Hampton Wick is situated at the end of Kingston Bridge, a mile and a half to the north-east of the palace. A patriot of this place has his memory recorded in a print, which the neighbours who are fond of a walk in Bushy Park must regard with veneration. It has under it this inscription:

"Timothy Barnet, of Hampton-Wick in Middlesex, shoemaker, aged 75, 1752. This true Briton (unwilling to leave the world worse than he found it) by a vigorous application to the laws of his country in the cause of liberty, obtained a free passage through Bushy Park, which had many years been withheld from the people."

Bushy Park is situated between Teddington and Hampton Court. It is a royal demesne, with a ranger, appointed by the crown, at present enjoyed by the Duke of Clarence.

Hampton Court is pleasantly situated on the left bank of the river Thames, about two miles from Kingston. This palace was magnificently built with brick, by Cardinal Wolsey, who here set up two hundred and eighty beds for strangers only, and richly stored it with gold and silver plate; but it raised so much envy against him, that to screen himself from its effects, he gave it to King Henry VIII. who in return suffered him to live in his palace of Richmond. King Henry greatly enlarged it, and it had then five spacious courts, adorned with buildings, which in that age were so greatly admired by all foreigners as well as natives, that the learned Grotius says of this place:

"Si quis opes nescit (sed quis tamen ille?) Britannus

Hampton curia tuos consultat ille lares:

Contulerit toto cum sparsa palatia mundo,

Dicet, ibi Reges hic habitare deos."

i. e. "If any Briton can be ignorant what wealth is, let him repair to Hampton Court, and there view all the palaces of the earth: on comparing them he will say, "These are the residence of kings, that the abode of the gods."

The Park and Gardens, with the ground on which the palace now stands, are about three miles in circumference. The whole palace consists of three quadrangles. The first and second are gothic; but in the latter is a most beautiful colonnade of the ionic order; the columns in couples of the same order, built by Sir Christopher Wren.

Charles I. was a state prisoner in this palace; Cromwell afterwards resided here, and it was occasionally inhabited by Charles and Janies II. It was the favourite residence of William III. and frequently occupied by Anne and George I. and II. but his present Majesty has never resided here.

By order of Queen Caroline, the great hall was erected into a theatre, with the intention of having two plays acted every week, during the residence of the court; but only seven plays were performed.

In this were some rich and elegant wrought tapestry and pictures, by the first masters: among others were the celebrated cartoons by Raphael, removed about thirty years ago to the Queen’s Palace at Buckingham House, and since to Windsor Castle.

The park and gardens are very beautiful. In the Wilderness is a maze, which furnishes much amusement to those who do not understand the secret by which it is entered. In the grape-house is the famous vines, which in one year produced 2, 200 bunches of grapes, averaging one pound weight each.

HAMPTON is a parish on the banks of the Thames, 2 miles west from Kingston, 14 ½ by railway from Waterloo station on the Thames Valley railway and 15 from Waterloo station to Hampton Court station, and 13 by road from Hyde Park corner, in the Uxbridge division of the county, Spelthorne hundred and petty sessional division, Kingston union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Hampton, archdeaconry of Middlesex and diocese of London, and is within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan police, the parish consisting of Hampton and Hampton Court. The parish is lighted with gas from works at Hampton Wick, the property of the Hampton Court Gas Co. and supplied with water by the Grand Junction Water Company. The West Middlesex, Southwark and Vauxhall Water Companies have also works here, above the village, their supplies being drawn from the Thames.

Hampton was formerly governed (from 1890) by a Local Board, but under the provisions of the “Local Government Act, 1894’’ (56 and 57 Vict. c. 73), it is now controlled by an Urban District Council of 15 members, the district including Hampton Court and Hampton Hill. The parish church of St. Mary, erected in 1831 to replace an earlier structure of various dates, is a building of white brick in the Perpendicular style, and consists of nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and a western tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock and 8 bells: in the church are some handsome monuments and various tablets formerly in the old church: near the entrance is a canopied tomb, with effigy and shield of arms to Mrs. Sibel Penn, nurse to Edward VI.; she died in 1552: there are other memorials to David Garrick, nephew of the great actor, d. 1795; Richard Tickell, a political writer, d. 1793: in the chancel are two memorial windows to Mr. Edward Grove of Garrick’s Villa: in the churchyard are buried Lord Charles Fitzroy, d. 17 June, 1865; Lady Emily Charlotte Mary Ponsonby, d. 3 Feb. 1877; Lady Roberts, d. 8 Nov. 1880; George (Fitzclarence), first Earl of Munster, d. 20 Mar. 1842, and Mary (Wyndham), his Countess, d. 3 Dec. 1842; Matilda Susannah, wife of Viscount Guillamore, d. 18 Feb. 1859; Huntingdon Shaw, artist, d. 1710; the Rev. James Burrow (late vicar), d. 1882; and Thomas Ripley, architect, d. 1770; many members of the Paget family are also buried here: the organ was presented by William IV.: the church has been entirely restored, and a new chancel built at a cost of nearly £5,000, was consecrated by the Bishop of London, May 12th, 1888: in 1898 the church was further restored, at a cost of £700: there are 900 sittings, of which about 600 are appropriated. The register of baptisms and burials dates from 1555; marriages, 1657; all these are in a good state of preservation. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £600, with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, and held since 1882 by the Rev. Robert Digby Ram M.A. of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge, prebendary of St. Paul’s, rural dean of Hampton, and surrogate. The Wesleyan chapel here was built in 1880, and will seat about 400. The cemetery at Hampton, consisting of about 3 acres, was formed in 1882, at a cost of about £3,000; it has one mortuary chapel, and is under the control of a burial board of 5 members. The Female Orphan Home, Tangley park, was established in 1855 for the reception and education of destitute orphan girls; the building is adapted for 70 girls, the average number being about 65, and in commemoration of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee a new laundry and laboratory were added in Oct. 1897. The Hurst Park Club hold several race meetings during the year on the course at Molesey Hurst on the Surrey shore, which is leased by the Club. At Hampton and somewhat higher up on the Surrey side, are ponds and streamlets maintained by the Thames Angling Preservation Society, for the hatching and rearing of fish ova, and from these nurseries about 50,000 fish are annually turned into the river. Among former residents here may be mentioned Sir Christopher Wren kt. the famous architect, who died at Hampton Court Green, 25 Feb. 1723; John, Earl of Sandwich and first lord of the admiralty, d. 1792; Sir Andrew Halliday kt. the eminent physician, and Sir Richard Steele kt. M.P. the dramatist, who lived here in 1707; Charles Holland, the actor and the son of a baker in Hampton, was born here, 12 Mar. 1733; the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava P.C., K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.M.G. Governor-General of India 1884—8, and F. M. Lord Roberts; G.C.S.I., G.C.B., V.C., G.C.I.E. late Commander-in-Chief in India, were both educated at a private school" here. Garrick’s villa, situated on the banks of the Thames, is a mansion of stone, in the Italian style: the river front is relieved by a lofty pedimented portico supported on four columns and was designed by Robert Adam, the architect: in the garden and close to the river is an octagonal temple, with a domed roof and a projecting porch and containing an interesting collection of stuffed fish; the house itself is still much in the same condition as when Garrick occupied it, including the paintings and sculptures on the walls; the villa was held by Mrs. Garrick till her death in 1822, at the age of nearly 100; it subsequently became the property, about 1864, of Mr. Edward Grove and is now occupied by Mrs. Grove. The area is 1,974 acres of land and 62 of water; rateable value, £63,709; the population in 1891 was 5,822; the population attached to the parish church in 1891 was 3,449.

The area of the Urban District is 2,036 acres; rateable value, £69,050; the population in 1891 was 5,822; assessable value (exclusive of Crown properties), £60,078.

HAMPTON COURT is famous for its palace, the older portion of which was built by Cardinal Wolsey; the manor was in private hands till 1211, when it was bequeathed to the Hospitallers, who in 1515 gave a long lease of it to the Cardinal. Henry VIII. to whom Wolsey presented the palace in 1526, formed the park and chase, which he extended through fifteen parishes and resided much here, as did Edward VI. who was born at Hampton Court in 1537, when Queen Jane, his mother, died: here in 1540 Catherine Howard was openly acknowledged as queen, and here also Katharine Parr was married in 1543; Philip and Mary lived at Hampton Court after their marriage in 1554, and on March 15, 1554, Elizabeth, then princess, was brought hither from Ashridge as a sort of state prisoner; subsequently when queen she held here, in 1587, the council which condemned Mary Stuart: the celebrated conference in 1603—4, between the Bishops and the Presbyterians, was held at the palace, and in 1606, James I. and his queen entertained in it a large company of French nobility: Queen Anne of Denmark died at Hampton Court, 1st March, 1618—19: Charles I. and his queen spent their honeymoon here in 1625, and in 1641 the king retired to Hampton during the troubles in London; in 1647 he was brought hither from Holmby House and kept under restraint from August 24 to November 11, when he escaped to the Isle of Wight: Charles II. occasionally visited Hampton Court, but the place is, after Wolsey, chiefly associated with the name of William III. who pulled down two courts and erected instead the state apartments now shown to the public; it was while riding in Hampton park that his horse fell with him and caused the injury from which he died in 1702: his successors, down to George II. lived much at Hampton Court, but since then the private rooms have been divided into suites of apartments, assigned by the Queen to various ladies, generally widows of officers. The principal or west front, though irregular in outline, has a stately and palatial appearance; it faces a wide and picturesque green and is built of brick in the Late Perpendicular style; the principal gateway, approached by a broad thoroughfare, guarded by long rows of posts, is flanked by octagonal embattled towers: in the centre is a fine archway, with a bold oriel above and posterns on either side; to the left is a similar entrance, also embattled and with flanking towers, but of greater breadth and plainer character, and enclosing the green; from this point westward are barracks, offices &c.; on the right the green is mostly open to the river. There were originally five courts, but three of these were pulled down in order to make room for the later structure, erected by William III.; the first court, 167 feet square, is surrounded by embattled buildings of two and three storeys, the east side having an entrance tower, flanked by tall octagonal turrets, with others of less height, at unequal distances on either side; the second or clock court, is 133 feet from north to south and 91 from east to west and received its name from the celebrated astronomical clock in the gateway tower, the dial of which adorns the tower on its eastern side; this curious timepiece appears to have been constructed in 1540; in 1575, the dial was repainted by George Gaver and in 1649 an additional dial was placed on the western face of the tower; about 1711, the clock was repaired by Mr. Lang Bradley, of Fenchurch street, but in 1835 the old works were removed and in 1880, the machinery was renewed and re-adjusted by Messrs. Gillett and Bland, of Croydon; the clock indicates not only the time of day or night, but also the day of the month, the motion of the sun and moon, with the age, phases and quarters of the latter and other particulars; the bells are placed in a small cupola above the tower, that on which the hours are struck weighing about 18 cwt.: the south side of this court is partly concealed by a colonnade, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and supported on columns of the Ionic order; on the north side is the great hall is magnificent apartment begun by Wolsey and completed by Henry VIII. about 1536; the interior, 106 feet long, 40 wide and 60 in height, is lighted by fifteen large windows placed at a considerable altitude and filled with heraldic glass, intended to show the descent of Henry VIII. and each of his six wives, from Edward III.; on one side of the dais is a tall bay window, similarly adorned; the space below the side windows is hung with costly arras tapestry illustrating the history of Abraham, supposed to have been designed by Bernard Van Orlay, a pupil of Raffaelle and valued at £8,260: the fine hammer beam roof is ornamented with pendants and carvings and between the windows are carved deers’ heads, each with a noble pair of antlers; in 1770 the hall was restored; in 1731 and again in 1880 it was the scene of dramatic entertainments, and in 1829—30, while the church was being rebuilt, it was used for divine service. The withdrawing room, entered from the great hall, is 62 feet long by 29 wide; its walls are also hung with tapestry and the ceiling was restored and beautifully enriched in 1886; here are also seven cartoons, painted about 1660 by Carlo Cignani.

The eastern quadrangle or fountain court, built in 1690 from Wren’s designs, is 117 by no feet; the buildings surrounding it are of three storeys in the Italian style, with an open colonnade of the Ionic order and a balustraded parapet: the area forms a spacious lawn, with a fountain in the centre: on the north side is the chapel, erected by Henry VIII. but much altered in succeeding reigns; in 1645, its stained glass and pictures were destroyed by order of the Parliament, but the original groined roof, with rich pendants, remains; the pedimented canopy at the east end and other fittings were introduced by Queen Anne, and the carved work is by Gibbons. Divine service is conducted here every Sunday morning and afternoon by the resident chaplain, and the services are open to the public.

The state apartments are approached from the Fountain Court by the King’s grand staircase, which is decorated with mythological paintings by Verrio: the guard chamber is adorned with a collection of arms fancifully arranged upon the walls: the audience chamber contains pictures by Ricci, Giulio Romano, Rubens and Sebastian del Piombo: in the King’s drawing-room are others by Poussin and Sir W. Beechey: the state bedroom is hung with portraits of the beauties of the court of Charles II. and has a ceiling painted by Verrio: in another apartment are portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller bart. of the ladies of the court of William III: the Queen’s gallery, 80 feet long and 25 wide, was formerly hung with historical pictures, illustrating the reigns of Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth, but is now hung with seven pieces of tapestry, illustrating the life of Alexander the Great, from designs by Charles le Brun: the King’s portrait gallery, 117 feet long by 24 wide and 30 high, is filled from end to end with numerous historical portraits of many celebrated persons by famous artists, including a portrait, by Zucchero, of Queen Elizabeth and others of Rosamond Clifford, Jane Shore, Sir Geoffrey Hudson, the dwarf, the Earl of Surrey, Lord Falkland, Locke and Newton, Sheridan and Boyle, Charles XII. of Sweden and Queen Caroline: the “Mantegna” gallery, formerly called the “Communication” gallery, and the “Portrait” gallery and also the “Gallery of Admirals,” contains the famous nine pictures by Mantegna, illustrating the triumph of Julius Caesar; besides a number of smaller works by various artists.

The apartments open to the general public now include a chamber of much interest known as “Wolsey’s Private Chapel or Oratory,” which is approached from the Mantegna gallery, and was once utilized as a butler’s pantry: the walls to a height of 7 feet are panelled in oak, corresponding in design and execution to the Tudor wainscoting in other portions of the interior of the palace: on the walls above the dado is a series of paintings in oil of sacred subjects, which have been restored under the superintendence of Sir J. C. Robinson F.S.A. Her Majesty’s surveyor of pictures. The ceiling is ornamented with an exquisitely designed geometrical pattern.

The Palace gardens, extending to the river, are about 44 acres in extent, and were laid out by London and Wise, gardeners to William III. and Mary, in the Dutch style then prevailing, with long straight walks and shady avenues: at the south end of the east front of the palace, which is well seen from the gardens, is the entrance to the private gardens and also the house containing the great vine, believed to have been planted by the well-known Lancelot (“Capability”) Brown in 1768; the stem is 38 inches in circumference, and the principal branches are 110 feet in length; the average yearly produce is said to be about 1,200 pounds: on the north side of the palace is a portion of the grounds called “The Wilderness,” planted and laid out by William III. and containing a maze: immediately adjoining the gardens is the Home Park, about 5 miles in circumference and extending to Hampton Wick, the Thames forming its southern boundary: it is watered by a canal about half a mile long, bordered with avenues of lime trees; in the centre of the park is the stud house, built by the Stuarts and enlarged by George IV.: here are kept the cream coloured horses used by the Sovereign on State occasions, as well as other valuable horses which have been presented to her Majesty, and some yearlings are annually sold.

The pavilion, approached by the Long Walk or terrace, which is about half a mile in length and runs parallel to the river, was formerly one of four situated at either corner of the bowling green and built about 1700: it was at one time occupied by the late Dukes of Gloucester and Kent as rangers of the park.

Adjacent to the palace is a large covered tennis court, built by Henry VIII. and restored by Charles II.

The palace is supplied with water drawn from the Longford river, but the original supply was obtained from springs at Coombe Wood, whence it was conducted by leaden pipes laid down by Wolsey, which crossed the bed of the Thames and were altogether about 8 miles in length.

On December 14th, 1882, an alarming fire, which broke out in the private apartments immediately above the picture gallery, did very considerable damage to about 20 rooms, but fortunately none of the pictures were injured.

The Rev. Arthur George Ingram Theol. Assoc. K.C.L. has been chaplain in ordinary to the Queen at the palace since 1893, and officiates at the Chapel Royal; this appointment is at present of the approximate yearly value, from different sources, of £200, with apartments in the palace.

Hampton Court is a great place of resort during the summer. There are several good hotels: the “Greyhound,” next Bushey Park, and the “Mitre,” near the bridge, being the principal. The river Thames is here crossed by an iron bridge with five arches, built in 1865: on the other side of the river, in the parish of Molesey and county of Surrey, is the Hampton Court station of the South Western railway.

Bushey Park, about 1,000 acres in extent, and in this parish, is celebrated for its beautiful avenues of chestnut and other trees a mile in length and 560 feet wide, bounding the high road, which passes through it from Hampton Court to Teddington, and at the end near Hampton Court is a circular basin with a statuary fountain known as “Diana,” from the figure of that goddess which surmounts the block of marble in the centre; the park is open to the public, and is much frequented for pic-nics and school treats.

Places of Worship, with times of services

St. Mary’s Church, Hampton, Rev. R. Digby Ram M.A. preb. of St. Paul’s, vicar; Rev. Thomas Milner M.A. York house, Belgrade road, curate; 8 & 11 a.m. & 3.30 & 7 p.m.; daily, 8 & 4.30; Wed. & Fri. 10.30 a.m.; holy days, 8 & 10.30 a.m.

St. James’ Church, Hampton hill, Rev. Charles R. Job M.A. vicar; Rev. Edw. Stanley Phillips, curate; 8 & 11 a.m. & 3.15 & 7 p.m.; holy days, 10 o’clock; Wed. 8 & Fri. 10; Mon. Tues. & Thur. 5.30 p.m.; Wed. Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m.

St. John’s Church, Hampton Wick, Rev. Wm. Wheele Archer, vicar; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; on all feasts & festivals; children’s service, second Sun. in each month at 3 p.m.

Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, Rev. Arthur George Ingram B.A. chaplain; 11 a.m. & 3.30 p.m. early celebration 8.30 a.m. every Sun. & 12 noon 2nd & 4th Sun.; early celebration every saints’ day, 8.30; services daily during Advent & Lent.

Congregational, Hampton hill, Rev. 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Primitive Methodist, Wolsey road, Hampton Hill, Rev T. Saunders, 33 Gibbon road, Kingston-on-Thames; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7. 30 p.m.

Wesleyan, Church street, Hampton (Teddington Circuit), Rev. William H. Groves M.A.; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Schools

Grammar School, founded by Robert Hamonde, of Hampton, in 1556, was reconstituted in 1878 & is maintained by lands & houses in London & Hampton & by school fees: the present buildings, erected in 1879, are in the Domestic Tudor style & there were in 1898 50 boys; the school is controlled by a body of 15 governors; the Rev. Robert Digby Ram M.A. prebendary of St. Paul’s, chairman; clerk, John Cann, 30 Gracechurch street, London EC.

Elementary Endowed, Church street, founded in 1556 (boys), for 200 boys; average attendance, 176.

English Endowed School, Hampton Wick (boys), erected in 1844, for 130 boys; average attendance, 96; the school, under the scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 1882, is controlled by a body of 6 governors.

Elementary School, Station road, Hampton (girls & infants), built in 1874, for 250 children; average attendance, girls 120, infants 140.

A School Board was formed for Hampton Wick 26 July, 1884; Rev. W. W. Archer, chairman; Ernest John Wilkinson, 14 Church street, Kingston-on-Thames, clerk to the board.

Board School (girls & infants), built in 1837 as a voluntary school, & in 1884 transferred to the School Board & then enlarged, at a cost of £1,600, for 200 children; average attendance, 90 girls & 65 infants.

National, Hampton hill, erected in 1863, for 240 boys, 150. girls & 140 infants; average attendance, 182 boys, 160 girls & 126 infants.

Church School, The Palace, Hampton Court (mixed & infants), erected about 1878, for 40 children; average attendance, 30.