he year

i795

sarv the

publication of a four volume treatise entitled

Tlrc Enuirons O;f London,

2,500 acres of iand. At the time ol the about t"wo thirds of the parish rtas made trp of grassland.
sur-ve\',

written by

young

clerg.vman cailed Daniel Lysons. The work,'n'ritten while Lysons $'as curate of Putney \,vas, in the words of its author, 'an Historical Account of the Tou-ns, Villages and Hamlets r,vithin t*ah'e miles ol that Capital'. It is a fascinating accotlnt: historv, mlxed lvith the author's personal observations and statistics clerived fi'om primary records. Whiie the author's description might make his rvor"k sound rather drli it is actually an)-thing but. His witry. intercsting anecdotes, and the use of contemporary records such as nelvspapers, pamphlets and journals provide a surprisingl.v readable insight into nou'familiar areas

Population and growth Lysons presents a picture of a rapidi,v changing locality. lVith reference to parish records, he calculates the average number of baptisms in the years 1680-1689 to have been 13.51 by 1794 the average annual figure rvas more than 1,693 * a huge increase. He writes: At the beginning ol the present centur)! Nlarybone lr'as a srnall village, nearly a mile distant liom any part of the metropolis.' A period of intense development soon changed tiris. By the time Lysons was writing, the parish contailred 6,200 homes, up Il'orn 577 in 1739. The cleric goes into son-re depth about the building plojects

or Eye-br.ook, and nolv T,vbournbrook.'Today, the T1'burn is one of London's subterranean rivers. Lvsons provides us rvith the 1 795 course of the bourn. He traces it from Hampstead, through nhat is nolv Belsize Park, then tl-re upper leaches of Maryiebone ('Ntlarybone-park') to \,Iaq4ebone Lane and then onrvards for a great distance until it, 'fa-lls into tl-re Thames at a place called King's Scholars' Pond, a little
belor,v' Chelsea.'

The religious question

The parish church rvas always,

historically5 a fundamental lbattire ol the rvay the parish defined itsell The parish as an entiry* was a very old foundation. dating to the earl,v middle ages. Lysons notes that the church

building's original position rvas 'on the

LYSONS'TREATISE IS FASCINATING HISTORY MIXED WITH PERSONAL ANECDOTES AND STATISTICS. IT MAY SOUND DRY, BUT IT'S ANYTHING BUT
of London. Thirty-seven
to Mar,vlebone. The geographical area pages

of

the

thild volume $tfiddlesex) are declicated

that had fuelled this growth and cites plans for even more deveiopment: 'Very extensive plans have been formed lbr
increasing the buildings on the Lisson Green estates, rvhich are at present
sr-rspended.

highway' (roughly where Oxford Street is now) - a 'lonely' spot, 'subject to the
depredations of robbers'. It r.T'as moved to nrol'e or less its curlent position

There are several gcographical

di{Ierences betlr.'een the area sr-rn'eyed by Lysons and the N,farylebone rve

The intention of buiiding

upon the site of X,Iarybone-park has becn alread; menrioncd.' What's in a name? The name '\4arylebone' comes from that of the main Anglican parish church, St Nlarylebone. The name of the church was originally influenced by' its location beside a small riveE or

l
1

knorv toda\r In 1795, \4ar1'lebone r.r,as one of the parishes which made up the 'hundred' of Ossulstone (referred to by Lysons as'Ossulston'). Lvsons describes the parisir of Mar;'lebone as beirlg, 'bounded by St Giles's and Pancras on the east, by Hampstead in the north, Paddington on the r'r,est, and on the south by St Anne-Soho, StJames's and St George-Hanover-Square.' This

around 1400. Originally; of course, the parish rvas Roman Catholic. It then moved with the tides of reiigior-rs change which sr,vept the country in the Tudor and Elizabethan periods and becan:re, like the rest of the country a Protestant entiry This parish r,r'as more directly affected by these changes than
mauy others. In the hierarc\ of the medieval church, parishes could be 'appropriated' bv different religious houses. Historicall,v; the St i\{an'lebone parish had been appropriated by the priory of St Lau.rence de Blakemore, in Essex. At the Reformation, Henr-v VIII suppressed the priolies and confiscated

'bourn'*

the

\'burn.

St N'{ary-by-the-

i
; i
J

definition means that areas r,vhich are

sqparate fr'om Nlarylebone toda,q such
as F,riirmrrose
Mfrry,{,ebCIo{r

bourn bccame contractcd, ovel dmc and through the vicissitudes of the English language, into St N'Iaq'-ie-bone.
Lysons's
sr-rr-vey provides us with some inlbrmation on this topic: 'the nane of this place was ancientlv cailed Tiburn,

Hiil and parts of Kilburn,

'considerecl part of fun [795. Tlre par,ish is

qrruinJld hmire heem

dmnihes$ rx eo,r',rsii;rtimg,of rough-[5.

from its situation near a small bourn, or rivulet, formerly calied A,v'ebrcok,

their goods arrd benefices (parishes under their control). He olten then gifted a parish to one of l.ris associates.
L'r the case

of St N4arylebone,

it'ivas >

gifted to Cardinal \\blsey In turn, he 'granted it to the master and scholars ol his college at Ipsw:ich.'However, when Cardinal Wolsey fell from grace, a casualty of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Henry \'III sLripped him ol his pt.rsscssions. St Mari'lebone thus fell back under the direct conrol ol the crown until 1552, when it w'as gifted to the Forest family. The Forest family on'ned the manor house at Marylebone. The parish, Lihe the manor and its associated land, passed through several hands until,

more importandy gir.en the presence of the \{'esleys, ldethodists within the parish. A passing relerence is made to Nfethodists rvhen Lysons reports the mention of Charies Wesle,v in the parish burial register. Hon'ever, L1'sons cloes make trvo vcry intcrcsLing observations about less conrmon groups of dissenters rvhich operated in the parish. Firstly: 'in Blandfbrd-street is a meeting-house of the Anabaptists.' Anabaptist is a fluid term rvhich has been applied to several difibrent groups of dissenters in Europe and then North

an evangelical preacher rvho r,r'as a leacling iight in the Revivalist mo\rement. He had a major {ailing out u,ith.lohn tr!'esley: His movement did not stand the test of time in the lvay that X.{ethodism did.
The church building

ONE OF LONDON'S MOST INFAMOUS PIACES OF EXECI.JTION WAS PART OFTHE PARISH - TYBURN
in
1791, theyrvere all under dre control

America since the period of the

Protestant reformations in Europe. Unlbrtunately, Lysons gives us no further information on the Marylebone group. Another group ol dissenters couid also be found in the parish, 'in Little Titchfield-street is a chapel (called Providence Chapel) belonging to a congregation who profess the doctrines of the latc Mr \A4ritfield, and style tl-remselves Independents.' Mr ffiitfield was Rev. George \44iitfield,

of the Duke of Portland.

Dissenters

After the Reformation, the parish lollowed traditional Church of England liturgy. But this did not mean that there
were no dissenters. Interestingly, Lysons 1795 account makes no mention ol the

The parish church building has been through several diflerent stages ol evolution to get to the one rve see today, for example, 'in the year I 741, Marybonc chtrrch bcing in a verv ruinous condition, it lvas found necessary to take it down.' L1'sons also notes that the replacement structure was also inadeqr-rate. The parish rvould have to wait many years lor adequate provision. The current church is a combination of an 1B 1 7 clesign and an addition in the 1880s. Lysons malies the follorving interesting point, 'the inside ol the oid church is shown in one of Hogarth's plates ol the Rake's Progress'. Indeed, the parish church is represented as the location of the Rake's marriage to a wealthy old lvoman. Apparently, St Nlarylebone was well known as a venue lbr
clandestine man'iages. Execution, death and burial As well as a place ol marriage, the church '"vas, ol coursei a place of burial. Lysons' treatise gives a full and detailed account of the burial monllmcnts and tombs found in the church and churchyard in 1795. He also describes another popular area for burial as being a cemetery on both the southern and northern sides of Paddington Street. The tu'o parts of the ccmete ry we re conse crate d in 1733 and 17 7 2 rcspe ctively. This shows the increased death rate in the parish. Thc c('mctcry no L-rngcr oxists. Of course, death is not alwa,vs natural. One ol London's mosl inlamous placcs of cxccution was part ol lvlarylebone parish: lyburn. Lysons describes ii as 'the public place

numbers of either Roman Catholics (aibeit, the Catholic Emancipatiorr Act would not be passed until 1829) or,
Hogarth's depiction of a hanging at Tyburn

d
e

Above: A scene from Hogarth's A Rake's Progress, inside the old St Maryebone parish church

ol

exccution for criminals convicted in the county of Ntliddlesex'. He tells the gruesome story of Catherine Hayes, who was e\ecuted there in 1726: 'There suffered the infan-rous Catherine Hayes, {br the murder ol her husband (in this parish), rvhich was attended with circumstances of uncommon atrocity. It is recorded in a weli-kr-rorvn ballad, beginning,'In Tybour-road there liv'd a man'. Catherine Hayes su{Ibred the utmost severiry of her' senter-lce, being literallY burnl a1ive,

Charitable institutions For some residents of Marylebone at this tirr,e, the transition between life and death occasioned a speli in one of the charitable institutions of the parish. There lvere several of these, most obviousll; 'a v"ery spacious and commodious 'workhouse".. built in the year' 1775. The average number ol paupers is about eight hundred.' Also to be found in the parish u'as an infirmary, near the rrorkhouse, rvhich r:oulcl hold about four hundled
people.

in consequence (as it rvas said) ol the indigr-ration of tl"re populace. .n ho

worrld not suffcl tltc e.rccutionel to strangle her (as is usnal) belore the fire n'*s 4nimd1ed.'

In

1750, a charityschoolwas

ilrstitutcd in rhe parish, 'lor' ilrstrr"rctilgl, clorhing, and putring our to apprerlticc the children of the industrious poor-.' 'lhe house for this school r+'as built by

subscription ol 'persons of ranli'in the parish. In 1795, there were 42 girls and 52 boys at the charitable school. lVlost interestingly of all, especially considering the area's present reputation as a medica-l centre, are Lysons's comments about the rVliddlesex hospital. This was founded n 1745, 'for sick and lame, and lying-in married women' and transferrcd to the Nlortimer Street site in 1755. Ovet- t]le course of the 50 )'ears from its {bundation until the time of Lysons'writirrg, the hospitai had treated 86,810 people and had delivered 9,98G babies. In 1792. a special centre rvas set up in the hospital lor people afflicted with cancer. Thus, the Nfarylebone area had alrvays been at the {brefiont of medical innovation. 1$

f-.,

.1.---'

,i

1,* I I

Past caring
Three of the most influential figures in the history of professional nursing either lived or worked in Marylebone. Louisa McKenzie explores their considerable impact on healthcare
sk anyone to name a

famous nurse and they will almost certainly say 'Florence Nightingale'. Nightingale was a huge figure in the history of nursing reform. But her shadow looms so large over the sub-ject, that it hides some other important characters in the story. One of these, Mary Seacolg is finally beginning to attain the recognition she deserves. In Februarv 2004, she r,vas voted 'Greatest Black Briton'in a major

had once been housekeepers they still had no training.

but

this role. By taking up this position, Nightingale rvas doing something

unusual but b,v no means revoltttionani Positions of authority in hospita-ls rvele arvarded as a matter of class rather

Nightingale changed all that. She was born in May 1820 into a rich

British family living in Italy

and

named Florence after the city of her birth. She was well-connected, rvell educated and set to make a very good

than skill. The higher the position,

the higher the class of the woman

filling it. And Nightingale

r,r,as

ol

internet poll. Anotheq Ethel Gordon

Fenwick, is probably litde known outside

marriage. But that $'as not r+'hat she wanted. Instead she wished to take up a caring profession. The roots of this desire can be {bund in her chiidhood, during rvhich a love of nature drot'e her to care for sick animals.
Certain othcr European cottntrics

hieher class than most. She rcmained at the institution {brjust over a year) until she felt callecl upon to help with the situation developing in the Crimea.

In 1\,Iarch 1854, Britain, France

and Tur*ey declared lvar on Russia. When the allies defeated the Russians at the batde of the Alma in Septernber,

professional nursing circles and yet is another important figure. All tlrree womcn rvere at some rimc in their lives active in the N{arylebone area, and their stories * diverse as the,v are - make for fascinating reading.

were slightly more progressive in

WHILE LARGE NUMBERS OF IVIEN WERE DYING FROM THEIR WOUNDS, A GREAT MANY MORE WERE BEING KILLED BY SQUALID CONDITIONS
nursing matters than Britain at the rcports in Tlze Tunes crticised the British medical facilities lol the lvor-rnded. In respouse Sidney Herbert the N{inister at War r.vho kner'r'' Nightingale both socially and thrrcugh her Harley Street n'ork, appointed her to oversee the irrtroductiort ol lenralc nttrscs inlo the rnilitary hospitals in Turkel'. On 4th November I 854. NQhtingale

f,rlorence Nightingale, 'The Ladv I-' Of Th" Lamp', did much to rnake
nursing a respectabie profession for women. Before her the maiority of army'nurses' \rere camp followers

time. Nightingale trained in two

such pioneering institutions, firsdy at one r'ull by Luthcran deacouesses in

- Iou'er class rvomen r.t'ho followed the army around, fulfilling any functions required of them no matter how Lrnsavoury. Thev certainly had r-ro specific medical training. This rvas also the case in British hospitals. Nurses lvere little more than char wonnen, except for those letv whcl ffirund,tluemseftrees im positions of alnftrorilir llhcxe v*rere giemerallv ol hfuher wian *andiuag - prXaanx thel'

Kaiserslverth, Germanv and then in Paris at a hospital run by the Roman Catholic sisters of St Vincent de Paul. This training provided a solid for,rndation for her future reforms.

On her return to England in August 1853, Nightingale became

superintendent at the Institute For The Care ol Sick Gentler'vomeu in HarleY Street. By ali accounts she excelled at

arrived at the Barrack Hospital in Scutari r.r'ith a party ol 38 nurses. She discoverecl that rvhilst a great proportion of the men n'ere cl"'ing fion'r
their rvounds, many more lvere

c\ing )

from diseases caused by the squalid conditions of the hospitals. At the time, disease was bv far the sreatest threat
to soldiers. Of the 2 1,000 soldiers rvho died in the Crimean \{ar, only 3000 died from injuries in battle. Nightingale recognised that cleanliness, \rentiiation and a reguiar regime of lbod and'lr'ater r.vould vastly improve the sitr:ation. The hospital was
thoror"rghly cleancd and a commission sent from Britain flushed the sewers

and improved ventilation. Matters began to slo.,vly impror'e. Nightingale remained in the Crimea for almost fi{'o },ears. During
this rime she mct'i.vith sornc resistance

rvhich pror,ided

t1.re

funds to set up the

Nightingale fund for the training ol nurses. By the time of her return to
Britain in 1857 Florence Nightingale
was a national heroine. Florence Nightinga-le's contribution

from the doctors and armv officers in charge of the hospitals. But she used her contacts - a product of her social standing - to encourage British newspapers to report the situation. The Titnes in particuiar provided much publiciry This led to public donations,

to the reform of nursing and hospitals

was enormous. Taking advantage of hcl lame she sct about improving standards of cleanliness and sanitation. Driven by experiences gained in both

Harle1'Street and in the Crimea, Nightingale r,vas convinced of the importance of providing nurses with
appropriate training. In I860 she established the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas'Hospital (now called the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing And lvlidruifery'). The same ,vear saw the publication of her Notes 0n Nursing, which expounded the theories about nrusing wl-rich she had learnt from

first hand experience. Professional nurses who u'ere trained under the Nightingale system worild go or.r to
permeate the medical profession both at home and abroad.

\ rfarv Seacole's history intcrsects IVIrh^ of Florence Nightingale, but

with
a very di{Ierent outcome.

Their'

Iife histories could not have been more diffcrenr, other dran sluring a passionatc desire to help others. Born in Kingston,Jamaica in 1805, Seacole was the daughter of a Scottish

army officer and a fiee-blackJamaican woman. Nllary-'s mother ran a boarding house for inva.licl British soldiers stationed in the Caribbean, and she had taught her daughter hor'v'to use traditional Creole remedies to treat the guests. There is sone disagreement betrveen sources as to where N'Iary Seacole first gained experience ol nursing in a ivide sca.le epidemic. Some say it r'r'as the cholera oubleak in Kingston during 1850. Others say it u.as in Panama that same .vear. \,Vhat is {br certailr is that she soon became extrernely skilled in dealir.rg

vuith such epidemics. She had recovered

from cholera herself and learnt about the pathology of the disease - and how best to fight it - {iom carrying out an autopsy on a child. In 1853 she rvas invited to supen'ise nursing at the British army headquarters in Kingston,
r,r'here her cxpertise r.vas again in

demand during a yellow fever outbreak. \\ihen news of a cholera epidemic

in the Crimea reachedJamaica,

Seacole rvas determined to go to

the region and help treat the British soldiers. Being so highly experienced in successfully dealing with cholera epidemics in the Caribbean, she

felt sure that her services would be

ran stories of her courage and nursing skils. She was the first woman to enter Sevastopoi after it had fallen. On her return to England, Seacoie found herself in financial difficutties. She lived irl severai London addresses, including one on George Street. She had hoped to nurse in India but rvas unable to raise the funds and found herself declared bankrupt. Even if history wor-rid until recently - forget about her contribution, her beloved British soldiers did not. Two Crimean commanders, Lord Rokeby and lord Paget, organised a series of benefit concerts for her at the Royal Surrey

born into a ricir family She r,vas r,vell-educated, independent and fonvard thinking. By the age of 24
r'vas

had advanced to become matron and stiperintendent of nursing at St Bartholemerv's Hospital in London. In 1887 she resig:red from her post to marry a doctor, Bedlord Fenr,r,ick. They would live the majoriry- of their
she

rnarried iile in Upper lVimpole Street.

Together r.r'ith her husband, Ethei Fenu'ick began to campaign for further reforms to the nursing profession. In particulaE she rvanted to establish a register of nurses, iimiting the term

'nurse'to those

r+.ho were on the register.

This move was fairly controversial.

Florence Nighringale, for one, strongly disaereed with the idea. Despite such opposition Fenwick was convinced that for nursing to move forward it had to be professiona-1ised by registration. There was no point advocating the rigorous training of nurses if someone with no training at all coulcl still legitimately call themselves a 'nurse'. Largely as a result of Rnr,r'ick's relentiess campaigning, registration lvas

SEACOLE WON THE ADMIRATION OF BRITISH SOLDIERS BY TREATING FALLEN SOLDIERS EVEN WHILE THE BATTLE RAGED AROUND HER
Britain and asked the War OfEce to be senr to the Crimea. But despite providing glowing testimonials from high ranking British military personnel she was rejected four times. Using her own firnds she made her r'vay to the war zone where she approachecl Florence Nightingale with an oiler of help. Again she was refused. Undaunted Seacole set up the British Hotel near Balaclava. Similar to the institution r,r'hich her mother had run inJamaica, it provided a clean, comfortable environment for invalid and recovering o{hcers. Seacole used the monev I}om this to fund her
treatment of the sick. Soon the entire British army knew of 'Mother Seacole '. l{ore than this however, Seacole \\'on the love and admiration of the tBninhln soldiers by actualJv rrcaring patiermts on the battlefield. She r,r'ould uneait rdlnc wounded f,,rorn both sides q$,1hille dha ha.utle ,raged a-rotr,r-rd her. Z,4r
?-ranes mewxprape,n axnd Pundn

r.velcomed. Seacole journeyed to

Gardens w'hich were attended by 40,000 people. In 1857 Seacole

published her autobiography, The

Wonderful Adaentures

of Mrs.

SeacoLe

in fuIan1t Lands.

fu.ra\ achieved in
Registration

Mary Seacole spent the last decades of her life, and the century after her death, in increasing obscurity, a victim of widespread racial prejudice. Only now can hcr pioneering approach to battlefield nursing, her use of traditional remedies and her extraordinary legacy be ftilly assessed.

Acl

1919 with the Nurses Fenwick herself appears

as thc fi,rsr name in thc register.

Her other reforms includecl extending the training period for

nurses. This was achieved Lhrough her

I thel Gordon Fenwick has also I)to o ccrtain estenr bcen lost to
posterity. *Uthough for very diflerent reasons. Born in 1857, she was a

later relbrmer than both Nightingale

and Seacole. Perhaps this is r'vhy her contribution is not so well known being merely seen as a continuation ol the

reforms ol Nightingale in particular. Howeveq Fenwick's r'vork deserves consideration in its orvn right.
Like Florence Nightingale, Fenn'ick

post as founder and president of the Fiorence Nightingale International Foundation. She r,vas also key in the crcation, direction and editing of Zlze British Journal Qf ),lursittg, which she lounded in 1893. Under Fenwick's editorship. this ltecamc an importanr academic resource for nurses. In keeping r,vith her desire to make the profession more academic, Fcnrvick lought lor nursing Lraining to be undertaken to a recognised standard. She formecl the British Nurses Association (now the Royal British Nnrses Association) to help
eruure that this change u'ou,ld occru'.

magazfuae

MJ

Wilkie Collins, one of the most popuiar and innovative authors of the 19th century, spent most of his life in Marylebone. Louisa McKenzie explores the writer's unusual love-life and revisits his greatest novel

fur **K%zffiffi
T lze Sc,'*s rstirsn .k r:r: r I
{-T-fi' ll,tlLrttt ] t iI i.r/, L, rrr:rirrs lIilkir,, { r,ilrls' rrrt.,:t ,d .t,.,.".1iri rr,r',, i, :rirr, t'iis 1 Lil;lir':rii,rtt. it ha-s bct':i productci ilr ,i r':tf itl.\ til' adclir:rlrl:iL lblttt:its: 1r1ar'. trl;ili

The Double

Lrt
'['\]

Ttlt" most rvideh'knorvn fact about l{ilkie Collins is rhat I he in't'ented the de tective rrovel in England, most
notably rvith Tlrc Jdoanstone. Less knou'n is the lacr tirat he lil'ed for most of his iife in L'Iarvlebone. Least lsrorvn of all, hora.ever, is that Collins led a double life, co-habiting with nvo women at the same time, iraving two lamilies and using a pscudonlm in ordcr to get awal rt'ith it. Coilins u'as born at 1l Nerv Cavendish Street to n painter father and a bohemian mother. 'Ihe house does not still sunir,e, i:ut stood rvhere the preserlt da1' nu*b".* nt100 stand. He was baptised in St L{arylebone parish church, lr.hich would also host significant events iater in his lifc' I)uring his lifetime, Collins was perhaps as rvell knorvn and highlv regarded an author as Charles l)ickens, but posterirv has since dampened his fame. A prolfic authct, he produced 32 w'orks, mostly'novels. ,\ lurther thlee coilections were published posthunously. Interestinglv, the

:rl-

;rc1:rpt:rtirin. l:rclio 111:n:-l hc ltovtl !r':li pari iil Lh<' }r{)pular Yit.r,rii;irr'si:tttsallrttt'q-r:ttLt' .i rllliili:r'. tlinli].i. t.itlr ii:istr 1i'ntrili' i harar:tri. r,r'ii ]rai'icljt'r :ttttl a it:igit
l.r r i ts publicatiort. ihi. t i,,;r't'1 Lt-{:lLit r,'' lt ti' itrsl;i:t iltt assrit i:tli:d t'litrgr: tif'pr*clircts. irrr:iLrcling c'l,.lakr; alicl boturcls. ltcriitmt: ;tttd tlcn urtl.i, . .['ht ;tolv opttts iu 1,r;trr]orr *ith a dr':uvinq ttttor: \\:ritr'r Flalrrig-hr" rescuittg^ th,' rilll;rr'\\'{}ittal} ii'()nl sorlf pLlrslltll's

cloirl;cl9zute.:i'. -\l

ol' tltir llrst

Lo

,\ftcnEalds irc gocs ofl' tr; u't.rt'k ttrLorittq- haLl-sistcls 1l;irjrrl Lialcornbr: attcl Lattla liaillit' at thtit lronrc. Ihcrr,'' \tirlitr rrilrit:er thc t:s|rr:rttc lik,rnrss r.ii l,nLttlr lrt tht rr,otrratt

&&

majoritv of these rvorls treat to a lesser ol greate r degl'ee the concerns of and challerlges met !v u'ornen in \iictorian times. This was a fairlv remarkable thing; for a male ruritcr to do. The novels and stories eloquentlllshr:rv the piight of the \tictorian woman: how'thev had little or no recoursf * tf.a f"*, it"* thev were depencient on their male guardian and horry' they rvere r''ier,ved either as 'saint' r:r 'u,hore'. This fundamental slanPathy for the state of the female sex perhaps o,plains Collin's remarkable double life1{jikie Collins spent most of his childhood and early adult iife in various homes in lrlarylebone. From his letters in ,fr'r,rrr*, M rb;dt,rve gather that Collins ""Jr"*"-rict.* was seet-ningly disinclined to marriage. It can onll' be speculated as to rv'hy this rvas. A quaint suggestion' taken from his lreatment ol the institution in his lr'ritings, is drat perhaps he did not lvant to tie a rvont:u: to him so thororghly: Hou'eveq Collins rvas nol lonelt':. He lived in clifferent homes in the N'larvlebone area rvitir t,he tr'r'r.r
1.\'omen rvith rvhom lre sharecl his

??
irr ul:iLr:.

ilc liills in lorr: r.'itlt

l,rLrt'lL anri shc

rt'itil hiru.

l:i-rt

sirc is r:rrg*agccl to itt.totitcr tt-iart, Sir Pcrciial {llldc. s,,1\:rl;ci lr,'lvt': ihc htust':- Itt dui: cout'si:. rltr n'r;itrieq-c t(llllt'iu( iIl i) ,,ict:icir:d. L.ttrb: tht'ttrrtts r.;l'Lhir. Sir Pt'tcir':.ri (ii1.'c1t: iilht'r'irr :rll rJ- I.:rula': si;,-i'lilrk' lilrirrrtc

il'sltr clir':; *itltout ail llr:ii: luurilr solii:itt.'t elt Lrnhappl u'iLh tht: tr:Lnts of ihl sr:ltlt:ttrr'til-. i-rltl l,ltrLla'r gttardi:rtl. a aro1.(hc|r oid h.,l.rocllurclliai :rgre'ts to i1 :tttvu:tr: Llii.tl:t rr;ilries and bi'rours Lac| filvdle. ntovittg tr.i thr: lirtltil'r sr:et Hct'e. thr- \\onr:trl itr uhiti: rt'r.tirk:d trt bc:\trtre (lerhcrick. a r:hilclhi.iocl af(llliiiltt:tflcr': ol L;rttt'it ili{'-s lo conrnlrttir.':rtc ltt:r nistivings al;ou1 Sir I'tt'tirtri lo L:tttr':,i. .\ rir'lir:atc indirirlrral..{trtrr h:rs ttossi.'ti patlrs tritll -\il. l'clLilai ir, hrrr e:rrlitr'lili,. It r,.ri" h,- trh,; heri inrpt'isoni'ci l'ri'r'ir, th,';Lsriitirl li'otrr rrltitlt -tiir'rt,i- li,'t'ittq;tl lhi'r,1,t tiltrl ]l:rlian and
tlrL' irairiic

lill. 'Iire

records

can F

r;l-lhc'lrr-:lli .\rii,ri irr Ljr,';itri.ilt {,,rtttli Irlrlr,erlcl lris h

be a littte clrnfusing. Callins ean sometimes be lound to be lil{ng in more than one }rone at the same tinre. He {irsr set up home with Carolile Graves, a widorved single rnother, at 22 Houiland Street in 1856. Thev lired in several dillerent places in the ivlarylebone area over the next J3 year"s, most notably l? Harley Street' 2a New Cavendish 3treet and 82 lYimpole Street, r'vhere he in fact died. 1t does not seem that this co-habitation was kept secret' X'{rs Grai'es is found as a tenanr ol rheir differcnt shared homts in the Post O{fice tondon Direcrory However, something seenrs to lravc happcned to the couple in I 868' That vear. L{rs Grares married anotber nran,Joseph Clorv; in St Marylebone Parish Church. About the same time as llrs Graves' marriage. Collins set up house vr'ith another rvoman: Nlartha Rudd. \4tren living with her, Collins used the identiry \ViUiam Dawson. The couple were knov,n as IvIr and lvlrs Dau,son, although there is no evidence that theY were acrualll' married. The places rr'here &ey iived rvouid not be considered to be in Nlary4ebone todag but lvere in Victorian times. Collins had three illegitimate children rvith N{anha Rudd. -{gain. this relationship does not secm to have been kePt secrel, at least not from his close associates. He relers to his 'morganatic lamilr'' in lettels.

5il l'i'rli.al i a'tll1-ilfs :lr Lts,. ilii liktllllss o1 .\ttilrl ltld l,,riii;r 1r, r'ii1 hinrsr"ll',r1'lti-' rr.jji::ttt11 L:1:iitrl his itlhi'iii;rrlt''. llirin]l i-u p,'risrrtlr:r1 tl: k|'i.'11 lrilr t)t!i ili iilt'rr':lr: L;r'tit r jr..lnll;rld ll :itt :l:11Llrlt Llnrll't ,\titt,,"s tl.ttLtt: :11tt! ,\tiltl riit's riirur hr,:;il'i t,t'lttlll'. rtndt'r' 1,;rtrl;i'- tt:illri: l'hi" g;1lig' llil Pr,l'r'ileL a'trifltrlrtt'. llar'i;L:1. {rl:(t'lililit-l't'i:;ii'l'r'r1" iltltlL.rr.rll.i lttti !.Jtttli\L"s Lt, lr:Lll'lllt ii:lt::rsr'cI..\ll iiris llclit::; rroihing, llrrctlL. lt-. iltc! c'itlttto'' 1;t"ttri. l,llLti;t'.u idclt'itt 1\:altr:r'. nrllv trlltt"tit<1 liolll ovt'1''!(l11s it'nii'i iti'1;-r-i llrl:tll ;ilttl in rloilg:o cliscotq,r'" ili'.: .rtftr,i t,llii l; Sjl Pi'lr:ir.;ii l. :' itrriilttl t'ill hr rtlc:rlcci arrcl thii:ll iit:it;ttlts tilr'sa[-rii'.'lL rf sri"rrt' ;urrl lir,: iletrrti:ililtt
*i11,.

oi

oLlrrt r.

'f'lri: r'r,x'l

is

tlu"illing rlnil

liisirinaring

ll.

tttrrrs.

lt

ha-s

:i Ilriltirr-riiirl| cltqattl artti

innovativc stl uclLlrc l'hrlcIlr rllt n:rrr;iai\'. is tr:lcl irt thi' lir-st pcrson l.rr :l:tur oi' tltt: proL;rgonistr. 1-[ri-. ir11, xls {-joilins to r:xPiot'c tlrr' llrrr lrul,,1i, lri t:rrptti'' ',,i rir,

lh:rrarttt-s.'l'hc ttolll aL'.rr h iq.hli-..h ts irou II:rri:rtl arril l.:,trt.' ,'t, tr',i1rp,,i lrr rlr' .1r., i.i,,r,, .,1,,1 i;1.1,.. i.:,,r'.

ol' tittt attr.i liorr' lltr! i:;ltrllr-rt {ieht lirt'lhi tntlh ltt i}ri''it' ,)rr rr i)r Tl,.ill. lti, lll.):l il l:1. rlt:iLaclel is t lrt wottt:rn itt lvhiit htlsrli. *1tri is tist'rl:rnd allrsetl itt ,tcnrt rtar i'lr liii 'I'ht't't: ai't
tlrost: aLr..lutirl ircr. scrtral clilltlc'lil I,ilcat ict :rs 1c .,r'ltt'rr {,ir-iliirrs iirtrLlrl
o1- 'rht:st: Jf

In the 1870s, Ccllins

to have alternated between his *vo families. What became of Joseph Clou'l'e don't knoul but Collins started to Iiequeni N{rs Graves'house again. He seems to have remained maintv with her until his death in 18B9' although he is still listed as trtr'illiam Darvson at 10 Taunton Place during this rime. Perhaps this mainta-i;redthe air ol respectabiliry for Lilartha and the children^ During. his later daughter, Harriet, lvho .vears, Collins adopted NIrs Gravcs sened as his secretary lhir until the end. Collins provided for both his lamilies.iu his will. He is buried in Ketrsal Green cemetery, next to l'Irs Gravcs, t'ho alwa-vs seems to lravc becrr hit lavoi.rrit,'seems

irL-11".':i.,, i r Iiri .i,r I tr'l it r{}l1i;iilliii :il}ci iarriiliri lirt' lrantpl,.' llr:rt

Collins hirnsr:lt hi,id an trrpl'rit:tl,'t' iri li-egerrt's l);rt"ii lrrrt'lr likt: thar ol'\\:arllel in tire novt'i :rtlcl iiral ilt;i1 wiLt lror'" itt' r"n.l \lrs {ilrvr:s. '['hi' nlost lrit{ch. hrlcl dri'ot'r: horr't'r'cr' is thar Collir,s birst:cl thr,'rlovt:l tii :ttt,-l;ttiitt casr: liotn tlte

lir"tri:ir lor.ttls uhit'lt

1tc h;rd l'r:ad lLirottr

iri Ilillan's

.Qrrz"i/

itt

"du.tt.t {.'ri&)lri.tl a.l'lor.rl

tht \llt'cliisr'

fi{hr frjr'lrer r-ig}rtlul iuililrilattcr' ci,.r cllQ-g{lsi riilil ilri-' l.,i:trtr,'cti tllc cesr:r'irnil:l'iti,:s "t'liith lil-rnlil lirr' lrasis lirt- rlti' novr,'i' InC':tri' (iollirrs lrrtlllxtt:':l lr-i:rir ltlttt'ra.L.i i11 tlrt lrrtltilr lrrlrli: iti picltlill{ lllrrlr'

rlr: I.)rir'rhault's l'rnq 'l'lti,tr' art ttt;Lttv stLrtttlitiq

r;i lrir

rtrx.ttls.

cr-che

r1c21r

to one ol- thc

coLlntra':s most polltltccl nncl

congcsted rotrcls is a reritablc rrildtilc h:n'en. l{cgurt's Parli. that layolritc zlmzrtclrr
o1' clos- r\'nlker,s.

clcvelopnrcltts to tlle park's ovclall lanclscal;e \\'?ls thc crcaliott o{'(luccn Nlarr"s (lzrrclcn in the i!l.l0s, u'hich incluclccl thc piantine
thousaucl rrtscs. Ilttt ls

thc pirrli

zrs

sttch an intpot'tiltrl u'ilc1lilc

ol oter thirtv
t'e
shzrll

tliscortr
Park

:itr';rnrl tttctr rttc scvclltl (()lls( lllrlirrll plojcos it-t pt'ogt"css. Sot-t.tc ol' tht'st- zrt'c lclativel) simplc zrncl havt l-roticcablc lcsr-rlts. likc L:ttilg the grass gro\\' lotlq-(::l'
to cl.IcoLu'2lge tirc spreacl of' \'ilclflo\-er-s Orhcrs are rnot'e cotrltlicatccl schcr.ucs

{botball teams :uld sLitrr}ncr

picnickers, is also a hzrbitat conclucivc lo a rridc rauge ol- {tlora atrcl l:rr'tna. I{cgcnt's Park lias a krng histor-ic:ri colr1lctioll \\ith tlle er|ezr's \ilcllil-c irlrcl lrnbit:rts. It's a conuection closclv alliccl to thc nalrtr':rl clevelcl:mr:tlt ol Lcnckrn. 1l'onr f:rru-r artcl t'oocllarlcl tr.r the mctrol;olis ih:rt it is locli{\'. .\ htrntitrg -fuclor tnorlat'clls' ii palk urclct'thc bccanrr- thc pzlrli tt'e linorv ritlclcl" thc skillecl or,'ol the g.-r'eat architcct.Johu Na.rh. rrt'ir,a'itring a lovai Brlcirsrttc ll-]tl.: rr[- Itlg: {*tcst .9;i.mlier.i i.r.rLrtil ilX3.l

thclc is so t-ttttch than t'oscs-

1]-lol'e to ll-cgcnt's

AS WE SFIALL DISEOVER, TFNERE IS SO MUEF{ MORE TS REGENT'S PARK THAN JUST RSSHS
r':rrietl of diflclcnr [-ont the o]lvirlus sttch as ccosvstcnls. grnsslat-rcl to thc lllLrlc hiclclctt sr:stcnls likc shlr,rlrbclics attci t-acl-i ccttst-slct-lt
pa.r"li l.ias a

-l-hc

ancl ::p:ur sclcrirl vcat's. Iol cx:rnlllt-. thc results oi' tl're planting ol' trcrt' tlccs

rrill nor bc {irllr allpt-eciirtccl [irt'sot'utl

limc to cornc- .'\ll ol this rcclttiles tht: skill ancl clcclicatiort ol ut:r.tn 1lc',-,1llt
to cooldinatr-- :rttcl cnt'rv out.

Nccc]icss to s:1\: a is rcanriuq.. hat'rl nr.rt'li is t'cclttit'tcl to tnaitrtaitr lot ol

rrith lifi.

-fo"y Duckett. wildlile o{Fcer at I Regent's Park, has 3l years of

experience to ca-1l on. He has selected what he considers to be the slr most

interesting specimens of flora and fauna present in the park.

Wood Mouse

According to Tony, the wood mouse - a favourite for all the family - can actually be found in a wide variety of habitats. These include woodland,
gardens, hedgerows, grassland and Iess dense forest areas. The wood mouse is approximately eight to 11 centimetres long and has brown upper fur and silver-grey lower fur. It enjoys a diet ranging from buds and fungi to centipedes and small inrects. Wood mice ollen share nq515 in winter to conserve body warmth, but you are unlikely to see a nest as they

the Little Owl has recently bred for the first time in Central London. Look for the owl perching on tree branches, rocks or even telegraph poles. A fairly small ow1, it enjoys eating small mammals, beetles, amphibians and worms. When alarmed it bobs its head rapidly up and down suggesting that it may be time to beat a hasty retreat if you are close to one. The bird is a mottled grey-bror.vn and white and has yellow eyes. It's a squat, dumpy bird but, nonetheless, majestic in flight.
English Oak Tree

caterpillars eat the leaves, fungi grow on both the bark and the roots. And the fallen leaves in autumn can produce excellent leaf mould, which attracts insects and earthworms. Unfortunately the presence of both caterpillars and fungi can help to weaken and ultimately destroy an oak
tree. Luckily the park's oak population has many very healthy specimens.

Silver Birch Tree

There are many excellent examples ol this native species to be found within Regent's Park. Several are over
15O-years-old and date back to before

the park existed in its current form. One truly wonders what events those trees have witnessed. Tony particularly

In contrast to the sturdy hearty English oak, the silver birch is a more delicate ethereal looking being. Silver Birch, in particular, provide a great habitat for birds. Tony has seen two very exciting species nesting in the silver birch trees this year the Lesser Redpoll and the Siskin. Both are native to Britain, but are exceptionally rare in urban areas. And seeing them serves as a great

are normaily found in fairly complex systems of underground burrows.

loves the oaks. 'They are very beautiful

However, new nests will occasionally

be made in a hole in a tree. But wood mice are inherently shy creatures.

Little Owl

Introduced into Britain in the 19th century, the Little Owl likes to perch out in the open and can, therefore, often be seen during the day It hunts during the night and at dawn. Tony first saw a male bird arrive in the park three years ago. The great news is that

native trees,' he says. Notable for its size, the English oak tree provides a habitat for a wide range of mammals, birds and invertebrates. Squirrels in particuiar are partial to an oak tree and enjoy eatins acorns. Many also make their dreys in the park's oahs. The tree is very much like a self contained city. Every part, from the top to the roots can provide

reminder of just how lucky we are to have such a wonderful natural arena right in the centre of town. The Lesser Redpoll is a member of the finch family and is seen more lrequentiy in the south during the winter. It's distinguished by a red
lorehead and

- in breeding males

food or lodging for differenr species of birds, insects and mammals. The birds, of course, nest in the branches,

red upper breast. The Siskin, also a finch, can oflen be lound nesring near Redpolls in winter months. A bird of bright yellow-green plumaee, the male has a distinctive black forehead. So, if you are visiting the park this )>

time of year, make sure You keeP an eye out for these little birds amongst the branches of the silver birch. The
tree itself can be recognised by its

producing a better environment for

other birds and animals. Tony has seen reed warblers and dragonflies, neither of which would have come to the park had it not been for the reed beds. Bull rushes can also be seen around the lake, particularly from the platlorm designed for viewing birds. These rushes have even attracted Wainscott moths whose larvae nest

*rin,

exceptionally light coloured bark and delicate, nearly diamond shaped leaves.
Reed Beds

The boating lake is one of the most recognisable features of Regent's Park. You might think that one of the birds living on and around the lake would
be its most interesting wildiife feature. Not so. The reed beds which have been introduced over the years around the lake have had a huge effect on the

the news that there were up to a dozen hedgehog sightings in the park in 2007 has been particularly well received. Furthermore, every efTort is being made to ensure that their numbers increase. Tony makes sure that leaves are deliberately left in certain areas of the park, because, as we know, leaf piles are a hedgehog's favourite place

for hibernating. MJ

in the flowerbeds.
Hedgehog

The most commonly known fact about the hedgehog is that on GuY Fawkes night we have to be really careful that
none have crept into the bonfire before we light it. Less well known perhaps is the fact that hedgehogs have recently

whole ecosystem. As with everything in the natural world, these beds do nol exist in isolation, but are an integrated part of the naturai world around them. They provide an excellent habitat for birds and insects, which in turn help to clean the water. This has a'knock-on' effect,

been put on the endangered sPecies list - and notjust because of bonfire accidents. For the first time the erosion of the hedgehog's natural habitat is becoming a major issue. In light of this,

r Diana Mariton is one of thc LrK's leading practitioners ol IPL and laser skin htatrnents She worlcs out of The French Cosrnetic Medical Compaay in \timpole Streeg which along with its sister branch in Paris is run by the famous dermatologist Dr Sebagh, whose range of over tie counter products you will see in Space NK and departrnent stores across London. Less scary than Botox and requiring less downtime than chemical peels, IPL tras rapidly become the next big thing in dermatology. IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It has many applications, from hair-remov-al and anti-ageing treatrnent\ to Lhe treatment of thread veins and skin conditions such as rasncea. IPL is a focussed broad qpectnrm ol light rzther than a specific war,elength, in contrast to what are usually referred to as 'lasers', each of which has a specific, more concentrated wavelength. The IPL spectnrm avoids &e damaging ultraviolet wavelengths of light, but qpans from near UV at the low end of the spectrum, to very h{h - around 1200 nanometres. Different wavelengths of ligbt allect diFrrent chromophores in the skin. The chromophores are the part of the skin molecules which react when treated with light * they absor*r some wavelengths and reflect others. IPlis mostimpesive results comewhen workingwi& bmwn and red pigment in the skin - hence its particular success in treating age-spots, threrad reirn and rosacea Anything on &e skin *&ich is coloured rcd, for eirample, rosacea or a birth mar\ is this way because of the presence of haemoglobin - a chromophore. By using certain wavelengths of IPL, &r haemoglobin can be
photocoagulated. Coagulation in this instance is a chemical process *rat causes the treated chromophore to form a slight debris, which the skin will then deanse and get rid of In treating rosacea, IPL shrinla do'vn &e superficial capillaries that flush the skin Once they have shrunl they go back down into the skin- oThis means that IPL is not altering &e skin,' sap Dr Mariton, but is getting

rid of the aesthetic effect ol the flush of blood in the superficial

layer

of the skin.'

Treating the aesthetic side of rosacea with IPL has additioml benefiq reducing the chances of infection and swelling. According to Dr fuIariton, it is better to start the

ffi

treatment sooner rather than later. 'If we wait until the stage wheic we have a lot of larger capillaries and veins

remedy for this is a combination of IPL and more traditional laser treatrnents, Lasers can be used for a variety of problems - reducing scarring from acne or srgical procedures, boosting collagen or smoothing &e surface of &e skin. The word'laser', with ail is sci-{i connotations, can conjure up rather worrying images of burnt skin. But DrMariton irsise &at a larr can be a wonderful tool for improving the skin as long as it is used correcdy by an experienced operative. 'These are poweffirl machines - when a Etatrnent b misrnanaged, when they are in the hands

di{ferent from the ones used when shc

started. 'The newer type of laser has been out since about 1999. That is when they started to be perfected enough so that you could think about using them and still retain lour medical ethic of not doing damage-'Today, &ere is an emphasis on treatrnents with as litde recovery time as possible so, as Dr Mariton puts it, 'when you leave here, you can technically go back to your wor* day, look betteg look a litde glowy, but

appearing it is a lot harder to treat it,' she says. 'The power that IPL can give would not be sulEcient in this case to get total clearance. If we treat early, we can get practically total clearance.'

is being used is anti-ageing. Brown pigmentation is often a key indication of ageing skin and can also

/\ne \Jrrr.

of the kev areas in which

of photocoagulation. The pigment will

be treated excellently

the process

initially get darker for a couple of days

and then lighten up. Depending on the
aggressiveness

of peoph uho are inejperienced orrvho

do not rmderstand the phpical dynamics of it, you can do a lot of damage. You can burn, you can scar, you can cause

not look affected.' Dr Mariton treats about 25 patients a day in N{arylebone. In Paris she qpecialises in the treatrnent of adolescent
skin problems using IPL and laser. This is not possible in London, because in the LIK a clinic has to define the age range of its patierrts. The Wrnpole Strcet clinic only treats ages l8 plus. Nonetheless, there is quite a waiting list, 'usually six weeks Howeveq we havc cancellations all the time, so sometimes you can be lucky'. The cost of a course of trcatrnent can vary widely, depending on what needs to done and how often a patient needs to be treated, gg1 this ianovative dermatology is not cheap. The basic rate can be anything from d350 a session. If you are considering undergoing any treatmen! do your research and get as much advice and information as

of the treaffnent

amount of energy delivered

the it can get

COLIAGEN DECREASES RAPIDLY IN SOME GENE TTPF. THE ENGUSH DONT HAVE OOOD COTJAGEN
blacken and then disappear, or it can get a couple of shades darker and then gradually come off. In addition to the removal of agevery related skin pigmentation, IPL treatmens can also have a more general anti-ageing ellect, as they stimulate collagea in thc skin - something apparently, that English skin is particularly in need
decreases more rapidly

da*,

o[

'Collagen

in certain gene

types like the English. Unfortunately, they don't have good collagen. Added to this is ttreir penchant for excessive zun exposure on skin that is not prepared to tolerate it,' says Dr Mariton. The best

permanent discolouration. It has to be done by people wbo kaow what they are doing intellectually as well as ptrysically.' Part of the problem is that most doctors using laser today are, effectively selftaught. Only now is laser reatment starting to be taught in medical school. That shouldrt't deterpeople from seeking laser treatnent, but it is essential that they do a lot of research to find the trest doctor they caa.

posible. For more information contact the British Association of Dermatologists viawrvw.bad.oryuk. W
The Rench Cosmetic Medical Company

Dr Mariton

has been

worting in
25 Wimpole Street o20 7687 0548

dermatology since the l9B0s and has been specialising in the application of lasers since then. Iasers now are very

56-M.{RYLSAONE JOURI\iAL
t+

$,.fl":"e'"F.=il$ffi

HOf MTHENAA4E"_OFB_gr\I,D_rCT.ARI$OLD""-_Ufl

t{_O

AB]MORD F
BYLOUISAMCKENZIE

R TRE.ACF{ERY ACROSS AMERTCA

Ifyou knowanythingat all about BenedictArnold, it's probably that

his name has become a byword for treachery in America. But even those who are acquaintedwith his storyare possibly unaware thatArnold lived

family's prosperitywas not to last, as

outhis final dayshere in Maryletrone.

He died, largelyunmourned, at62 GloucesterPlace on l4thJune 1801. As with all individuals who have become legendary figures, Arnold's story was a far more complex web than the demonic caracature of the popular imagination. In recentyears, there seems to have been a certain rehabilitation of his image, with greater consideration given to his motives. But to many, he will for ever remain the archetypal traitor at the gates - a furncoat willing to sell out his country for a few pieces of silver. So who was this unlikely resident of Marylebone? Benedict Arnold wastrorn in C,onnecticutin 1741

Amold's father made a series of ill judged business decisions. Buffeted by debts; Arnold's father drifted into alcoholism. This revenal of fortune fiorcedAmold to leave school at 14 when he wassentofftoworkas an
apprentice at an airothecary owned by his mother's relatives.

with another local merchant and together they began t-ading with the
West Indies. But like his futheq Amold was not to have long-lasting commercial success. The pressures wroughtby the 1765 StampActpushedArnold to the

bdnkofbankruptcy. Arnoldwas notalone infeeling the

Not long afterwards, Arnold gained his first military experience. During the French and Indian War, at the age of 15, he enrolled in *re Connecticut militia. Although Arnold saw no direct action, this was a formative period in his life. When the British Fort Wliam Henry fell to *re French and theirNative American allies, the French promised the British they could evacuate under truce conditions. Instead, Narive American troops massacred the fort's men,women and children as the French looked on.Arnold is said to
have gained his life-longhatredof the French ftom this brutal episode. Some argue thatArnold's later

pinchfrom the British exchequer, The American colonies were growing incrrasingly dissatisfied with the taxes and instrumens of oppression being
forced upon themfrom across the Atlantic. Flashpoints such as the 1770 Boston Massacre (duringwhich five civilians died at the hands of British soldien) and the 1773 BostonTea Party (in which crates of tea belonging to the British s'ast India Company were destroyed in Boson harbour) soon led to sustained rebellious sentiment, then revolution. All spectra ofsociety chafed at *re constraints placed upon colonial citizens by the British. Arnoldwas no exception. Of the Boston Massacre, he wrote: "Are the Americans all asleep and tamely giving up their glorious liberties?" He soon became deeply involved in the revolutionary cause, becoming captain of the Govemor's Second Company of

into a prosperous, welkonnected frmily. His grandfatheL whose name

he shared, hadbeen a governorof Rhode Island. On his mother's side,,i

Arnold was descended fromJohn I-othropp, a dissenting clergyrnan

from Yorkshire who emigrated to NewEngland andrryas an ancestor of four future presidents: Ullnses S. Grant, Franklin D. Roosevelt" Georye FWBush and George W Bush. The

treachery only occurredwhen he learnt that there would be a FrancoAmerican alliance against the British. After thh early interlude in the militia, Amold set up a business in New
Haven, C-onnecticut and was soon
veryzuccessfrrl. In addition to his own business, Arnold went into partnenhip

Connecticut Guards in 1775. The same year, the company marched to

Massachusets

tojoin the revolution.

58-I[{R\.LEBONE.'OURN.\L

HISTORY

TR{ITORATTHE GATE

Canada overland. Ceorge Washington, then a general, gave Amold a colonel's commission andputhim in charge of the group rvhich was to attack Quebec. The campaign endedin defeat, with the British proving far too strong for the American fbrces. Despite this set back, A.mold lvas

Haaing become e crippln in the seraice of rny cotm,try, I little expected to meet
s

uch ungrateful retu,rns

promoted to brigadier general and given the key task of blocking a Brirish invasion overlvater from the north. Although Arnold's fbrces would have been outnumbered, theywere saved by the onset ofwinter, which conclusively repelled any thought ofinvasion. ButArnoldwas soon to face more disappointment. ln 1777, he u,as passed over for promotion in
favour of a less experienced man. Again he impetuouslyresigned his comrnission, butwas soon recalled by Washington, who admired Arnold's bravery. This courage rvas furlher demonstrated in the subsequent Saratoga campaignwhen the British were forced to surrender after Arnold had cut them offfrom reffeat despite being badly rvounded. He again
received very little public credir

Years later, in a letter entitled To The Inhabitanm Of Amedca, Arnold attempted tojtuti$ his treachery as comingfiom a true patriotic love of his country. Whether he really believed this, orjust succeeded in convincing himself of this afterhis tleachery had not provided the power and money he sought, remains a matter for interpretation. Although his courage as a soldier cannot be denied, it was a brar,'ery characterised by impenrosity. Perhaps his treachery rvas another impetLrous act, but it was the demand for monev that sealed the fate oFhis repuration. An idealisric tumcoatis one rhing, a mercenary one is quite another. The British m{or with *'hom Ar-nold was corresponding was captured and the plans for Fort WestPointdiscoter-ed. He was then hanged. Arrrold, amazinglv, managed to flee to a British ship which was

waitingforhim.
After his treachery it
was

A capable man, Amold moved up thr-ough the militaryhierarchy,

Arnold's

becoming a colonel in the militia During much of the \A/ar of Independence, Arlold distinguished himself as a daring soldier and a good leader. But his military careeruras characterised from fi tst to last with rvhat
he probably considered to be penonal slights. In I 775, Fort Ticonderoga, with is large cache of munitions, was
a force under thejoint command ofAmold and another man, Allen. Allen thenrvithdrewwith histroops, leavingAmold in sole command, but another company soon arrived from Connecticut, with its colonel taking comm:urd of the forr Amold was left in a subordinate

tr-rrn to be betrayed. Although made brigadier gener:al by the British, he

Arnold had become abitter and conflicted man. "Having become a cripple in tl-re service of my country, I little expected to meetungrateful
returns," he rrote. He bega.n to live extravagantly, which led him into

never received the f20,300 he had been promised. But he still fought on the Brirish side, proringhimself to be a tme turncoat. As tlee British tried to extricate themselves fiom the war, Arnold was recalled to
the

UK Living in London, he was

captured by

debr Several lawsuits were launched aga.inst him and he was court martialled for corruption in7779.
Arnold's bitterrress and financial
rvoes led him down the path to treachery. In 1780 he sought out

treated with contempt by tl-re British hierarchy, who, ironically, disliked his treachery as much as an1'one. One MP is reponed to have demanded

Amold notbe given aposition of

power in the British Army in case he a$ect "the sentiments of tnre honour, which eraryBritish officer holds dearer than life". Instead, Arrrold noved into a moderately successful shipping business in Canada, but left after a mob burned an effigy of hin on his front lawn. Arnold once more

command of the strategically

important Fort West Point. For a

while previously he had been secrefly corresponding with a m4ior in the British forces. Arnold offered to betmy the fort to the enemy for a cash pa;'rnent of120,300 and a brigadier's commission.

position. So annoyed bv this event Amold, that he resigned his commission and retumed home. But Amold could not stay out of the revolutionary cause for long. He was
was

soon part of

ar:r

expedition to imade

returrred to l,ondon, rvhere he died in Marylebone after a short illness.

CIJLTL]RE: INBRIEF
STREE'TOFSI{AME
i->
'.,.

ir
'''1i:i':

IS,IJNKS.TOITfl SLAVE. TRADE, ARE EXAMII\TE,D IN

AS_T8P=ruS_II:{-G-_NHM:EXIIIBuION

Harley Street is best known

as

centre of medical expertise. Buta

new exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands, explores avery

However, this diffFerence disappeared after at most two generations and by the 1830s, such individuals were

different aspect of Harley Street's past *as an areainhabited byslave owners. Whywas there such a clusterin Harley Streetand the surrounding area? The reason can be found in the way that London expanded in the late l8th and early 19th cennrries. Marylebone was a smart new

welcomed into the elite. This exhibition grew out of a wider research project run by Dr Nick Draper ofUCL The decrils of individual slave-owneru have been reconstmcted using the records of
the Slave Compnsation C,ommission - *re body *rat allocated government compensation to people who were fi nancially disadvantaged try the abolition ofslaveryin f 830. "This record provides a one time snapshot of everybody who had slaves in the British Empire at that time," says

well to zuch a trial- "Ano&er reason whyMarylebone proved to be an excellentarea of research is that, whilst not entirelyintact, the geography of the meais recognisat*ythesame as in the 18th cennrry," adds Dr Draper.

Wimpole Streeg in partimlar, retains

lts 18th cennrrynumbering, and although Harley Street is more

development, away from London's aristocratic heart, and it attracted the nouveauxriches whose fortunes were founded on commercial wealth rzther than aristocratic i nheritance. Itwas an unfortunate fact that commercial wealth was then often gained through the forced labour
of others.
People would retum home wealthy from the West Indies and move to the

complicated, having been redeveloped and renumbered in the I 820s, it is still fairly easy to nace. The research putforward in this

exhibition is vitally important. "In the big, general histories of London, there tends to be a gap where slavery in myview, should
be," sa;'s Dr Draper- In his research project, he is hoping to bring together an empirical asessment of slavery's impact on the development
of

DrDraper.
Dr Draper's work on Harley Street andWimpole Streetwill actas a trial forfuture research into similardusters in other areas, both in Iondon and further afield. The concentrated nahrre of the area lent itseHparticularly

london-

"Slavery is a hctor in the

newarea Itis nocoincidence that in Dickens' Little Dorrit, the house ofthe unscrupulous, nouveau riche
banker Merdle, is found in C-avendish Square. There is a hypothesis that slaveowners renrrning from the West Indies at the end of the 18th century had developed their own distinct

development of l-ondon, no doubg" he sa1s. "On the otherhand, itis

notfiue

LINKS
Slavers of Harley Street

to say thatl-ondon was built 'on the blood ofslaves'." Of course, it is only the first stage

Until3l-sfwar&2W
Museum of London Docklands West I ndia Quay, @nary Wha rf

of

thepr{ect toidentifwhc the

culture, so there was comfort for them in being all together in a new areawithout neighbours who would, perhaps, re gard them urfavourably.

o207N79844
m useu mhd ackla nds.o rg.

uk

slaveownerswere. The nextstage is to find outwhat impact they had on theare'a DrDraperhopes touse the project to establish the legacyofslave ownership, culnrrally, socially and

insciutionally both in Marylebone andmorewidely.

The data produced by the records

paints

fascinating pichrre

of

GaWery Prortk

Marylebone's past. Within the two

streec, 109 names can be identified as having receivedcompensation in some way. Several of the individuals are \{omen - usually daughters, widorvs or guardians of male slave-owners. There are eightMPs

Mrat st/es do )ou specrahe in ? Some of the work is image based, some process bmed and some conceptual. Style per se is not somethingthat determines who ue work with - more the quality of the work and its place within the conte,xt of mntemporary practi:e, culture and society.
Who
a re

sorne of the most e(clt ng artrbG

mentionedwithin the records.

is a

So,

reprFentdb/UEgalleryA
of nine artiststo date and tllat number. Geraint E\6ns istle m6t recent artistto.ioin us. I'm delighted thatvve'll be u/orkingtogether aiain - I gave him hb oneperson exhibition back in 1998. His nanatiw driven paintings look at issues of liberty, as{rration and, uttimately, failure. His observations are both deeply serious and hilariously witV.
We har'e a will soon be addingto

whowere these individuals? Here

selection:

stbb

SirWliamStrath
Mayor cfBristol, lived on Upper Harley Streer Was also acting govemor of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

BA,FU{PASE,

qA9}NBA_{

u4p_IqqrqQtirrAE_9_8ABY BT
SirJohnllalling
Governor of-famaica and a slaveor,rmer. Although he did not receive compensation himself, having died before the abolition ofslavery his
son, Sir William Windham Dalling, SHO\4IS US ROUND HIS GALI..ERY

did

as his

father's heir.

Ilans Sloane Shnley An MP andgreatnephew of the collector Hans Sloane. Lived on

Harley Street, alongwith his fatherin-lawrvho was a member of a m{or family of slave-o*ners.

Madisn bnemqmy Att a rry memomble er,hibitions sine opni Wb opened with Robyn Denqy's rare Light of the World seriestrom 197O. He nory has his olvn rmm atTale Britain, soforustoopen with such an iconicserieswas perfectThe work came from his qrn archive and some of it had nd been seen befure. We also sho$ed Eamonn McCabe's Writers' Roorns. The Guardian has published these{iesoverthe
Has

hM

n$

l!fissC&auncy
Came fr om a slaveowning family whose firmwas thefourth largest mercantile recipient of compensafion. Had relatives on Wmpole Streer
Jarnes William Fresbfield
An

lastyearorso. The exhibition wasenormously successful, which in thecunenteconomic dimate istenifi c, though underslandable $ven the publicitythe shour receired.
AIpine Biodome, byGerairit Evans

Tell

rc about Madisn

Cp,ntemgp,mry

kt

We opened lastseplember. Eric Sander of Railings b in\,olwd, and we are using

rthu la r inE tl:e ng.t felv months? We have six rery sffong oneperson erhibitions in place, startingwith three
And is there a nyth in, of @ to in

r&

b I@k fuward

Asolicitorwhose name is still known in the modern daylegal firm Freshfietds Bruckhaus Deringer. Was not acnrally a slave-ownei:, but acted on behalf of clients as trustee and agent in the slave compensation prOcess.

the spacethat he has occupied in l,levrt Cavendish Streetsince 1977. I have worlred with artists and photqr-dphersforowr 2O years, while Eric h6 a liffiime of experience.
When rryefi rstdiscussedthe idea cf opening a gallery,

Vergez's New

exhibitions of paintings: Claude Teminhintings, Maria Lalid'sThe Hisfiory Paintings 199S20O4 ard Jane Gifford's Dream Paintings. And duringearly summer we will erhibit Chris Killip's famous photographsof the lsle of Man - Killip

ouraim wasto exhibitthe best

retumedto his natir/e region to record the

tax ha\en.

EdruardBarrea
Father of the poetElizabeth Barretg lived in Wimpole Street. Most of the men in the family were involved in

in contemporary photography, drawing and painting. We represent a group of intemationalty renowned artisb, and througft our relationships with collectors, cilttttor$ writers and joumalis6 we have puttogetEr the bas'rsfora successful gallery, Railings has moved intothe basement and it's proving very usefulto have a good fEmerso close.

islanders' wayof lifeahead of it bemminga lhb will be an imporlant ohibition

is

and

already atfacting interest

Madison Contemporary Art

5 NewCavendishStreet

slave-owning and lived, at various times, in the Caribbean- Edward Barrett inherited the estares inJamaica

o2474868787
madisonlondon.com

from his maternal grandmother

58-.ivtARYLEBON

J()

RNAL

CHARLES BAB_ BACE WAS AN

BYLOUISAMCKENZIE

E,C

CENTRIC GENI US

I4GIQPrO_L{E__ERE,D:TIIE_CO,M_P_TJTER.FTE_UAS_AI=.S_O_

ALOCAL.RE-S-ID-E-N|-\4,&IOMOAI\EDABOUTI.{OISE

Charles Babbage is rvidely considered to have been the father ofthe computer - a technological pioneer whose ideas helped shape the

modern lvorld. Quite holv influential he actually was has been a matter of lively debate, but even the most cursoryglimpse into his life andrvork shows that Babbage was a complex, eccentric ald original thinker. Bablrage was born in south London in 1791 or 1792, but his fother's business
connections soon took the young

been one of the attractions to a rnan like Babbage.In order to work on his inr.'entions, he builtaforge and workshops in the grounds of his house. In 1828, thefamilymovedto l Dorset Street, off Manchester Square, and
he tr-ansferred his workshops here, demolishing tlrc stable block to make

Devonshire Street.

lle secured a large

amou nt of government funding for the work - f 17, 500. The Difference Engine was an attempt to mechanise calculation. In Babbage's time, many professions, such as navigation,

rvayforthem. The characterof the area

may also have allowed Babbage more leeway with the noise andsmoke producedby

- genteel, but new money -

hisworkthan one ofthe morestately

areas

familyto theWestCountry. Due to ill

child, Babbage's education was split between schools and private tul"ors. He had sulficient promise and status to gain entry to Tiinity College Cambridge from 1810 before transferring to Peterhouse College. He graduated from here in 1814, with a Masters degree following three years later. At that time, universitystudents
as a

would have done.

health

It is a sad fact that during his lifetime Babbage was little known andwas often ridiculed as an
eccentric. \{hen he died in 1871, The Rcryal Societydidn't even publish an obituary. Hisfuneral, in I(ensal Green Cemetery lacked the pomp which characterised the funerals of "great men". Instead, itr.vould be many years after Babbage's death that he rvould finally be celebrated as a pioneer of the technology which we
take for granted today. Babbage is nowmostfumousfor two inventions: the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine. There was in factmore than one Difference Engine, as Babbage graduallyrefined his ideas and designs. Babbage commenced work on Difference Engine No I in around 1821 " while livinson

engineering and accountancy, relied upon printed mathematical tables to perfirrm complex calculations. As they had to be produced by hand, there was a high rate of error in these tables - errors in the original maths, errors in the transcription of the tables or errors in the printing process. Such a rate of errorrvas intolerable to a man $/ith a

mind

as orga.nised as Babbage's.

He

studied a wide range of subjects and Babbage became a lifelong

wanted to find awayofmechanising the entire process of producing these vast tables, thereby eliminating all three sources oferror. His solution was called the Difference Engine because it used the mathematical principle, popularatthe time, of "finite differences" to compute the tables. The design for DifFerence Engine

polymath - mathematician, inventor, philosopher, enuineer, code-breakeE polit-ical econom ist and rwiter. After finishing his studies, Babbage married and movecl to Marylebone. He and his familyfirstlived at 5 Del'onshire Street. Marylebone nas adi[ferentplace back then. Houses certainlyhad bigger grounds and mor-e space, and *rismayhave

No l wasvas* weighing 15 tonnes, standing eightfeet high, and having a

massive 25,000 rvorking parts.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the complex parts required for Babbage's invention could not really be made using the manufacturing and engineering techniques of the age. Babbage himself acknowledged this, and the majority of the rnachine

60-NIAR\1-EBONL,.IO URi\L4,L

HISTORY

THE COMPUTERGAME

result of a previous calculation

of tidal power as an energ'y solrrce.

(TF,THEN).
Babbage started lr'or-k on
the Analytical Engine

l{any'of his theories and inv'entions

are detailed in his l868 nremoir'

in

1834.

Rather thanjust creating specific mathematical tables, this machine rvas designed to find thevalue of
almost any algebraic function. Again, like the Difference Engine, the

From The Life OfA Philosopher. The choice of this title illustrates hou. Babbage thought of
Passages

himself- as a thecretical thinkeg rather than an engineer or scientist.

The book gives us an insight into Babbage's mind: highly organised,

Analytical Engine

is

notone machine,

The character of the new nxary be inferred from the taste they exhibit for the noisiest and most discordant music

but

population

a series of designs which rvere trveaked until their inventor's death in 1871. None rvere ever manufactured. However, the Analytical Engine caught the attention of the brightest mathematical minds in Europe, some ofrvhom wrote theoretical treatises and essays aboutit. The Science

with

a true love of putting everything possible into tabularform. Indeed, Babbage is supposed to have had a collection of 300volumes of tables.

His memoiralso gives us a glimpse into the character ofl9th century Marylebone. Babbage included a chapter entitled Street Nuisances. Chief among these, he believes, are streetmusicians, such as orgalt grinders and br-ass bands. He writes: "Itis difficult to estimate the miseryinflicted upon multitudes of intellectual workers by the loss of their time, destro;'ed by organ grinders and other similar nuisances." Babbage also complains about

Museum suggests that, if constructed, the Analytical Engine would have

been so large thatitwould have required a steam engine to drive it. At the same time as workins on his Analytical Engine, Babbage started work on designs for Difference

EngineNo

2.

Thiswas

much

went unmade. The only part to be manufacturedwas the actual engine - the partrvhichwotrld have "driven" the machine. \{ork on Difference Engine No 1 finallystopped in 1833 when Babbage's skilled rvorkman did notwant to move to the workshop in Dorset Street without compensation. After the unsatisfactory conclusion of Difference Engine No l, Babbage had an even more groundbreaking idea - the Analytical Engine. It is this machine which has led to Babbage being consider-ed the father of the computer as, according to the Science Museum, it "bears all the essential logical features of the rnodern general purpose computer". It could be prograrnmed; it had a "store" (memory) and "mill" (processor) r.r'hich uere separated; it could be "looped" (repeating the sarne operation multiple times according to a program); and it could take different actions depending on the

more refined version of the first Difference Engine, rveighing nearly three tonnes, standing seven feet high and havingonly4,000 moving parts. Again, the machine u/ent

tlle an ival of

a hackney cab stand.

He reports that the standrvas established despite complaints

from the inhabitans of the area,

and there alreadybeing astand in
nearby Paddington Street. "The neighbourhood became changed : coffee-shops, treer-shops and lodginghouses filled the small adjacent streets," he writes. "The character of the new population may be inferred from the taste they exhibit for the noisiest and most discordant music." Babbage seems to have made himself quite unpopular in the area. He reports being goaded by neighbours, beingfollowed by mobs and receiving death threats. "I received constantly anon)..rnous letters, advising, and even threatening me rvith all sorts of evils." Babbage could not understand rvhy everyone else did notthink like him. But this was where his genius lay, in thinking differcntly. Without such a

unfinished in Babbage's lifetime. For manyyear$, itrvas presumed that this

was asain a result of the

limitations

of manufacturing rnethods at the time. However-, we norv know that the machine could have lvorked. In 1985 the Science Museum undertooka project to make Difference Engine

No 2 using modern methods but limited to a level of precision available in the 1840s. Notonlydid theysucceed in making the machine,

butitworked.
Babbage, of course, never saw his designs fulfilled. Instead, he worked on many other projects. His everbusymind could always think of a nen'innovation, or a new theory. Among other iterns, Babbage has

been creditedrvith inventing the concept ofblack box recorders, but for newly irwentecl trains rather than aeroplanes. He also pioneered lighthouse signalling and the use

unique, highly functioning brain, he

rvould never have thought out any

of

his inventions. And theu'orld might be a very different place today.

58-MARYLEBONEJOURNAL

TMT, _MAQFIII.{E AND SAW TFIE Ih{V-IS-IBTEM-AN-_BT]'THG-W-E,LLS'SGREATE,ST VISION ryEAR WAS THE DABE,TES ASSOCIATION
HE:
BYLOUISAMCKENZIE

WTT{E

HGWells is known

as

"The Father of

Science Fiction". He was, however, much more besides. His writings

Charles Dar-win's work and the grandfather of the novelistAldous

an affairwith Moura Budberg, rhe

Huxley.Wellsfailed some of his

exams and subsequently neverfinished his course at the Normal School - instead he later received
a degr-ee

spanned manygenrcs, fiorn history to comedy. He was also famous for his socialist political views and colourful personal life. What is less well known is that the author suffered from diabetes.

In

1934, he,

alongwith DrRD

Lawrence, foundedwhat has since become the charityDiabetes UK. HGWells died at home in Marylebone, at 13 HanoverTerrace,

in 1946. There are different theories

as

to the cause of death, but his

diabetes maywell have played a part. Born in Kent in 1866 into a relatively poor family, Wells's life was turned on its head when he won a

scholarship to the Normal School

Of Science in Kensington, London.

Here, he studied under Thomas Henry Huxley, the eminent biologist who was a staunch supporter of

in zoology through the University of London External Programme. His time in Kensington influenced some of his laterwriting - for example, The Island ofDoctor Moreau, which raises interesting questions about vivisection and the ethics of some extreme forms of scientific research. To support himself after leaving the Normal School,Wells worked as a teacher. Havingmarried his cousin Isabel in 1891, he left her for one ofhis students three years later. From then his personal life became increasingly colourful. His second marriage was interspersed with manyaffairs: he had two children out ofwedlock, and he even had

flamboyant great-aunt of current deputy prirne minister Nick Clegg. During this period, Wells's writing careerbegan to take off. His most famous novels are those rooted in science, and all of them ar"e full of his ideas and imaginings about the future. These have captured the public imagination for generations,

inspiring countless adaptations on the radio, television, and on film TheWar ofTheWorlds, The Invisible Man,The TimeMachine. Wells was initially an active
member of The Fabian Society,

forerunner ofthe Labour Party, but

he left when his views began to be more radical than those of his peers. His politicalviews also coloured some of his writing, particularly books which discussed social practices or social problems. lle was particularly interested in the concept of Utopia and wrote several works - fiction and

60-MARYLEB0NEJOURNAL

HISTORY

SWEETCHARIT'Y

I shall begtn to lookfar the

diabetic influence in nery aspect of lafe: in art, science, conduct, a, new delicate strength, a restraint and a clearness

non-fiction - on this subject. By the time thewritersettled in Marylebone, hewas becoming increasingly sidelined by ihe literary world and - to addi4jury to insult - he was also suffering from diabetes. Doctors have recognised the condition of "diabetes" from Ancient Egyptian times. The doctors of King Edwa rd t he Con fessor are said to have diagnosed him with the condition, and the term diabeteswas first used in Middle English in 1425.
Doctors and scientists have been researching the condition ever since. At the time ofWells's diagnosis, diabetes still had a very poor prognosis. Indeed, Wells's colleague Dr RD Lawrence was diagnosed with diabetes in 1919 and givenjust four years to live. He was put on a starvation diet, the onlysolution available at the time.Yet the

Wells's letter had the desired effect, drawing in many donations which allowed Lawrence to improve his department. More thanjust money, though, Wells's letter

treatmentof diabetes was evolving fast. Insulin was first discovered in

1921 byDrBanting. Itwould soon become one of the mostsignificant medical discoveries of the 20th centurl: In 7923, nearly four years afterdiagnosis and, in hiswords, "more dead than alive", Dr Lawrence was treatedwith insulin. Itwas a success. A few months later, Lawrence was using his medical practice to improve the lives of fellow sufferers. He metWells atKing's College Hospital, when the world-famous writer became his patient. It was he re that the seed were planted for an association to help and support those sufferingfrom diabetes. Lawrence was frustrated with the meagre provision for his departmentat the hospital. He started to raise funds for improvements by asking his wealthier patients for donations. Wells was one ofthose patients. llowever, Lawrence would have been

provoked many letters suggesting the creation ofan association for people with diabetes, an association which would provide support for sufferers butwhich would also allow them a role in controllingand managing theircondition. One of the aims, of both the department and the future association, would be to help poor sufferers as well as rich, to allowall those with diabetes an equal chance. In 1934, the first meeting of this fledgling Diabetic Association was held in HGWells's flatin Baker Street, where he lived at the time. Wells was elected president of the association. In addition to beinga support network, money would be raised for research and ajournal would be published. In keeping with Wells's radical ways, the group began to campaign for a national health service and for people with diabetes to mane their own condition. Wells wrote another letter to The Times announcing the creation of the Diabetic Association, and his hopes that it might "seek to coordinate knowledge and effort in such a way as to bring the life of all diabetics as near to normal as possible." The association would later become the British Diabetic Association and is nowDiabetes UK. In all of its incarnations, it has been a key advocate of improving the lives of those sufferinsfrom the disease. This is bestsummarised bysome of Wells's own words, from his foreword to the first issue of the association's

journal in 1935:
"Formerly diabetics died, but
now I shall begin to look for the diabetic influence in every aspect of life: in art, science, conduct, a new

disappointed with Wells's donation: 2/6d. Wells pleaded poverty but offered to write a letter to The Times newspaper, requesting donations from the public atlarge and informing them about diabetes.

delicate strength, a restraintand

a clearness. Am Iwriting nonsense? Not altogether. For my own part

I have certainlyfound diabetes an invigorating diathesis."

ffinl

"Haec est
by Louisa McKenzie

P(
z

San Miniato
mongst the manifold delights of
Florence, ecclesiastical and secula! there is a church which is not as

widely visited as it certainly deserves to be.

This church is San Miniato al Monte. Situated high on a hill in the Oltrano, in
be glimpsed day and

Florence, its refined Romanesque fagade can night (the latter thanks to floodlights) from the city itself,

There has been a documented ecclesiastical foundation on the site from the eighth century although there may also have been earlier examples. The current monastic basilica dates from 1018, when the first foundations were laid by Bishop Hildebrand, with the building taking place in many stages over more than a century and additions

being made at later dates. Originally

Benedictine foundation, control passed to

the Olivetan Benedictines in 1373. San Miniato, or Minias, was an early martyr. He is believed to have died in AD250 during the reign of Decius. There is disagreement over his origins, although it is certain that he was not Italian. He may have been a
Greeh a Sy'rian or even an Armenian prince.

View of Florence fram

San

Miniata Al Mante.

l[',

',a

Coeli"

4onte Florence, ltaly

it that, after decapitation, he walked with his head up to the site of the church, much in the manner of St Denis. The present day visitor is most likely to approach San Miniato by road, perhaps by taking a bus (number 12 or 13) ro thePrazzaJe Michelangelo and then walking a short distance further. It is worth stopping for a while at thePiazzale to take advantage of the first of several opportunities to take in magnificent views of Florence. A visitor approaching in this manner is greeted by the awe inspiring sight of the church rising above them at the top of two flights of steps. The facade of the basilica is elegant in its simplicity, created in
Legend has Romanesque geometric style using Carrarawhite and Praro green marble. The frontage also hosts a magnificent Blzantine sryle mosaic on golden background

which reflects the sun beautifully. This mosaic depicts Christ enthroned berween Our Lady and San Miniato. On entering the church, a similariy elegant yet simple sight greets the visitor. The nave is flanked by marble columns. The floor of the mdn aisie in the nave is covered by monochrome intarsia work depicting animal, plant and
zndiacal motifs. The wooden beams of the navet roof are painted with brightly coloured designs. Ifyou stand at the back ofthe central aisle ofthe nave, the wonderfully executed mosaic on the ceiling of the apse is directly in front of you. This mosaic, Blzantine-sryle like the mosaic on the fagade, is rich with symbolism. It is a masterpiece of the mosaicist's art and is dated ro some rime in the 13th cntury. Christ is enthroned in the centre, with Our Lady to his right and San Miniato to his left, their bodies bending in an arch around him.

Surrounding the throne are symbols of the four evangelists, St John and St Mark to the right and St Matthew and St Luke to the left. Also depicted at ground level in the mosaic are many different birds. Recognisable are peacocks
continues on page 34

travel

(left) The four Evangelisfs appear on rhe ceilrng. (below left) Unfinished wall paintings and magpies. The official guide to the church interprets the birds as representing souls. On the far right of Christ is a date palm, symbolising Christ's power to resurrecr, and on the far left of Christ is a phoenix, symbol of Christt own resurrecrion and a pelican, symbol of Christk sacrifice. Another key feature is the small tabernacle chapel at the end of the central aisle of rhe nave. This was built to house the Crucifix of St John Gualberto, which can now be found in the lefi aisle. The aitarpiece is fairly early in date; begun by Agnolo Gaddi in 1394. StJohn Gualberto and San Miniato are depicted on the main panels. Scenes from the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ form the side panels. Mass is often celebrated here. Due to its early age, San Miniato's interior differs from the majority of Florence's churches in the relative paucity of its side chapels. However, the one which it does have, the Cardinal of Portugal's chapei, is a superb example of the marriage ofthe sculpted and painted arts for a devotional purpose. The chapel is dedicated to St James, name-sainr of the cardinal who died while he was in Florence. On the wall directly in front of the entrance is the altar. The altarpiece is a copy. The original, by Antonio and Piero Poliaiuolo depicting Sts Vincent, James

and Eustace, is to be found in the U{fi2i. Above the altarpiece are frescoed angels, holding back frescoed currains, revealing the altar to the viewer. A counterpoint to this is the wall to the viewert right, where the marble tomb of the cardinal is to be found. Above this is a glazed terracotta tondo depicting Our Lady and the Baby Jesus. This tondo acts as a window to the heavenly realm. Our Ladyt eyes are focussed on the face of the sculpted Cardinal as he lays on his tomb, symbolising her position as intercessor for him after death. That the arm of Our Lady and the iegs of the Baby Jesus tumble over the edge of the tondo symbolises their real presence in our world as intercessors. The ceiling is decorated with more glazed terracotta roundels, this time of the four Evangelists and the Holy Spirit in the centre. Also at San Miniato al Monte is the sacrisry with frescoes depicting the life of St Benedict and several sculptures. However, the sacristy is not always open to the public and relies on the availability of the monks. If you visit, try to go to Mass at least once at San Miniato. It is a delight, particularly in summer when the door remains open, revealing the whole panorama of Fiorence. AIso, the monks sing Gregorian chant daily at 4:30pm in winter and 5:30pm

in summer.
'Vhen you visit San Miniato, you truly feel transported, both back in time and far away from the daily bustle of Florence. In this respec, it is no wonder that San Miniato was considered gateway to Heaven.

to God about people!

She's talking

As Tyburn Nuns our work is to pray for the Church and the world. Our specialjoy is to hold the people of England and Wales in prayer. lf you have a special intention let us know! Use the coupon, or write to Mother General OSB, Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place, London W2 zLJ.

I I

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ffifir

Lef* James McNeill Whistler, a self-portrait

it was in London lvhere became most falnous' and it was the Thames lVhistler the that pror.ided much of his inspiration: lt lt"-tg near deal in lVapping and ,it.e in Chelsea ancl r+orked a great Rotherhithe. During tiris period. \Vhistler produced "vhat art' can easily be described as his most lamous rvork of
was also exhibited. Horverer,
Anangement in Gral antt Btack No. 1: Portrait

0f the Artif! fuIlther'

othewise li:rown as Whi-ttlr\ A'{lther'

espite earlier bankmptcl;
the Jan.res

\ttcNeill

\4rhistlet rvho returned from Venice to lodge r'vith his brother at 28 \{impole Street was fbr liom a broken man. Wtristler's unique, fascinating life-story had prepared hi:n well

{brthevicissitudesofhislife.BorninLorvell,Massachusetts in tSS+, \A&istler sPent the majoriry ol his life awal'from

by his ego ancl self-righteousness' This is against characterised t esi Uy the 1877-9 libel suit he brought for his unfai''ourable review of the Whistler's John Ruskin ".Nocturne r'von in Bkck arul GoM: The Fatlbry Raclttl' 1{rhistler

\,\''ilistler's worlis are defined by a sense of perfectionism and lastidious attention to detail, a resffained patette and a sense of t'istful longng, his private life

!\hiie

,"", p.rll1.u,.d

Petersburg the USA, spending rime in London, Paris, St would und et",t bo.rth A*e.i.a' The passion for art whicl'r found its beginnings in St .om. ,n clrive his tife probably

HIS LIFE WAS PERMEATED BY EGO AND SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

by the Petersburg. Here, the .voung \4rhistler rvas enthralled also attended some drau'ing classes' I*p..iol lollections and to A young man' Wlristler rl'as snt back to the USA the famous American military academ'r"

his case, but was awarded a nominal sum in damages' he u'as Cripplecl bv legal costs and orl'ing many creditors' bankrupt in 1879" Around the same time as the d.ctu.eO with a lawsuit, \\'hisder was embroiled in a major dispute decorated the client's client over the *'ay in w'hich he had

dining room. The Peacock Room' as it is norv knolr'n' things rvas h*eavilv inlluenced b,v trVhistler's interest in all. i{e altered it substantiallli then demanded a fee Japanese. L.,f:t. uncommissioned rvork' It rvas in this heady climate new that Whistler abandoned London for a rvhile to hnd in Venice. inspiration

atteniWesiPoint,

It

rvas not soon became cleaq however, that the military he returned to Europe to the career lor him. In 1855, that r'r'or:ld l-ris artistic education in Paris' In a ntove

continue both at permeate the rest of his career, \Vhistler worked particularly interested loth .t.t i,tg and painting' He n'as in.1opnt"r."p.irrtr In Paiis, he moved in the orbitof his first Cirr.U.t ani Fantin-Latour' In 1859, he submitted pi..", At Tht Piano' to the Salon but it r'vas rejected' *fo. this disappointment, Whistler headed to London'

lofio*i"g

rnhere ]rJhad relatives aacl friencls. but he to Paris to keep up lvith the art scene'

reguiar\ returned

u ,".ie, of etchings w'hich resulted fi-om Ever the perfectionist, but stilllacking in Street funds, \\histGr lell it1 ut'd hud to remain in trVimpole he began rvork u'ith a rthile he recovered. Once recovered, and portraits' renervecl vigour. He plunged into both etchings of etchings being particularly acclairned' the Veniceieries his life' He Such work took up much of the last period of and gar5 lectures aiso began to visif Paris more frequentiy his particular a,-rcl pi[rh.d rvritten r'vorks concerning Having {inally gained the international artistic r+'orld-view: acclaim u'hich he craved, \{histler died in 1903 and is

A fhistler's soiourn in Ntarylebone coincided wi& him

VV

.ro.ri,,g oit

his Venice trif.

Substantii crltical acclaim began in l863' u'hen des \dlristler showeci The llthite Girl at tlie larnous Salon \'Ianet's k d{ewtr siir l'lurbe Re1iis6s. It t'as a bumper vear:

buried in St Nicholas' Church in Chiswick' Lotri"a -\lcKenzic

here can have been leu'lr'r'iters as prolific as in their rvritings John " Bucl'ran or. o, 1'nlitrcl biographics :rncl to Ii'ou'r Poetry to novels othcr non-fiction rl'orks; a lact that is all the

more outstancling $'lren consiclering that

r'r,riting was llot Buchan's sole calecr' At l'arlous turres Alrica' he rtas also a govcrnmeut aclmit:ristl'ator il'l South lcx The Tintcs' cditor ol' TlLe SperLntor. a \1:ar corrcsPonclent His an N{P, a solclier" a publishcr; a clircctor ol Reuters' High Con-rmissiorlcr to thc (}enclal Assen-rblv N{ajest,v's ol ihe bh.,.ch of Scotlancl ancl Govcrnor Ger-reral ol Canacia. Buchan's fcats are evcn morc rcn-rarkable

considcring that he sr:ll'crecl {iom bor-rts ol ill health tl.rroughout his li{ttin.rc. lived BJ,'n in Pcrth in Scotlar.rcl in 1875'John llr-rcl.ran nright be considered the at 76 Portland Place during rvl-rat 'TlLir!t'-"\tine heiglrt of his literar:y success 1913-1919' The u'as rr'r'ittctl S't4rr'. partlnpt Buchzrtl's most lamous ntlvel, thele in 1914. It is no coirrcidcnce that the s:rmc area leatures as the localion 1br Richard Hannav's l'onclon r'r'as tlte Ilat, where the initial intrigue tirkes placc: 'NI.v I1at floo. in a ner'r'block bchind Langham Place' Thcre fi.ri at was a comlnon staircase, lvith a poltcr and a liftr-r-ran Nlarylebonc are not the entrattcc.' Such relcretrces to confined to Tlu TlirE'-Ntrc SLeps"fhey occur to clil{i:ring degrces in scveral ol the fiction u'orks written during Iris Lonclon sojouln, incluclinS^ The Poteer-Howa nrli

ivhich

"lte,

STEPS I'VAS ONLV PUBLISFIED AS A BOOK AFTER ITS SUECESS IN MAGAZINE FORMAT
TTTE TTTIRTY.N"VE
(1913) ancl AIr,gtaru{ast (1919) Dcspitc being-Buchan's iTrh pulrlishccl ,".rrl. Tlte Tlirtt'-.Nitrt SLcps is the novel dlrc lvhich has most caPtul'ecl tl-re public's imasination'

norv cousiclcr to be distastelul bul \vere' \\ihen its timc' tl-re nove l r.r'as u'ritten, an nnlortunatc proclr-rct of Nonethelcss, the novel tcmaitrs a superior thriller' lvhich accounts lor a gleat part of its long-stancling popularitl'' In the novel's pt"otogor-tist, Richarcl Hannag ln;rny see the 'blueprint lor e.'cr,t action hero rvl'ro lollorvecl 1-rim' be it on papcr or on scfecn. ll)' todo-o', standarcls, The Thirr'-'l'iina 'Slrps seet.us r,erv short lor a novcl. Originallli it u'as priblished in ,. ,-rlogo"ir"t., Land anrl ll'rtter. ancl lvas otrly publishecl in in bookiorn-t alter it hacl proved imrneasurably popular the majority magazirle {blnat. This rvas the case rvitl-r ol B,-rcharn's rvriting r-rntil thc 1930s' \'Ian.v ol I-ris eallier ivotks rverc otl1v p.rblislted as books alter tl-rc success ol
r'r,e

rvor:ks, Ilr-tchatl r'r'zrs erlso a prolific non-llction r'r'r-iter. r'vith subjccl lllzrtter so u'icle as to dely able simplc catcgorisation. Buchat.r secms to havc llecn obJut ottt sulrject in n'hich he rvas intcrcsted at tu time' Bcing a Scot, Scottisl-r historv topics loon-r

Tlu

Thirh,-.Nitt e Sleps.

Iu niclitio,, to fiction

*rit.

any givcu

'fhcre in palt to tlie HitJrcock film vcrsion of' thc slor\"

neithcr houc also bccn tlvo firrther' film vcrsions, :rlthough rcason lor the rvere loyal to thc oriqinal novel' Alrolhcr novcl's popi-tl:rrity is that it coutzrins clistillcd t'ct'siot.ts of mosi of the therlltrs rvhich pleoccLrpv lluchan's sp)'
zrncl
L- r-r

l.qgr:i,.t his biblioglr,rphl'. He oligir.rally studied CIzrssics' ,',ni t.,t"n..1, Lhe t'lcl of his lil'e, he I'r'rotc n'cll-r'esarcled this biogi'aphics ol.Julitts Czrcsiu aud Augustus' Hor'r'ever' tron-fictitln is re allr, the tip of thc iccl-rcrg, lvhcrc lJuch:rn's
is cot-tcct-uccl.

co{-'rq,{p{.i$[1

at thc hichcst icvcl ar-rcl a conspiracv to llc ccrtaiu lcfi 'rlenccs tl nur'uold" Tht T l Lit h' - Nim'Slr'y''t tl t.r nurins

thriller u'crrks the prolagoni'st bt:ing huntecl by zrn trl c s tran gc' cru\,1 ftrr-n il ial s ttlron n d i nq-s sr'lclcle n ll br:co

Outsiclc of rvritir-rg, Buchan u'as a Politician and an adr-ninistrator. He rvas madc llaron Trvccdsnuil in 1935 ancl appoir-rtecl Govcrnor' (]cnclal ol Czrnacla tirc satnc n'itl-r the Clanaclian 1,."r. ii. u'as inttlcnsr:11' pt'rpular clied of a brain hacmorrhaglc pcoplc. john Buchan in l9'!tl. lcavitrg a lasting litelalr-legzrr:1'' 1{}

ffi

of lega1 equalitv and emancipation in which \,vomen living in dre UK today find tl-remselves is due in no little part to
he position

the actions of their forernothers. Among the canon of \vomcn s rights campaigners, somc nafires are better known than others - the Pankhursts, lor example * but one particularly influential group of women's rights activists used to meet in X.,Iar-v1ebone. This group rvas called the 'Langham Place Circle', named after the location of the o{fices o{ the Erylish lfonanl Journal atlg Langham Piace, where the grouplvould gather. The Langham Place Circle r,r'as composed of likeminded middle-class rvomen determined to improve the standards of r,vomen's education and their employment prospects. These issues rvere the major themes dealt ra,ith by the English l4/omen's Jourttal, lor which the majority of the circle r,rrote and r,r'orked. One member of the circle u'as Emily Faithfull. Born into conventional Victorian gentilitv * the dauehter of a vicat presented at court, eclucatecl - she devoted her life to attempting to better the prospects ol women in the r,vorlplace. Faithfull begar.r to rvork at tbe English llhnzeni Journal in lB5B, soon after its creation (and only a year alter she had been presented at court). She u,as described by Elizabeth Ra.mer Parkes, one of dre founders of the Circle, as being 'a most hearry* young r,vorker who has brought us a host of subscriptions'. In conjunction with the other members ol the circle, Faithlull began to seck roles in wlich

Press, with its mixed worliforce, marked a definite step fonvard, its rvomen still did not lulfil all the funcrions of the compositor's role. Instead they acted much as a sub-editor rvould today.- i,vriting, tidying and proof-reading copy. It r'vould be another body, the \A&rmen's Printing Socieq' (1876), nhich 'nvould allolv w-omen to take on the full role r:f a compositor. Faithfull was also associared u'ith this body although it was the brainchild of other members

of the circle.
The Victoria Press produced some exemplary r,vork, inclnding a'fe Deunt Lattdamus with exquisite illustrations, r'vhich rvas prirted by thc press in 1868. It rvas botl.r a printer
and a publisher, turning out books and periodicals incl-rcling; Ii'om 1863, Faithfullt own l/ictotin A[aga{l)zz to rvhicll she was a tireless contributor. In 1869, Faithfull rvas bought out ol tl-re press by a rnale associate, \{1,V Head. From tl-rcn on she declicated hersell to lvritinq and lecturing in order to lurther the cause ol r,r'omen. Her r,vorks included a novcl (whose theme was drc need lor a change in the slatus and treatment of nomen), articles in joumals, perioclicals, gazettes and propaganda docurnents. She made thrce lecturc tours of the USA u'herc she became a renor,vnecl speaker and contribr-rted to developmcnts in edr:cation and employment. In the UK she Lvas one o[ the I'eu, of the circle r,vho rvas unaliaid to speak out about the need lor rvomen's su{Irage. Some u'ere alraid that this controversial topic would deter politicians and the public from supporring smaller irnprovements. Not Ernily lhithfull -' she managed to speak out and still retain her place as a favourite of the Qlreen, by u'hom shc w-as ar,varded several honours. N{
By Louisa McKenzie

FAITHFULL MANAGED TO SPEAK OI.JT

ABOUT WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE BUT WAS STILL EAVOURED BYTHE qUEEN

\'vomen coulcl bc gainfully employ'ecl. One possibility rvas tl-rc role ol compositor. Fr-rndamental to the printing industry the compositor was in charge of composing the indir,iclual letters

and punctuation marks in the {rame to provide the plate for printing. This was a frercely guarcled, male-dominated industry, so the ladies ol the circle certaini.v ru{Iled some leathers in exploring this ave nue. Unpeturbed, in 1860 Faithfull, backed by another irrrerestecl individual, investecl her own capital into the creation of tl-re Victoria Press. "fhe Victoria Press lvas a commercial success and gained the recogmirion and support of no less influential a backer than ig; nanresake, Queen Victoria. Although the Mctoria