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The Skirts of the Great City Flashcards

N. D'Anvers argues that London's outlying villages and suburbs possess distinct histories and atmospheres often overlooked. The deck covers the origins, legends, and historical events tied to places including Hampstead, Highgate, Edgware, Barnet, Waltham Abbey, Hainault Forest, and Havering-atte-Bower.

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Chapter 1 · Question

What did the name Hampstead originally signify, and where was the first settlement?

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CHAPTER I4 cards
  1. What did the name Hampstead originally signify, and where was the first settlement?

    The name, originally spelt Hamstede, signifies homestead. The first settlement is supposed to have been a farm in the district now known as Frognal, around which a hamlet grew up that remained part of the parish of Hendon until after the Reformation.

    Chapter 1

  2. How did the manor of Hampstead pass from the Crown to private owners after the Reformation?

    At the Reformation the manor was included in the new see of Westminster, but Bishop Thomas Thirlby dissipated episcopal revenues and much property, including Hampstead, reverted to the Crown. Edward VI gave the manor in 1550 to Sir Thomas Wrothe; after many changes of hands it belonged about 1780 to Sir Spencer Wilson, whose great-nephew held it in 1907.

    Chapter 1

  3. What was the origin of the Kilburn priory according to the chapter?

    The chapter relates that a hermit named Godwin built a cell by the stream in Edward I's reign, then gave his property to Westminster Abbey. It was bestowed on three ladies, Christina, Emma and Gunilda, former maids of honour to Queen Matilda, who became a Benedictine sisterhood with Godwin as chaplain; the community grew into an important priory.

    Chapter 1

  4. What does the author argue about London's outlying suburbs and their atmosphere?

    The author argues each component part of London has a psychological atmosphere of its own, and that this intangible factor must be reckoned with for a trustworthy picture of past or present. The suburbs, though appearing as branches to a parent stem, were independent communities gradually absorbed by the metropolis; Hampstead notably resisted merging its individuality.

    Chapter 1

CHAPTER II2 cards
  1. According to the chapter, how did Highgate get its name?

    The chapter says the name is generally supposed to derive from the tollgate at the entrance to the Bishop of London's park—a two-storied red brick house built over an archway, pulled down in 1769. Norden's 1593 Speculum Britanniae is quoted: a toll was raised on passengers when the road was turned over the hill through the Bishop's park.

    Chapter 2

  2. What was the ceremony of swearing on the horns at the Gate House Inn?

    Until about 1850 the inn stopped stage-coaches and chose five passengers to take an oath before witnesses, led by the landlord's absurd speech naming him adopted father and granting freedom of Highgate. Neophytes kissed the horns or a pretty girl. The chapter calls the most plausible origin the gatekeeper's symbol of toll rights, later expanded into burlesque.

    Chapter 2

CHAPTER III4 cards
  1. What does the chapter say about the fate of villages north of London?

    The chapter states that many beautiful villages north of London have been transformed into suburbs of the growing metropolis, and few retain their original character or can strictly be called picturesque. It names Tottenham and Edmonton as now essentially towns, while Friern Barnet, Edgware, the Stanmores, Elstree, High Barnet, East Barnet, and Enfield, though marked for destruction, still retain the aroma of the past.

    Chapter 3

  2. What musical connection does the chapter draw between Edgware and Handel?

    The chapter says Edgware prides itself on owning the forge where Handel, sheltering from a storm, was inspired by the rhythmic hammer beats to compose the melody of the 'Harmonious Blacksmith.' It adds that Handel was organist at the chapel of The Canons from 1718 to 1721, and that the chapel, with his organ, survives as part of Little Stanmore church, where Handel and the blacksmith are buried near each other.

    Chapter 3

  3. What does the chapter say about the Battle of Barnet and its location?

    The chapter states the village's chief distinction is proximity to the 1471 battle between Lancastrians and Yorkists, where the former were defeated, the Earl of Warwick was slain, and Edward IV was firmly established on the throne. It notes heated controversy over the exact site, but says it is now generally supposed the fiercest fighting occurred on Hadley Green, with Deadman's Bottom on old maps as proof of burial there.

    Chapter 3

  4. According to the chapter, how did Waltham Abbey's church come to be founded?

    The chapter relates that Tovi, standard-bearer to Canute, founded an earlier church to enshrine a crucifix found on his Somersetshire estate, its burial place revealed in a dream to a smith. When the oxen hauling it toward Glastonbury refused to move, Tovi redirected them to Waltham, and they rushed there and halted at the site, taken as divine will. Harold later built the great abbey church there.

    Chapter 3

CHAPTER IV (part 1)4 cards
  1. What happened to Hainault Forest after the 1851 Act of Parliament?

    An 1851 Act empowered the Government to remove the deer, cut down the trees, and sell the land for farming or building. Destruction proceeded rapidly until Mr. North Buxton's initiative, seconded by the London County Council and local corporations, arrested it; in 1906 eight hundred acres were bought and secured to the public as a recreation ground, though the ancient oaks and beeches were gone for ever.

    Chapter 4

  2. How did Havering-atte-Bower get its name, according to the legend?

    The most poetic and probable explanation links it to a legend about Edward the Confessor, who gave St. John the Evangelist a ring from his own finger when the saint appeared as a pilgrim. Later pilgrims from the Holy Land brought back the ring and a message that St. John would meet Edward in Paradise a fortnight later; the king's inquiry 'Have ye the ring?' became 'Havering.' Edward died at the foretold time.

    Chapter 4

  3. What was Fairlop Fair, and how was it connected to Daniel Day?

    Fairlop Fair took its name from a wide-spreading oak about a mile from the Maypole Inn, beneath which Daniel Day, a wealthy Wapping blockmaker, entertained his tenants at midsummer. It was celebrated long before his time and drew thousands of pleasure-seekers from London's East End annually for over two centuries. After Day's death in 1769, London blockmakers held an annual beanfeast beneath the oak, going in a boat-shaped vehicle drawn by six horses.

    Chapter 4

  4. What does the chapter say about the royal residence at Havering called the Bower?

    The so-called royal palace, probably merely a hunting lodge, was replaced after the Conquest by a more convenient residence called the Bower, favoured by English kings. Edward III spent months there in his last year; Edward IV won popularity by his hospitality there; Edward VI, Elizabeth, and James I visited often. After James's time it fell into disrepute and became a complete ruin, represented now by a new Bower House built in 1729.

    Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV (part 2)4 cards
  1. Why did Woolwich grow into an important eastern suburb of London?

    The chapter says Woolwich was originally a small fishing-village, possibly on the site of a Roman camp, and owes its prosperity chiefly to Henry VIII choosing it as his chief naval station. In its dockyard the Henrye Grace à Dieu was built from 1512 to 1515 and launched before Henry and Katharine of Aragon.

    Chapter 5

  2. What happened to Woolwich dockyard in 1869, and what replaced its functions?

    On September 17, 1869, the order came that Woolwich dockyard should be closed. Part was sold and the remainder became a Government storehouse for munitions of war. Its fame was then equalled or surpassed by the Royal Arsenal on the old Warren site, which covers over three hundred acres and employs about ten thousand workers, rising to forty or fifty thousand in wartime.

    Chapter 5

  3. How were the Plumstead and Erith marshes drained, and by whom?

    The monks of Lesnes Abbey and the owners of Plumstead manor first drained the marshes, but breaches repeatedly flooded them; in 1527 two breaches left the abbey lands near the Thames an unbroken lake for over thirty years. In 1563 the Italian refugee Giacomo Aconzio, protected by Queen Elizabeth, won an Act of Parliament to reclaim the land at his own cost, receiving half the ground secured. Six hundred acres were drained before his death, and the work continued.

    Chapter 5

  4. What does Hall's Chronicle describe happening on Shooters Hill?

    Hall's Chronicle describes Henry VIII and his queen meeting Robin Hood and about two hundred yeomen dressed in green on Shooters Hill. The archers shot twice at Robin's whistle, then the king and queen were led to a bower of boughs under the hill and served venison and wine by Robin Hood and his men, to their contentment.

    Chapter 5

CHAPTER IV (part 3)4 cards
  1. What features survive in the ruined Ruxley church now used as a barn?

    The chapter states that the relic of Ruxley church, about three-quarters of a mile from Foot's Cray, is now used as a barn and deserves careful examination. The sedilia and piscina were preserved, along with part of the original chalk walls faced with flint, when the rest of the materials were sold for building.

    Chapter 6

  2. What does the horn symbol on the At Hall brass at Bexley prove?

    The chapter says several brasses long buried were set up again in Bexley church, including one to the At Hall family, who owned the eighteenth-century Hall Place on the road from Bexley to Crayford. The horn symbol proves they held their manor on what was known as a hornage tenure, a horn being the token of a forester's office.

    Chapter 6

  3. How does the chapter describe St. Paul's Cray church and its setting?

    St. Paul's Cray, named after St. Paulinus, sits in a beautiful valley; its manor, now the Sydney family's, was one of those William the Conqueror gave to Bishop Odo of Bayeux. The Early English church holds relics of a Norman building and ranks with St. Mary Cray and Ruxley among the most interesting ecclesiastical survivals in the eastern counties. It is a cruciform structure with a grand nave on massive pillars and a well-preserved piscina.

    Chapter 6

  4. What is notable about Orpington's church and its connection to John Ruskin?

    The chapter says Orpington, whose name is supposed to mean rising springs, is a typical Kentish village in the heart of hop country and is closely associated with John Ruskin, many of whose famous books were produced at his private printing-press there. Its church should be studied with St. Paul's Cray's, since the transition from Norman to Gothic can be distinctly traced; its western doorway is among England's most beautiful Norman work.

    Chapter 6

CHAPTER V (part 1)4 cards
  1. What was Greenwich called in Anglo-Saxon times, and what was it then?

    The chapter states Greenwich is mentioned as Grénawic in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and its history can be traced back to the time of Alfred the Great, when it was a mere scattered hamlet, the home of a few poor fishermen. During the struggles with the invading Northmen, their fleet often lay at anchor near Greenwich, within reach of their camp on the high ground at the edge of Blackheath.

    Chapter 7

  2. Who was St. Alphege and what happened to him near Greenwich?

    St. Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, was taken prisoner at the siege of that town in 1001 and was massacred by the Danes near Greenwich on April 1, 1002, in revenge for his persistent refusal to buy his life at the expense of his friends. The parish church is supposed to have been built on the actual scene of his martyrdom many centuries later.

    Chapter 7

  3. What did Duke Humphrey of Gloucester do to the manor-house at Greenwich?

    Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, uncle of Henry V, received the estate after the death of Thomas Beaufort in 1417, and with his wife Eleanor converted the ancient residence into a palace he named the Pleasaunce, or Placentia. It occupied the site of the western wing of the present hospital, and he began building the tower that now forms part of the Observatory. His work was cut short by his death in 1447.

    Chapter 7

  4. What happened at the May Day 1536 tournament at Greenwich?

    At a tournament in the palace park at Greenwich on May Day 1536, Anne Boleyn accidentally dropped a handkerchief, and Henry VIII chose to assume it was a signal for one of the competing knights. He left abruptly for London, ordering the execution of Anne's brother, and the next morning the queen was hurried to the Tower; she was executed on May 19.

    Chapter 7

CHAPTER V (part 2)4 cards
  1. Who chose Le Nôtre to lay out Greenwich Park's grounds, and what trees did that monarch plant?

    Charles II chose the landscape gardener Le Nôtre to lay out the grounds and took great interest in the work, himself planting many trees, including the noble avenue of Spanish chestnuts that remains a noteworthy feature of the park. The chapter also notes that James I had earlier protected the grounds with a brick wall.

    Chapter 8

  2. Who transformed Duke Humphrey's Tower into an observatory, and what did the work require?

    Charles II decided to transform the tower into an Observatory, and the work was entrusted to Sir Christopher Wren. Wren found it necessary to have the greater part taken down, but he used the old materials. Despite later additions, the buildings with their turrets and domes harmonise well with each other and their surroundings.

    Chapter 8

  3. What functions does the Greenwich meridian line serve, according to the chapter?

    Through Greenwich Observatory runs the meridian line from which longitude is reckoned, and from it the exact time is conveyed by electricity every day at one o'clock to the chief towns of Great Britain. The observatory also keeps elaborate records of daily temperature changes, wind direction, and other data important to astronomical and meteorological science.

    Chapter 8

  4. Which historical gatherings and figures does the chapter associate with Blackheath?

    The chapter links Blackheath to Wat Tyler's encampment in 1381 before the march to London, Jack Cade's adherents kneeling with halters before Henry VI, and Edward IV halting in 1471. It also describes the May 29, 1660 gathering welcoming back Charles II, quoting Macaulay on the soldiers' sad and lowering countenances.

    Chapter 8

CHAPTER V (part 3)4 cards
  1. Who opened the underground caves near Beckley to the public, and how?

    Mr. Ryan, proprietor of the Beckley Arms Hotel, whose grounds contain an entrance, opened the caves to the public. He had many galleries and chambers cleared of rubbish accumulated over centuries and lit them with electricity, so visitors could explore without fear of being lost or buried alive. The origin and purpose of the excavations remain unknown.

    Chapter 9

  2. What theories do experts offer about the caves' original purpose?

    The origin and purpose are unknown. Some experts claim they were used for Druidical worship, citing two altar tables probably used for sacrifices. Others think they were hiding-places in wartime or storehouses for grain and treasure. Mr. Nicholls, Vice-President of the Archæological Society, suggested the whole district's population might have lived underground for weeks in times of danger.

    Chapter 9

  3. What does Mr. Nicholls suggest about how the caves were used in danger?

    Mr. Nicholls, Vice-President of the Archæological Society, argues in a pamphlet that in times of danger the whole population of the district may have lived contentedly underground for weeks. A lookout would warn of an approaching enemy; the population would swarm down the shafts, and one or two resolute men at the foot could hold a shaft against a host.

    Chapter 9

  4. What is the history of Camden Place at Chislehurst?

    Camden Place is named after the antiquarian William Camden, who bought it in 1609. It was the scene of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Bonar by their servant in 1813, and later the home of Napoleon III., who died there in 1873. The widowed Empress Eugénie lived there and built a memorial chapel in Crown Lane.

    Chapter 9

CHAPTER VI4 cards
  1. Why did Lord Bacon oppose Edward Alleyn's Dulwich college plan?

    The chapter states that Alleyn's chief opponent was Lord Bacon, then Lord Chancellor, who was anxious that Alleyn should endow learning rather than relieve poverty. Despite this opposition, the Great Seal was affixed to letters patent on 21 June 1619, granting leave to found the college at Dulwich 'to endure and remain for ever.'

    Chapter 10

  2. What did Cromwell do to Dulwich College after Charles I's death?

    Because the fellows had espoused Charles I's cause, Cromwell confiscated all the revenues and lands of the college after the king's death. On the accession of Charles II the property was restored to its owners, and the chapter notes it has never since been tampered with.

    Chapter 10

  3. What condition did Sir Francis Bourgeois attach to his picture bequest?

    Sir Francis Bourgeois bequeathed a fine collection of pictures to the college in 1811 on the singular condition that he and his friends Monsieur and Madame Desenfans, from whom he had inherited the paintings, should be buried near them. Their remains rest in a mausoleum connected with the gallery, opened to the public in 1817.

    Chapter 10

  4. What did Pitt and Wilberforce reportedly arrange under the Holwood oak?

    A tradition holds that Pitt and William Wilberforce sat beneath a wide-spreading oak near Holwood's chief entrance when they arranged the opening of the campaign against slavery, probably in 1787. Wilberforce's letter, quoted on a stone seat placed by Lord Stanhope in 1862, recalls resolving after open-air conversation with Pitt to give notice to bring forward abolition.

    Chapter 10

CHAPTER VII3 cards
  1. What did William I grant to Archbishop Lanfranc at Croydon, and how long did his successors hold it?

    William I gave the manor of Croydon, assessed at the Conquest at sixteen hides and one virgate, to Archbishop Lanfranc of Canterbury. It long belonged to his successors, though the palace that replaced the ancient manor-house was deserted by them in the mid-eighteenth century and later superseded by Addington.

    Chapter 11

  2. What historic events does the chapter associate with Croydon's great hall?

    The great hall, built by Archbishop Stafford 1443–1452 and restored by Laud and Juxon, hosted archiepiscopal courts. There Cranmer condemned John Firth in 1553; Mary held her first council with Cardinal Pole; Elizabeth gave audience to Archbishop Parker and received the French ambassador after Mary Queen of Scots' execution.

    Chapter 11

  3. What does the chapter say about the Wandle's flooding at Croydon and the beliefs attached to it?

    Until drainage was completed in 1850, the Croydon district was frequently flooded. For centuries these inundations were seen as supernatural visitations, tokens of impending evil or good. The antiquary John Aubrey cited a bourne held to be ominous, said to have preceded Charles II's restoration in 1660 and the Plague of 1665.

    Chapter 11

CHAPTER VIII4 cards
  1. What two charitable purposes did Alderman Smith's bequest to Wandsworth serve?

    Alderman Smith, a Wandsworth native who died in 1627, left large sums for the relief of the poor and also for giving them work. The chapter says this proves his recognition of the importance of the problem of the unemployed, which public-spirited philanthropists evidently had much at heart even at that early date.

    Chapter 12

  2. Why did the Garratt Club's mock elections come to an end in 1796?

    Founded in 1792 to check encroachments on the common, the club's elections were addressed by Samuel Foote and used by Foote, Garrick, and Wilkes to expose abuses in parliamentary elections. But the ceremony degenerated into riotous mob meetings where candidates were chosen for deformities or caustic wit rather than fitness. The elections were suppressed in 1796 and the club ceased to exist.

    Chapter 12

  3. What did opponents claim a Putney bridge would do to London?

    When a bridge bill came before Parliament, the member for London said a bridge so far upstream would injure and jeopardise the city and destroy its commerce, even annihilate it. The Lord Mayor believed the piles would stop the tide altogether, and Sir William Thompson claimed quicksands would form and no ship could get nearer London than Woolwich.

    Chapter 12

  4. How did the lord of Wimbledon manor collect payment from Putney's fishery?

    The lord of the manor exacted several salmon from the lessee of the fishery for the right to land the river's spoil on the Putney side. Until the mid-seventeenth century, the three best salmon in every haul taken in March, April, and May were delivered to the manor-house of Wimbledon. About 1786 a money payment of six to eight pounds per season replaced payment in kind.

    Chapter 12

CHAPTER IX4 cards
  1. What evidence exists for the origin of the earthworks called Caesar's Camp on Wimbledon Common?

    The chapter says extensive entrenchments known as Bensbury were largely destroyed in 1880, and there is no evidence whether they were British, Roman, or Saxon work. Popular opinion long held that Caesar first occupied the Rounds, and he may have halted there during the campaign of 54 B.C., but this remains unproven.

    Chapter 13

  2. How did Thomas Cromwell acquire and lose the manor of Wimbledon?

    Henry VIII separated Wimbledon from Mortlake and gave it to Thomas Cromwell, then at his height, who was made Baron of Okeham and Earl of Essex. He enjoyed his new dignities only about a year; the king turned against him, he was accused of treason, and was beheaded on Tower Hill eight weeks after becoming an earl.

    Chapter 13

  3. Which duels on Wimbledon Common does the chapter describe, and how did they end?

    The chapter recounts the 1789 Lennox–Duke of York affair, in which the duke refused to fire; the 1807 Burdett–Paull duel with slight wounds; the 1809 Payne–Clarke duel in which Payne was mortally wounded; and the 1839 Londonderry–Grattan meeting, where Londonderry fired into the air. Napoleon III's 1840 challenge ended when police arrested the party.

    Chapter 13

  4. What happened to the Earl of Cardigan after his duel with Captain Tuckett?

    Cardigan, later leader of the Charge of the Light Brigade, had treated Captain Harvey Tuckett with unwarrantable harshness; in their 1840 encounter Tuckett was seriously wounded and public indignation ran high. Cardigan was tried by his peers in 1841 but escaped punishment through a legal quibble: his counsel argued the sufferer's identity with the Captain Tuckett named in the indictment could not be proved.

    Chapter 13

CHAPTER X (part 1)4 cards
  1. What became of Mortlake's tapestry manufactory and its famous residents?

    Founded in 1619 by Sir Thomas Crane and directed by the Italian Verrio, the tapestry works produced work equal to that done in France, but not a trace remains. The mansion of astrologer Dr. Dee, visited by Queen Elizabeth, is also gone; Dee died in poverty in 1608. Sir Philip Francis, Henry Addington, and Sir John Barnard are buried in Mortlake church with monuments or tablets.

    Chapter 14

  2. What does the chapter say about the tomb of Sir Richard Burton at Mortlake?

    Sir Richard Burton, the Oriental scholar and traveller, and his devoted wife rest in the Roman Catholic cemetery adjoining the Protestant churchyard. The ornate tomb represents an Arab tent and was erected before her death at Lady Burton's expense. The author notes she wanted the world to believe her husband died in what she considered the only true faith, despite his well-known heterodox opinions.

    Chapter 14

  3. How did Kew House and the Dutch House differ in royal use?

    Kew House, a half-timbered building, was leased by the Prince of Wales in 1730 and later bought by George III, who had it pulled down for an unfinished mansion before his insanity worsened; it was cleared away in 1827. The Dutch House, bought in 1781 for Queen Charlotte, became the Royal Nursery and later the Princes' House, where the king was confined and where Queen Charlotte died in 1818.

    Chapter 14

  4. Why did the astronomers leave the Kew Observatory?

    The Observatory, on land George III had taken from the Richmond Deer Park, was long noted for good astronomical work. Electric trams running between Brentford and Twickenham caused such oscillation of the delicate instruments that the accuracy of observations was destroyed. The astronomers moved to a remote district in Dumfriesshire, which the author frames as commercial enterprise winning an inglorious victory over science.

    Chapter 14

CHAPTER X (part 2)3 cards
  1. Why did Henry VII confiscate Richmond Palace from the widowed queen?

    The chapter states that Henry VII liked the riverside home too much himself, so he lost no time in confiscating it and ordered the widowed queen to retire to a convent at Bermondsey, where she died not long afterwards. The author notes she had probably hoped to spend her remaining years there, especially since the new king was her son-in-law, but she was disappointed.

    Chapter 15

  2. How did Henry VIII treat Richmond Palace after his father's death?

    The chapter says Henry VIII was at first as attached to Richmond as his father had been, spending his first Christmas there and seeing Katharine of Aragon give birth to a son there on New Year's Day 1511. The infant lived only six weeks, and the king is said to have viewed its death as a judgment for marrying his brother's widow. Afterwards he paid only short visits, lending the palace to guests.

    Chapter 15

  3. What did Elizabeth do after Dr. Rudd's sermon at Richmond mentioned her wrinkles?

    The chapter relates that Elizabeth listened in the chapel to a sermon from Dr. Rudd, Bishop of St. David's, on the description of old age in Ecclesiastes, remaining apparently unmoved even when the preacher tactlessly cited her own wrinkles. After the sermon she rose, opened a window with her own hands as if to mark displeasure, and told him to keep his disparaging observations to himself, adding that some wise men are as big fools as the rest.

    Chapter 15

CHAPTER X (part 3)3 cards
  1. What does the chapter say the old buildings were once part of?

    The chapter describes the buildings as retaining quaint nooks, corners, and secret passages that recall the days when they were but a small part of a stately palace. That palace could accommodate hundreds of distinguished guests and was the scene of many a courtly pageant and many an exciting intrigue.

    Chapter 16

  2. What two kinds of events does the chapter associate with the former palace?

    The chapter states that the palace was the scene of many a courtly pageant and many an exciting intrigue. These two phrases are the chapter's only characterization of the events once held there, presented as part of the romantic contrast between the buildings' grand past and their present quaint nooks, corners, and secret passages.

    Chapter 16

  3. How does the chapter contrast the buildings' past and present?

    The chapter presents the buildings' present quaint nooks, corners, and secret passages as reminders of a grander past. It says they were once but a small part of a stately palace that accommodated hundreds of distinguished guests and hosted courtly pageants and exciting intrigues, framing the contrast as a nostalgic look back to the good old days gone by.

    Chapter 16

CHAPTER XI4 cards
  1. Why did Henry V. found the Carthusian monastery at Sheen, and what was it called?

    Henry V. founded the House of Jesus of Bethlehem in the Old Deer Park soon after his accession, one of several religious houses he endowed in expiation for his father's usurpation of the throne. The chapter notes this may be what Shakespeare had in mind when his Henry V. speaks of building chantries where priests pray for Richard's soul.

    Chapter 17

  2. How did the monks of Sheen avoid punishment under Henry VIII, and what happened to the monastery buildings?

    In 1539 the monks voluntarily surrendered their property to Henry VIII, evading penalties for resistance. Queen Mary later reinstated them, but her successor banished them again. The monastery buildings and Sir William Temple's house were pulled down in the early eighteenth century, except one gateway, removed in 1769 because it obstructed George III's Kew improvements.

    Chapter 17

  3. Who was educated at Sheen monastery, and who lived at the later Sheen house of Sir William Temple?

    Cardinal Pole's education began at Sheen at age seven, remaining five years and returning in 1525 for two years of seclusion. Dean Colet built a house on monastery land and died there in 1519. Later, Sir William Temple's 'little corner at Sheen' hosted Jonathan Swift as secretary, where he met Hester Johnson ('Stella'), and William III often visited to discuss affairs and fruit-growing.

    Chapter 17

  4. What happened to Richmond Lodge under Queen Caroline and George III?

    George II gave the Lodge to Queen Caroline, who spent heavily on the grounds, erecting Merlin's Cave, a hermitage, a grotto, and a dairy. After her death it was deserted, and in 1760 George III pulled it down, destroyed the terrace overlooking the river, and ploughed the grounds for grazing. Scott later set the Jeanie Deans interview with Queen Caroline there in Heart of Midlothian.

    Chapter 17

XII. RIVERSIDE MIDDLESEX FROM FULHAM TO HAMPTON COURT4 cards
  1. Which riverside places does the chapter's title say it covers?

    The chapter is titled "Riverside Middlesex from Fulham to Hampton Court," indicating its subject is the stretch of the Thames through Middlesex between Fulham and Hampton Court. The frontispiece illustration for the book is Hampton Court Palace, and other listed colour plates in this riverside range include Putney Reach, The Ship Inn at Mortlake, The Old Palace at Richmond, Richmond from Twickenham Ferry, Richmond Park with the White Lodge, Strand on the Green with Kew Bridge, and Isleworth.

    Chapter 18

  2. Which illustrations in the book are credited to Messrs. Valentine, Dundee?

    The list of illustrations credits Messrs. Valentine, Dundee, as the photographic source for several monotone plates: The Spaniards, Hampstead Heath; Byron's Tomb, Harrow; The Thames at Woolwich; The Wandle near Carshalton; and Thames Ditton. The colour plates are listed without photographer credits, and other monotone plates are credited to different firms, such as Messrs. Frith of Reigate and the London Stereoscopic Company.

    Chapter 18

  3. How does the book's illustration list distinguish colour plates from monotone ones?

    The list of illustrations is divided into two headed sections: "IN COLOUR" and "IN MONOTONE." The colour section includes Hampton Court Palace as the frontispiece, plus Church Row Hampstead, A Bit of Old Highgate, Epping Forest near Loughton, Greenwich Hospital with St. Alphege's Church, Chislehurst Church and Common, Putney Reach, Wimbledon Common, The Ship Inn Mortlake, The Old Palace Richmond, Richmond from Twickenham Ferry, Richmond Park with the White Lodge, Strand on the Green with Kew Bridge, The Canal Brentford, Perivale Church, and Isleworth. The monotone section lists photographs by named firms.

    Chapter 18

  4. What is the frontispiece of the book, and where does it fall in the chapter's range?

    The frontispiece is Hampton Court Palace, listed first under the colour illustrations. Hampton Court is also the far end of the chapter's stated range, "Riverside Middlesex from Fulham to Hampton Court." So the book opens with an image of the very place where this chapter's riverside journey terminates, rather than with Fulham, where the title says the route begins.

    Chapter 18

CHAPTER XII (part 1)4 cards
  1. Who built the older portion of Fulham Palace, and whose arms are over the gateway?

    The older portion of Fulham Palace dates from the fifteenth century and was built by Bishop Fitzjames, whose arms surmount the gateway. Bishop Fletcher, father of the dramatist, later made considerable additions, including the present library, once used as a chapel. The river front was rebuilt in 1764, and Bishop Tait added the present chapel in 1869.

    Chapter 19

  2. Which two statesmen died in the same room at Chiswick House, and when?

    Charles James Fox died there in 1806 and George Canning in 1827, both in the same room, which the chapter calls the mansion's chief claim to fame. Chiswick House was built between 1730 and 1736 by the last Earl of Burlington on the site of an earlier Jacobean mansion, and is now a private lunatic asylum.

    Chapter 19

  3. What toll rule applied at the old three-arched bridge over the Brent?

    At the old three-arched bridge a toll was levied on all cattle and merchandise, and on all Jews and Jewesses crossing on foot or horseback, while Christians passed over free. The bridge has since been replaced by a modern one with a single arch.

    Chapter 19

  4. What happened at Brentford involving Edmund Ironsides and later Prince Rupert?

    Near Brentford, King Edmund Ironsides defeated the Danes in 1016, and a few days later the Saxon king was treacherously murdered in the town. Over six hundred years later Prince Rupert besieged Brentford and drove out the parliamentary garrison with great loss, but reinforcements from London encamped at Turnham Green forced Charles to draw back.

    Chapter 19

CHAPTER XII (part 3)4 cards
  1. How did Hampton Court pass from Wolsey to Henry VIII, and what was Wolsey's reported reply?

    The chapter says it is generally supposed that in 1525 or 1526 Henry asked Wolsey why he had built so magnificent a house. Wolsey, outwardly calm but with a sinking heart, replied, 'To show how noble a palace a subject may offer to his sovereign.' The gift was at once accepted, though Wolsey remained practically master of Hampton Court for some time longer.

    Chapter 21

  2. What did Wolsey do at Hampton Court that the chapter calls ahead of his time?

    Wolsey enclosed the grounds in a massive red-brick wall with black-brick crosses, his emblem, and encircled the site with a deep moat whose traces remain on the northern side. He established an elaborate drainage system and secured a constant supply of pure water from springs at Coombe Hill, three miles away. The chapter says he proved far in advance of his time in sanitary science.

    Chapter 21

  3. What happened to Catherine Howard at Hampton Court in 1541?

    On All Souls' Day, 1541, while the king and queen were at mass in the chapel, Cranmer secretly handed Henry a paper said to contain convincing proof of Catherine's unfaithfulness. Henry at once decided to get rid of her; she was ordered to her apartments under strict guard, and he rode away next morning. The story goes she intercepted him but he refused to listen.

    Chapter 21

  4. Which monarchs commissioned Wren's additions, and what was lost in the process?

    William III. and his wife showed special predilection for Hampton, and Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to add an extensive group of buildings that, with Henry VIII.'s great hall, form the palace's most important features. Wren's alterations required pulling down two of Wolsey's courts that Henry had spared. The chapter concedes Wren triumphed at a difficult task, his state apartments harmonizing despite a different style.

    Chapter 21

CHAPTER XII (part 4)4 cards
  1. What is the format of this chapter's content?

    The chapter is an index or alphabetical listing of names, places, and topics, each followed by page numbers. Entries range from historical figures like Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth to locations such as Hampstead, Highgate, and Hampton Court, along with rivers like the Brent and Cray.

    Chapter 22

  2. Which monarchs appear most frequently in this index?

    Henry VIII appears with the longest string of page references, spanning entries such as 7, 43, 58, 64, 68, 80, 81, 86, 94, 102, 103, 117, 122, 130, 131, 140, 141, 143, 149, 154, 157, 160, 163, 164, 181, 198, 214, 233, 234, 249, 252, 281, 286, 293, and 297. Queen Elizabeth also has a long list, and Charles I and Charles II recur often.

    Chapter 22

  3. Which rivers are indexed in this chapter?

    The index lists the river Brent with references 9, 41, 42, 274, 278, and 279, and the river Cray with reference 98. Brentford, a town associated with the Brent, appears at 9, 177, 178, 225, and 275-276.

    Chapter 22

  4. Which places in the Hampstead entry are listed?

    The Hampstead entry lists numerous sub-locations, including Jack Straw's Castle, the Vale of Health, Well Walk, Flask Walk, Parliament Hill, the Bull and Bush Inn, Church Row, and the 'Spaniards.' It also names institutions such as Christ Church, St. Stephen's Church, the Public Library, and the Soldiers' Daughters' Home.

    Chapter 22

CHAPTER XII (part 5)4 cards
  1. What kind of content makes up this chapter of The Skirts of the Great City?

    This chapter is an index of names, places, and topics, each followed by page numbers. Entries range from historical figures like William the Conqueror and Queen Victoria to places such as Wimbledon, Twickenham, and the river Wandle, plus artists like J. M. W. Turner and architects like Sir John Vanbrugh. It functions as a reference key to the book rather than narrative prose.

    Chapter 23

  2. Which places does the index associate with Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, and Teddington?

    The index lists Strawberry Hill with pages 287-289, Twickenham with pages 225, 283, 285, 287, and 288, and Teddington with pages 287-290. These overlapping page ranges suggest the three locations are discussed together in the same section of the book, but the index itself supplies no descriptive detail about them.

    Chapter 23

  3. Which page numbers does the index give for Wimbledon and the river Wandle?

    Wimbledon is indexed with the page numbers 175, 176, 179, 183, 185-186, 197, 203, 205-208, 211, and 218. The river Wandle is listed with pages 155, 157, 172, 174, 208, 209, 213, and 215. Both entries show many scattered references, indicating repeated mentions across the book rather than a single dedicated passage.

    Chapter 23

  4. What does the index entry for Horace Walpole show, and how does it compare with Sir Robert Walpole?

    Horace Walpole's entry lists pages 122, 136, 200, 251, 283, 287, 288, and 292. Sir Robert Walpole's entry lists pages 179, 194, 219, and 260. The two share a surname but no page numbers, so the index treats them as separate individuals with distinct references. It gives no biographical information about either.

    Chapter 23

Source and licence

Text used: Project Gutenberg eBook #49322 (Public domain in the United States). Generated from the full text; cards paraphrase the source.

Version: Public domain edition. Retrieved 2026-10-27. Cards reviewed 2026-10-27.

These cards paraphrase the text for study. They are not a substitute for reading the book, and they do not reproduce long passages.

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