On the south side it marches with
Fulham--that is to say, westward along the Hammersmith Road as far
as St. Paul's School, where it dips southward to include the school, and
thence to the river. From here it proceeds midway in the river to a point
almost opposite the end of Chiswick Ait, then northward up British
Grove as far as Ravenscourt Gardens; almost due north to within a few
yards of the Stamford Brook Road; it follows the trend of that road to
the North and South Western Junction Railway. It crosses the railway
three times before going northward until it is on a level with Jeddo
Road. It then turns eastward, cuts across the north of Jeddo Road to
Wilton Road West. Northward it runs to the Uxbridge Road, follows
this eastward for a few yards, and strikes again northward up Old Oak
Road and Old Oak Common Road until it reaches Wormwood Scrubs
public and military ground. It then trends north-eastward, curves back
to meet the Midland and South-Western Line as it crosses the canal,
and follows Old Oak Common Road until on a level with Willesden
Junction Station, from thence eastward to the Harrow Road. It follows
the Harrow Road until it meets the western Kensington boundary
running between the Roman Catholic and Protestant cemeteries at
Kensal Town. It goes through Brewster Gardens and Latimer Road
until it meets the line first indicated.
HISTORY.
With Fulham, Hammersmith shared in the incursion of the Danes in
879, and it is especially mentioned in the Chronicle of Roger de
Hoveden that they wintered in the island of Hame, which Faulkner
thinks is the ait or island near Chiswick, which, he says, must have
considerably decreased in size during the nine centuries that have
elapsed. In 1647 Cromwell removed his quarters from Isleworth to
Hammersmith, and "when he was at Sir Nicholas Crispe's house, the
headquarters were near the church." The general officers were
quartered at Butterwick, now Bradmore House, then the property of the
Earl of Mulgrave.

PERAMBULATION.--The first thing noticeable after crossing the
boundary from Kensington is St. Paul's School. It stands on the south
side of the road, an imposing mass of fiery red brick in an ornamental
style. The present building was erected in 1884 by Alfred Waterhouse,
and a statue to the memory of Dean Colet, the founder, standing within
the grounds was unveiled in 1902. It was designed by W. Hamo
Thornycroft, R.A. The frontage of the building measures 350 feet, and
the grounds, including the site, cover six acres. Dr. John Colet, D.D.,
Dean of St. Paul's, founded his school in 1509 in St. Paul's Churchyard,
but it is not known how far he incorporated with it the then existing
choir-school. The number of his pupils was 153, in accordance with the
number of fishes in the miraculous draught, and the foundation scholars
are limited to the same number at the present day. The old school stood
on the east side of St. Paul's Churchyard, and suffered so much in the
Great Fire that it had to be completely rebuilt. When, in the nineteenth
century, the site had become very valuable, the school was removed to
Hammersmith, and its original site is now covered by business
premises. Dean Colet endowed the foundation by leaving to it lands
that were estimated by Stow to be worth £120 annually, and that are
now valued at over £20,000. The school is governed under a scheme
framed by the Charity Commissioners in 1900, and part of the income
is diverted to maintain the new girls' school in Brook Green.
Lily, the grammarian, was the first headmaster, and the roll of the
pupils includes many great names--the antiquaries Leland, Camden,
and Strype; John Milton, prince of poets; Halley, the astronomer;
Samuel Pepys; Sir Philip Francis, supposed author of the "Letters of
Junius"; the famous Duke of Marlborough; among Bishops,
Cumberland, Fisher, Ollivant and Lee; among statesmen, Charles,
Duke of Manchester, Spencer Compton (Earl of Wilmington), Prime
Minister; and Lord Chancellor Truro; also Sir Frederick Pollock, Lord
Hannen, Sir Frederick Halliday, and Benjamin Jowett.
The preparatory school, called Colet Court, stands opposite on the
northern side of the road. It was founded in 1881, and owns two and a
half acres of land. On the same side Kensington Co-operative Stores
covers the site of White Cottage, for some time the residence of Charles

Keene.
Next to the Red Cow public-house lived Dr. Burney, D.D., LL.D.,
learned father of a celebrated daughter, who became afterwards
Madame D'Arblay. He kept a school here for seven years from 1786.
There are other old houses in the vicinity, but to none of them is there
attached any special interest.