by E.H.M.
Originally published in Leigh Hunt's Journal (Edward Moxon) vol.3 #9 (01 Feb 1851).
The suggestive expression of a great statesman, in appreciation of the utility of the public parks, furnishes us with an appropriate title to this paper. The "Lung" regions proper,—the St. James's and the Green Parks, Hyde Park and the Regent's Park—are old constitutional organs of town breathing. But, besides these matured parks, the official Evelyns of the "Woods and Forests" have latterly taken to the tending and nursing of an infantile progeny of Sylvania. The most advanced in years of this young family we have lately visited; and are able, from a careful examination, to present a pretty accurate diagnosis of the organisation of this particular "Babe in the Wood"—the gift of a liberal Government to the pent and pulmonary population of a distant eastern suburb.
The "Hundred of Ossulstone" is, we believe, not generally known to the Western and Southern "hundreds" of London. It is situated in the far East. At its northern extremity—surrounded by singularly unattractive scenery, consisting of parched up and mangy heath, carcasses of brickwork, and a nearly completed belt of railways,—is situated the new Victoria Park. It is approached from the City by the delectable Bricklane, Whitechapel, viâ densely peopled neighbourhoods. The park has attained the juvenile age of five years, and, at this moment, seems to be sickening from some malady resembling the measles.
This new Eastern "Lung" covers an area of land computed at two hundred and eighty-five acres, which, we are informed, had hitherto been marsh, brick-fields, and market-gardens. The main entrance is by the notorious Bethnal Green, or, rather, "Bonner's Field," as it is called. At the latter point now stand a park-lodge and gateway of solid Elizabethan masonry; new roads are in course of construction, to improve the present defective approaches. There are gates of iron at the other cardinal points of the park, and the latter is divided by a private road, centrally, from East to West. The form of the park is an irregular oval. It owes its origin, primarily, to popular and legislative sympathy for the distress and impoverishment of the Spitalfields weavers, and the equally wretched condition of the masses occupying surrounding districts. Victoria Park has been reared on the recommendation of the Poor Law Commissioners, that public walks should be established upon a portion of the land once conserved as the ancient Royal Chase of Epping. The crown lands adjoining Bonner's Field, the liberality of Queen Victoria conceded to the people. By parliamentary grant it was drained, and converted into the present "People's Garden." It may be incidentally mentioned, that the purchase-money from the sale of Stafford House (the late Duke of York's town mansion) to the Duke of Sutherland, was appropriated by the Crown to meet the expenses incurred by the construction and completion of the Victoria Park. Her Majesty has honoured the spot with one—and but one—flying visit. Probably Royalty would never have penetrated Bethnal Green in propriâ personâ, but for the convenient transit assistance of the Eastern Counties Railway. We believe the occasion of the Queen's visit to the park was on her Majesty's proceeding to Cambridge on the installation of Prince Albert.
Praiseworthy efforts have evidently been made and persisted in by the Ranger of Victoria Park, to lend a sylvan aspect to a naturally uncongenial spot. The wand of Prospero has been waved over the whilome swamp, with that incomplete effect produced by a partial working of the machinery in a theatrical spectacle. Necessarily, everything is new and shelterless; the saplings, the shrubs, and the flowers seem struggling to recover an unwonted disturbance by transplantation. A piece of ornamental water, with, thereon, a diminutive island, the latter surmounted by the identical pagoda from the Chinese Collection, does duty for a lake, upon which a few aquatic fowl are sailing usually. These are humble imitations of the Regent's Park enclosure, but, nevertheless, objects sufficiently pleasing in the situation we find them. Adjoining the unambitious lake is a piece of ground, railed in, and set apart for a gymnasium, being furnished with the requisite apparatus. This is certainly a novelty, and one as classical in the conception as it is an appropriate incentive to healthful exercise. We observed athletes of the weaver population availing themselves of such healthful means of sport right creditably and cheerfully. But the broad extent of greensward presented by the park, forms its most agreeable phase, Doubtless, with time, the present air of newness will mellow into richer scenery, ultimately to grow to nobler proportions.
The site is honoured by traditional memorials of so interesting a kind, that some reference to such credentials is necessary.
That Popish ecclesiastical instrument of "Bloody Queen Mary" for bringing so many Protestants to the stake—Bishop Bonner—enjoyed his otium cum dignitate in a fine palace which he built on the spot upon which the principal gate of the park stands. The house was only recently rased to the ground to make way for the new lodge and gateway. Two rows of ancient limes forming the singular shape of a right angled triangle, still remain to mark the situation of the Bishop's Palace. Another relic of the past in the vicinity, is "Kerby Castle," popularly viewed as the mansion of the legendary "Blind Beggar," née Henry de Montford. The story of the Blind Beggar is related by Dr. Percy in a very few words. Henry de Montford having fallen in the battle of Evesham, from a blow which deprived him of sight, he lay among the dead. But a baron's daughter searching for her slain father's corpse on the evening of the next day, led him, blind, from the fatal field, nursed him in secret, became his bride, and made him
"Glad father of prétty Bessie."
She sold her jewels, and then in beggar's attire, they came to Bethnal Green, where they remained concealed, until at the marriage of a "gallant young knight" with "pretty Bessie," the "seely blind beggar" surprised the wedding guests with the secret of his nobility. Such are the romantic incidents which have tuned the harp of the minstrel, and wooed the grey goose quill of the dramatist. To this day the legend of the Beggar's Daughter, not only decorates the sign posts of the publicans in Bethnal Green, but the staff of the parish beadle.
Of old in the vicinity of Victoria Park stood spacious mansions, tenanted by the nobility of Bluff King Hal. The old Roman road from London led over the site, and being joined by the military way from the west, passed by Old Ford to Lea Ferry; across this same river was built, it is believed, the first stone bridge erected in England, still celebrated by children unconsciously with the nursery rhyme beginning
"London bridge is broken down,
Dance over Lady Lea."
As contiguous to the park, we must briefly notice Spitalfields. The spital was a pulpit-cross, In the reign of Henry VIII., "the lord mayor, aldermen and sheriffs occupied houses nigh by, built for the express purpose of accommodating spital visitors. They would sit at the window and under the porches, and listen to the sermons preached at Easter in this pulpit. It was the resort of learning, fashion, and beauty."—(Dr. Percy). These sermons are now preached before the civic functionaries at Christ Church, Newgate.
Queen Elizabeth's "Earl of Essex" had a mansion in Spitalfields. A subsequent historical celebrity, Lord Bolingbroke, resided in this parish. To pursue this personal memoranda, Dr. Ainsworth, the compiler of the Latin Dictionary, kept an academy for some years on Bethnal Green. Caslon, the letter-founder, also lived there in retirement till his decease in 1766; and Dr. Halley, the astronomer, was born and resided in the contiguous parish of Haggerstone.
The execrable approaches to Victoria Park form an objection it is difficult to get over. Notwithstanding the new road constructing, the objection remains in full force. Such approaches will not possibly assort with ideas of park-like scenery. The locality southward is that of an immense population, for the most part miserably poor, vegetating in the hovels of murky alleys and the old and frowzy tumbledown tenements of abominably dirty streets.
It is the head-quarters of badger-baiting, dog-fighting, cock-fighting, rat-catching, and similar barbarous and unlicensed sports. Bird-fancying and pigeon-flying have here their experienced professors; costermongers abound beyond expression, and to cap the list of désagremens, even Lucifer himself has taken up his residence in Bethnal Green, having settled there as a large manufacturer of phosphorous matches!
We have a word or two to say, finally, on a subject too notorious to be passed over without notice. We allude to the desecrations of the new park caused by the indiseriminate admission of the public, and the defective system of surveillance. The active duties of the rangership are limited to two or three gatekeepers, who are stationary. The want of patrols is daily manifested; no police arrangements whatever have been entered into in behalf of the park, for the maintenance of order, regularity, and the comfort and convenience of the frequenters. Consequent upon these oversights, which an allowed expenditure of 2,000l. annually on the park does not appear to warrant, dissolute characters congregate, to the annoyance of respectable visitors. The dread of association with the former has, we are credibly informed, led many families from participation in the salubrious and recreative pleasures afforded by the park.
Mutual convenience has, however, brought about a method by which different classes of frequenters meet and promenade the walks of the Victoria Park during separate periods. Thus, on the Sunday morning, the walks and grounds are trodden by some thousands of artizans and mechanics; in the afternoon, the latter are eclipsed by probably treble the number of people, mostly of a more dressy appearance, and in a better station of society. Again, on the Wednesday, the children's holiday, the park is sought by numberless parties of infantile frequenters, who are accompanied by a diminutive order of duennas, or nursery-maids. We think, however, that there ought not to be any necessity for conventional arrangements like these in any public walk or mall. Social intercourse, based on principles of order and morality, tends to increase human happiness. We, therefore, the more regret that seeds of dissension should be sown between one class and another on a spot so promising as that of Victoria Park.