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Antique Sterling Silver John Leach London Muffineer 1697-1698 156g 6 inches high
8 Oct 2011 at 1:30pm
US $3,500.00
End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 10:35:57 PST
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ANTIQUE ENGLISH GEORGIAN STERLING SILVER - PARKER & WAKELIN LONDON 1760-1776
6 Jan 2012 at 11:28am
US $35.00
End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 9:28:27 PST
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Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of the Charing Cross area with this look at Northumberland House:

At the top of the present Northumberland Avenue stood formerly Northumberland House, the last of the Strand palaces to be destroyed, and until its destruction the chief glory and ornament of the street and Charing Cross.

It was never an episcopal palace, having been built in 1605 by the Earl of Northampton; from him it went to the Earl of Suffolk, and was called for a time Suffolk House; in 1642 it fell into the hands of the Earl of Northumberland, and by marriage into those of the Duke of Somerset until 1749, when the daughter of the Duke of Somerset succeeded, and by her marriage with Sir Hugh Smithson the house became the property of this family, now Dukes of Northumberland, until its compulsory sale in the year 1874.

The house originally consisted of three sides of a quadrangle, the fourth side lying open with gardens stretching down to the river.

The front was wrongly attributed to Inigo Jones.

The house had been repaired or rebuilt in many places, so that there was not much that was ancient left in its later days.

By the side of Northumberland House formerly ran Hartshorn Lane, now entirely obliterated. Ben Jonson was born here, and lived here in his childhood.

Next: Charing: The Royal Mews