Onslow Square
Encyclopedia
Onslow Square is a garden square
in South Kensington
, southwest London
, England
.
The square lies between the Old Brompton Road
to the northwest and the Fulham Road
to the southeast. To the north is South Kensington tube station
. To the south is the Royal Marsden Hospital. As well as the main square, the address covers the street to the southwest that turns into Onslow Gardens, and the street to the northwest that meets Pelham Street by South Kensington tube station
.
, on land belonging to the Smith's Charity Estate. His building agreement with the trustees of the charity stipulated that they should be stuccoed, and constructed to elevational designs and specifications provided by the trustees' architect and surveyor, George Basevi
. The first four houses in the square, numbers 1,3,5, and 7, were begun in September 1845, and were occupied by 1847. The whole square was completed by 1865.
After the building of the first four houses, and Basevi’s sudden death in 1845, the style of the houses diverged from the agreed designs, using exposed grey stock brick, with only the dressings being of stucco.
's development of the square. The church was built during 1859–60, designed by James Edmeston
together with Charles Freake's office. In 1876, a church hall
was constructed south of the church. This was extended in 1893. The church is now administered by Holy Trinity Brompton Church
.
Sir Albert Hastings Markham
, KCB
(1841–1918), explorer, author, and officer in the Royal Navy
, lived at 4 Onslow Square as a child.
The novelist William Makepeace Thackeray
lived at 36 Onslow Square from 1853 to 1860. Here he wrote the last part of The Newcomes
, the Lectures on the Four Georges, The Virginians
, and some of The Adventures of Philip
and The Roundabout Papers.
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy
(1805–1865), commander of HMS Beagle
, on board which the naturalist Charles Darwin
(1809–1882) also sailed, lived at 38 Onslow Square. Fitzroy lived at No 38 from 1854 to 1865, when he committed suicide, through guilt for his part in casting doubt about the truth of the Bible
.
Herbert Edward Ryle
DD
KCVO
(1856–1925), later an Old Testament
scholar and the Dean of Westminster, was born in the square on 25 May 1856.
John Parker (1799–1881), a barrister and Whig politician, died at 57 Onslow Square.
The architect William Railton, designer of Nelon’s Column, lived at 65 Onslow Square. His daughter married Rev. Barclay Fowell Buxton
(1860–1946), who was curate
at Onslow Square from 1884 to 1887. The sculptor Baron Carlo Marochotti - who cast the lions for the column - lived at number 34, and had a workshop and foundry nearby in Sydney Mews.
Frederic John Sidney Parry
(1810–1885), an entomologist, lived in Onslow Square.
John William Crombie
(1858–1908), a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist
and Liberal Party
politician, died in the square aged 50 on 22 March 1908.
Garden square
A garden square is an open space with buildings surrounding a garden, often located in fashionable urban areas. There are many garden squares in London, England, for example. The large estates in London, e.g., the Bedford Estate in Bloomsbury, included garden squares in their development....
in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, southwest London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The square lies between the Old Brompton Road
Old Brompton Road
Old Brompton Road is a major street in the South Kensington district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.It starts from South Kensington tube station and runs south-west, through a mainly residential area, until it reaches West Brompton and the area around Earl's Court tube station...
to the northwest and the Fulham Road
Fulham Road
Fulham Road is a street in London, England, that runs from the A219 road in right in the centre of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, through Chelsea to Brompton Road Knightsbridge and the A4 in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.Fulham Road runs parallel...
to the southeast. To the north is South Kensington tube station
South Kensington tube station
South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
. To the south is the Royal Marsden Hospital. As well as the main square, the address covers the street to the southwest that turns into Onslow Gardens, and the street to the northwest that meets Pelham Street by South Kensington tube station
South Kensington tube station
South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
.
History
The houses were built by Charles James FreakeCharles James Freake
Sir Charles James Freake, 1st Baronet was an architect and builder, responsible for many famous 19th century facades in west London, including Eaton Square and Onslow Square...
, on land belonging to the Smith's Charity Estate. His building agreement with the trustees of the charity stipulated that they should be stuccoed, and constructed to elevational designs and specifications provided by the trustees' architect and surveyor, George Basevi
George Basevi
Elias George Basevi FRS was an English architect. He was the favourite pupil of Sir John Soane.-Life:Basevi was the youngest son of a City of London merchant, also named George Basevi...
. The first four houses in the square, numbers 1,3,5, and 7, were begun in September 1845, and were occupied by 1847. The whole square was completed by 1865.
After the building of the first four houses, and Basevi’s sudden death in 1845, the style of the houses diverged from the agreed designs, using exposed grey stock brick, with only the dressings being of stucco.
St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church in Onslow Square was created as a part of Sir Charles James FreakeCharles James Freake
Sir Charles James Freake, 1st Baronet was an architect and builder, responsible for many famous 19th century facades in west London, including Eaton Square and Onslow Square...
's development of the square. The church was built during 1859–60, designed by James Edmeston
James Edmeston
James Edmeston was an English architect and surveyor; he was also known as a prolific writer of church hymns.He was born in Wapping, Middlesex, England...
together with Charles Freake's office. In 1876, a church hall
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
was constructed south of the church. This was extended in 1893. The church is now administered by Holy Trinity Brompton Church
Holy Trinity Brompton Church
Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square is an Anglican church in Brompton, London, United Kingdom. The church consists of three church buildings, HTB Brompton Road, HTB Onslow Square and HTB Queen's Gate, as well as being the home for Worship Central, St Paul's Theological Centre and...
.
People
Albert Hastings Markham
Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, KCB was a British explorer, author, and officer in the Royal Navy. In 1903 he was made Knight Commander in the Order of the Bath...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1841–1918), explorer, author, and officer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, lived at 4 Onslow Square as a child.
The novelist William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
lived at 36 Onslow Square from 1853 to 1860. Here he wrote the last part of The Newcomes
The Newcomes
The Newcomes is an novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1855.-Publication:The Newcomes was published serially over about two years, as Thackeray himself says in one of the novel's final chapters...
, the Lectures on the Four Georges, The Virginians
The Virginians
The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his Henry Esmond and is also loosely linked to Pendennis. It tells the story of Henry Esmond's twin grandsons, George and Henry Warrington...
, and some of The Adventures of Philip
The Adventures of Philip
The Adventures of Philip on his Way Through the World: Shewing Who Robbed Him, Who Helped Him, and Who Passed Him By is a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray...
and The Roundabout Papers.
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
(1805–1865), commander of HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
, on board which the naturalist Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
(1809–1882) also sailed, lived at 38 Onslow Square. Fitzroy lived at No 38 from 1854 to 1865, when he committed suicide, through guilt for his part in casting doubt about the truth of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
Herbert Edward Ryle
Herbert Edward Ryle
Herbert Edward Ryle KCVO DD , was an author, Old Testament scholar, and the Dean of Westminster.-Early life:Dr Ryle was born in Onslow Square, South Kensington, London, on 25 May 1856, the second son of John Charles Ryle , the first Bishop of Liverpool, and his second wife, Jessie Elizabeth Walker...
DD
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(1856–1925), later an Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
scholar and the Dean of Westminster, was born in the square on 25 May 1856.
John Parker (1799–1881), a barrister and Whig politician, died at 57 Onslow Square.
The architect William Railton, designer of Nelon’s Column, lived at 65 Onslow Square. His daughter married Rev. Barclay Fowell Buxton
Barclay Fowell Buxton
thumb|Japan, 1937.Rev. Barclay Fowell Buxton was an English evangelical Christian missionary in Japan.Buxton was the son of Thomas Fowell Buxton and Rachel Jane Gurney and grandson of Sir Thomas Buxton, 1st Baronet...
(1860–1946), who was curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Onslow Square from 1884 to 1887. The sculptor Baron Carlo Marochotti - who cast the lions for the column - lived at number 34, and had a workshop and foundry nearby in Sydney Mews.
Frederic John Sidney Parry
Frederic John Sidney Parry
Frederic John Sidney Parry was an English entomologist who specialised in Coleoptera, principally Lucanidae....
(1810–1885), an entomologist, lived in Onslow Square.
John William Crombie
John William Crombie
John William Crombie was a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
(1858–1908), a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician, died in the square aged 50 on 22 March 1908.