Bloomsbury Square

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W. J. Loftie, adding to the incomplete work of Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of London with this look at Bloomsbury Square:

Bloomsbury Square was at first called Southampton Square, and the sides were known by different names - Seymour Row, Vernon Street, and Allington Row.

The north side was occupied by Bedford House.

It is considerably older than its large neighbour on the north, and is mentioned by Evelyn in his Diary, on February 9, 1665.

In Queen Anne's reign it was a most fashionable locality.

The houses suffered greatly during the Gordon Riots, especially Lord Mansfield's house, in the north-east corner, which was completely ruined internally, and in which a most valuable library was destroyed, while Lord and Lady Mansfield made their escape from the mob by a back-door.

Pope refers to the Square as a fashionable place of resort.

Among the names of famous residents we have Sir Richard Steele, Richard Baxter, the Nonconformist divine, Dr. Akenside, and Sir Hans Sloane.

The elder D'Israeli, who compiled "Curiosities of Literature," lived in No. 6; he came here in 1818, when his famous son was a boy of fourteen.

The College of Preceptors stands on the south side.

The Pharmaceutical Society, established in 1841, first took a house in the Square in that year.

It was incorporated by royal charter two years later, and in 1857 the two adjacent houses in Great Russell Street were added to the premises, which include a library and museum.

There is also at No. 30 the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland.

In Southampton Street Colley Cibber, the dramatist and actor, was born.

Silver Street, which is connected with Southampton Street by a covered entry, is described by Strype as "indifferent well built and inhabited" - a character it apparently keeps up to this day.

Next: Bloomsbury: St George's Church