The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 6

The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 6

CHAPTER III.

 

 

The Fleet, as far as can be ascertained, owes its birth to an

ornamental water, fed by springs--one of the numerous ponds in Highgate

and Hampstead--in the park of Ken Wood, the seat of Earl Mansfield,

now occasionally occupied by the fourth successor to that title; who,

being keeper of the royal Castle of Scone, prefers, as a rule, his

northern residence. In the No Popery riots of 1780, with which Lord

George Gordon was so intimately connected, Ken Wood House was on the

brink of being destroyed by the rioters, who had, already, wrecked his

lordship's house in Bloomsbury Square, and destroyed his most valuable

library. Tradition says that Ken Wood was saved owing to the landlord

of "The Spaniards," well known to all pedestrian frequenters of

Hampstead, giving them his beer, &c., until they were incapacitated, or

unwilling, to fulfil their quest, meanwhile sending messengers for the

Horse Guards, who opportunely arrived, and prevented the destruction

of the mansion. It is quite possible that this is a true story, for

a footnote (p. 69) in Prickett's "History of Highgate" says: "The

following is copied from a receipt of one of the constables of the

Hundred of Ossulston: 'Received 8s. 6d., being the proportion taxed

and assessed for and towards the payment of the several taxations and

assessments which have been made upon the said Parish (amounting to the

sum of £187. 18s. 7d.) towards an equal contribution, to be had and

made for the relief of the several inhabitants of said Hundred; against

whom, the several persons who were damnified by rioters within the same

Hundred, in the month of June, 1780, have obtained verdicts, and had

their executions respectively.'"

 

Commencing thus in one of the prettiest parts of the most picturesque

suburbs of London, it flows from one to the other, right through the

chain of the Highgate Ponds, fed by several rills, the first being near

the Hampstead end of Millfield Lane--which is, by some, regarded as

its source. From the lower pond it crossed the Highgate Road, and, for

some distance, it ran parallel with it, although a little way eastward.

It again crossed the Highgate Road not far from its junction with the

Kentish Town Road, the course of which it followed, until it came to

Hawley Road, where it was joined by a sister brook, whose source was

the pond in the Vale of Health at Hampstead, flowing from which, it

was fed by a brooklet, over which the abortive viaduct of Sir Thomas

Marion Wilson's construction is carried. It ran into, and through, the

Hampstead Ponds, which end at the lower east heath, near Pond Street

(a locality easily recognized when once any one has seen St. Stephen's

Church, Haverstock Hill, one of the most beautiful churches in London).

These ponds are immortal, if they needed immortality, as the very first

page of "Pickwick" gives an entry in the Transactions of the Pickwick

Club:

 

"_May 12, 1827._ Joseph Smiggers, Esq., P.V.P., M.P.C.,

presiding. The following resolutions unanimously agreed to--

 

"'That this Association has heard read, with feelings of

unmingled satisfaction, and unqualified approval, the paper

communicated by Samuel Pickwick, Esq., G.C., M.P.C., entitled,

"Speculations on the Source of the Hampstead Ponds, with some

observations on the Theory of Tittlebats"; and that this

Association does hereby return its warmest thanks to the said

Samuel Pickwick, Esq., G.C., M.P.C., for the same.'"

 

Its memory is still retained in the Fleet Road.

 

On its way through Kentish Town it passed through a purely pastoral

country, such as we, who know the district only as covered with houses,

can hardly reconcile with existing circumstances. The Guildhall

Collection relating to the Fleet River, is very rich in water-colour

drawings and pen-and-ink sketches of undoubted authenticity, and from

them I have selected what, in my opinion, are the most suitable for

this work.[16]

 

From the above, and this view of Highgate, so late back as 1845, we

can fairly judge of the pleasant scenery which existed almost at our

doors--before the iron roads brought population, which begat houses,

which destroyed all rusticity, leaving bricks and mortar on the site of

verdant meads, and millions of chimneys vomiting unconsumed carbon and

sulphur, in the place of the pure fresh air which once was dominant.

 

[Illustration: THE FLEET, KENTISH TOWN. _Circa_ 1837.]

 

Here we see the Fleet running its quiet course--and the other sketches

bear witness to its rurality.

 

[Illustration: VIEW OF THE VALLEY OF THE FLEET AND HIGHGATE CHURCH,

FROM FORTESS TERRACE, KENTISH TOWN, SEPT. 28, 1845.

 

(_Water colour by A. Crosby._)]

 

After the Fleet had recrossed the Highgate Road near the junction of

that road and the Kentish Town Road, it passed near the _Gospel Oak_,

which now gives its name to a railway station in the locality. About

this oak, there was a tradition that it was so called because St.

Augustine preached underneath its boughs--a fact which is probably

as correct as the story that the Church of St. Pancras was the first

Christian Church in England. In truth, there are, or were, many Gospel

Oaks and Elms throughout the country; for instance, there is an iron

foundry near the parishes of Tipton and Wednesbury called _Gospel Oak

Works_. It was, as a matter of fact, a traditionary custom, in many

places, when, on Holy Thursday (Ascension Day), the parochial bounds

were beaten, to read a portion of the Gospels under some well-known

tree, and hence its name. One or two quotations will easily prove this.

 

[Illustration: THE FLEET AT KENTISH TOWN.]

 

In the "Bury Wills," p. 118, is the following passage in the will of

John Cole of Thelnetham, dated May 8, 1527: "Item, I will haue a newe

crosse made according to Trappett's crosse at the Hawe lanes ende, and

set vp at Short Grove's end, where the gospell is sayd vpon Ascension

Even, for y^e w^{ch} I assigne x^s."

 

And, in the poem of Herrick's "Hesperides," which is addressed "To

Anthea."

 

"Dearest, bury me

Under that holy Oke, or Gospel Tree;

Where, (though thou see'st not,) thou may'st think upon

Me, when thou yerely go'st procession."

 

It also passed near Parliament, or Traitors', Hill--a name which

is much in dispute; some maintaining that it was fortified by the

Parliamentary Army, under Cromwell, for the protection of London,

others that the 5th of November conspirators met here to view the

expected explosion of the Houses of Parliament. This, which forms the

most southern part of Hampstead Heath, and therefore the nearest, and

most accessible to the great bulk of Londoners, has a beautiful view of

Highgate and London, and has, I am happy to say, been preserved as an

open space for the public.

 

[Illustration: THE FLEET AT KENTISH TOWN.]

 

We have now followed the Fleet in its course to Kentish Town, the

etymon of which is, to say the least, somewhat hazy. Being so, of

course, an immense amount of theory has been expended upon it. Some

contend that it springs from the Prebendary attached to St. Paul's

Cathedral, of Cantelupe, or Cantelows, now (in _Crockford_, called

Cantlers): one antiquary suggesting that it owes its name to the delta

formed by the junction of the two branches of the Fleet--from _Cant_

or _Cantle_, a corner;--whilst yet another authority thinks that, as

the Fleet had its source from Ken Wood--it was called Ken-ditch--hence

Kenditch or Kentish Town. Be it as it may, it was a very pleasant and

rural suburb, and one of some note, for herein William Bruges, Garter

King-at-Arms, had a country house, at which he entertained, in the year

1416, the Emperor Sigismund, who came over here, in that year, to try

and mediate between our Henry V. and the King of France.

 

In still older times it formed part of the great Middlesex forest,

which was full of wolves, wild boars, deer, and wild oxen; but we find

that, in 1252, Henry III. granted to Thomas Ive, permission to inclose

a portion of the highway adjoining his mansion at Kentessetone. And in

1357, John of Oxford, who was Mayor of London in 1341, gave, amongst

other things, to the Priory of the Holy Trinity, in London, a mill at

Kentish Town--which, of course, must have been turned by the Fleet. The

kind donor was one of the very few Mayors who died during his mayoralty.

 

It is said, too, that Nell Gwynne had a house in Kentish Town, but I

can find not the slightest confirmation of the rumour; still, as there

is a very good pen-and-ink sketch of the old house said to be hers, I

give it, as it helps to prove the antiquity of Kentish Town, now, alas!

only too modern.

 

[Illustration: OLD HOUSE, KENTISH TOWN, SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN NELL

GWYNNE'S.]

 

And there was another old house close by the Fleet there, an old

farmhouse known as Brown's dairy.

 

[Illustration: THE FLEET AT KENTISH TOWN--BROWNE'S DAIRY FARM, SEPT.

21, 1833.

 

(_By A. Crosby--water colour._)]

 

This old Farmhouse had, evidently, a nobler origin, for it was moated;

and, in 1838, the moat existed on the east and north sides. It

belonged to the College of Christ Church, Oxford, and was held of the

Manor of Cantelows at a small fine. There was a good orchard, which at

the above date (the time of its demolition) contained a large walnut

tree and some mulberry trees. The building materials were sold for £60,

so that it evidently had done its work, and passed away in the ripeness

of old age.

 

[Illustration: CASTLE, KENTISH TOWN ROAD, 1848.]

 

The Castle Inn is said to have been the oldest house in Kentish Town,

and there is a tradition that Lord Nelson once lived here, "in order

that he might keep his eye upon the Fleet," and planted a sycamore in

the garden.

 

Before taking leave of Kentish Town, I cannot help recording a legal

squabble, which resulted in a victory for the public.--_Times_,

February 12, 1841:--

 

"COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, _Thursday, February 11, 1841_.