Albany, W1
Sir: -.,Surely," writes Mr Martin Seeker, "what was good enough for Wilde is good enough for us."
Well no: I can think of lots of things — not to mention lots of people — good enough for Wilde but not good enough for me...
His reference to "The Albany" (in Mrs Tanqueray. too, I think — I have not looked it up — as well as in The Importance) proves nothing, anyway: Lytton. Macaulay and "Monk" Lewis, (whose chambers I now own) also called it "The Albany." Byron did not.
My letter of May 3 was not concerned with a nineteenth century solecism: It Was intended to acquaint -Peregrine" with present-day practice, which is firmly based.
On April 22, 1803, a meeting was held "of the proprietors of Apartments at Albany . .. for the purpose of choosing Trustees." Articles of Agreement between Trustees and Proprietors were drawn up on February 28, 1804, to which were attached Rules and Regulations, the first of which was That the premises mentioned in the aforegoing articles shall be called Albany." To this day a copy is signed by every new tenant and proprietor. Myself a tenant of Albany from 1941 to 1950, when I became a proprietor, and a Trustee since 1967, I had it from Willie Stone, a Proprietor from 1878 to 1959, that at the turn of the century a deliberate effort was made by all residents to stamp out the use of "The Albany." "Makes it sound like a public house, don't you know," Willie said.
They were not only successful, in that in thirty-odd years, I have never heard any resident call it anything but "Albany" — they were right.
Cyril Ray
Albany, WI
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