Bridgewater House, Westminster
Encyclopedia
Bridgewater House is at 14 Cleveland Row, Westminster
, London, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The earliest known house on the site was Berkshire House built in about 1626-27 for Thomas Howard, second son of the Earl of Suffolk and Master of the Horse
to Charles I of England
when he was Prince of Wales. Howard was later created Earl of Berkshire
. After being occupied by Parliamentarian troops in the English Civil War
, used for the Portuguese Embassy, and lived in by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
, the house was lived in by Charles II's mistress Barbara Villiers, who was made Duchess of Cleveland in 1670, following which the house was known as Cleveland House. She refaced the old house and added new wings. After being owned for some years by a speculator the house was sold in 1700 to John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater
, after which it passed by inheritance until 1948.
Cleveland House was re-designed in the Palazzo style by Sir Charles Barry
in 1840 and the rebuilding was completed and renamed in 1854 for Lord Ellesmere
, heir of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
. It is built in Bath stone
with a slate roof in three storeys with a basement. It was famous, in both incarnations, as the site of the Stafford Galley (in Cleveland House) and Bridgewater Gallery (in Bridgewater House), where the collections of paintings of the Duke of Bridgewater and his nephew and heir George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
(whose second son Ellesmere was) were on at least semi-public display. The collection included about 70 paintings from the famous Orleans Collection
, some of which are now in the Sutherland Loan to the National Gallery of Scotland
. The collection was opened in 1803, and could be visited on Wednesday afternoons over four, later three, months in the summer by "acquaintances" of a member of the family, or artists recommended by a member of the Royal Academy
.
The building was damaged in the Second World War
and has since been adapted for office use. The painting Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers
, thought lost in the raid, was rediscovered in 2009. In 1981 Bridgewater House was purchased and restored by Greek shipowner Yiannis Latsis
, and is still owned by his family.
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, London, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The earliest known house on the site was Berkshire House built in about 1626-27 for Thomas Howard, second son of the Earl of Suffolk and Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
to Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
when he was Prince of Wales. Howard was later created Earl of Berkshire
Earl of Berkshire
Earl of Berkshire is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. It was created for the first time in 1621 for Francis Norris, 2nd Baron Norris of Rycote. For more information on this creation , see the Earl of Abingdon and also the Earl of Lindsey...
. After being occupied by Parliamentarian troops in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, used for the Portuguese Embassy, and lived in by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
, the house was lived in by Charles II's mistress Barbara Villiers, who was made Duchess of Cleveland in 1670, following which the house was known as Cleveland House. She refaced the old house and added new wings. After being owned for some years by a speculator the house was sold in 1700 to John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater
John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater
John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater was the eldest son of John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater and his wife Elizabeth Cavendish. His maternal grandparents were William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle and his first wife Elizabeth Basset.He served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire as...
, after which it passed by inheritance until 1948.
Cleveland House was re-designed in the Palazzo style by Sir Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
in 1840 and the rebuilding was completed and renamed in 1854 for Lord Ellesmere
Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere
Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere KG, PC , known as Lord Francis Leveson-Gower until 1833, was a British politician, writer, traveller and patron of the arts...
, heir of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
. It is built in Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
with a slate roof in three storeys with a basement. It was famous, in both incarnations, as the site of the Stafford Galley (in Cleveland House) and Bridgewater Gallery (in Bridgewater House), where the collections of paintings of the Duke of Bridgewater and his nephew and heir George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
(whose second son Ellesmere was) were on at least semi-public display. The collection included about 70 paintings from the famous Orleans Collection
Orleans Collection
The Orleans Collection was a very important collection of over 500 paintings formed by the French prince of the blood Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, mostly acquired between about 1700 and his death in 1723...
, some of which are now in the Sutherland Loan to the National Gallery of Scotland
National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
. The collection was opened in 1803, and could be visited on Wednesday afternoons over four, later three, months in the summer by "acquaintances" of a member of the family, or artists recommended by a member of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
.
The building was damaged in the Second World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and has since been adapted for office use. The painting Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers
Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers
Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers is an oil painting by the French artist Hippolyte Delaroche, depicting Charles I of England taunted by the victorious soldiers of Oliver Cromwell after the Second English Civil War, prior to his execution in 1649. Completed in 1836, it is thought to be one...
, thought lost in the raid, was rediscovered in 2009. In 1981 Bridgewater House was purchased and restored by Greek shipowner Yiannis Latsis
Yiannis Latsis
Yiannis Latsis , also John Spyridon Latsis, was a Greek shipping tycoon notable for his great wealth, influential friends, and charitable activities.-Biography:...
, and is still owned by his family.