Kensington, Picturesque and Historical. By W. J. Loftie. (Field and
Tuer.)—We need hardly say that whatever work of this kind Mr. Loftie undertakes, he does well. In Kensington, the "Court suburb," he has found a particularly fertile subject, and he has made out of it a book full of interest to the general reader, and to the Kensingtonian indispensable. He begins in a businesslike way by a sketch of the geography of the parish. Then follows a chapter on what may be called its ancient history,—the word " ancient " being extended to take in the sixteenth century. This includes the pedigree of the Peres. In the seventeenth century, the Riches make their appearance in the person of Sir Henry Rich, who married the heiress of Sir Walter Cope, was created Earl of Holland (a district of Lincolnshire) in 1626, and was executed about two months after Charles I. The Riches are represented by Lord Kensington. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, Holland House became the possession of Henry Fox, who was created Baron Holland, of Foxley, in 1763. This title became extinct in 1859. It was under this dynasty that the place acquired its chief fame. Kensington abounds in houses of note as connected with literature and history, and, more recently, art; and Mr. Loftie tells their stories in a pleasant and attractive way. Then we have a Royal connection in Kensington Palace, which came into the possession of the Crown in 1689. Mary and William both died in the Palace, as did Anne and George II. And in it, just seventy years ago, Queen Victoria was born. Altogether, Kensington is an interesting place, and its present historian does it justice. Not the least interesting thing in his volume is his list of the subscribers to Faukner's History of Kensington, published in 1820. The names of Britton, Dibdin, George Canning, Soane (the founder of Soane's Museum), and
William Wilberforce are among them. The illustrations, between two and three hundred in number, are excellent.
Previous page
