Punch or the London Charivari

Charles Darwin, Punch's Fancy Portraits, Illustration from 'Punch' or 'The London Charivari', 1881 Giclee Print 18" x 24" $49.99 Unframed

Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of the Strand district with a look at areas which are long since vanished:

Crown Court recalls the Crown Tavern where Punch was first projected. The south end of Drury Lane, running into Wych Street, is now (1903) completely altered.

New Inn and Booksellers' Row, otherwise Holywell Street, are wiped off the map, and the semicircular arm of the great new street connecting Holborn and the Strand will come out near St. Clement's Church.

The name Holywell referred to a holy well which stood on the spot. There were, apparently, several of these wells in the vicinity; one was on the site of the Law Courts (Times, May 1, 1874). The street was a survival of old London, with its houses picturesquely old, with pointed gables, and it is a cause for regret that it had to go down in the march of modern improvements.

Butcher Row ran round the north side of the church. It was so named from a flesh-market established here by Edward I. Numerous small courts opened off in the north side. Among these were Hemlock, Swan, Chair, Crown and Star Courts. The Row and its vicinity had for many years a notoriously bad reputation. One of the courts off Little Shear Alley was Boswell Court, not, as some have imagined, called after Johnson's biographer. This court was at one time a very fashionable place of residence; Lady Raleigh, the widow of Sir Walter, lived here for three years.

In Butcher Row the houses were picturesque, of timber and plaster. In one of them the great de Rosny, afterwards Duc de Sully, lodged for one night when he came to England as the French Ambassador.

Next: the Strand district: The Gaiety Theatre