The next parish we enter is that of Putney, formerly spelt Puttonheth, or Pottenheath.

Putney church was first intended as a chapel of ease to Wimbledon, and was built some time after the Conquest. Of the original structure nothing remains except the north and south walls. At the west end is a handsome stone tower; the principal ornament of this church is a small chapel at the cast end of the south aisle, built by Bishop West, the roof of which is adorned with rich Gothic tracery, interspersed with the bishop’s arms.

Among the charitable institutions of this parish, is a school for the education and maintenance of a certain number of watermen’s sons, founded by Mr. Thomas Martyn: by his will, dated October 22, 36 Charles II. he bequeathed all his landed estates, in case his niece, Lucy Cook, died unmarried, or without issue, for the purpose of building and endowing a school for the education and maintenance of 20 watermen’s sons. He directed that the house should be built upon a piece of ground belonging to himself in the parish of Putney, if the lord of the manor would enfranchise it at a reasonable rate; otherwise the school, with all the advantages of the endowment, was to be established at Wandsworth. A salary of 80l. was to be allowed to the master; diet, lodging, and a suit of clothes once a year (viz. on St. Martin’s day) to the scholars; besides wages and maintenance to such servants as should be necessary. It was also directed by his will, that the master should be unmarried, and well skilled in mathematics. The residue of the profits of his estates he bequeathed to be divided, on St. Martin’s day, in portions of eight pounds, between maimed watermen of Putney, Fulham, and Wandsworth, who have lost their limbs in the service of their country either by sea or land. If there should be a surplus, the watermen of other parishes to be relieved in like manner. The benefits of the school extend to Putney only, if there should be boys sufficient to fill up the number; otherwise they are to be taken from the neighbouring parishes.

By a decree of the court of Chancery, it was directed that the estate belonging to the charity should he vested in eleven trustees, who should be chosen from time to time out of the vestry, whenever there were three vacancies; and the sum of 600l. was ordered to be expended in building a school-house, and certain regulations made, corresponding with the diminished state of the charity, the income of which was then only 70l. per annum.

About fifty years ago the premises at Putney belonging to the charity, and part of Mr. Martyn’s estate, were advantageously exchanged with Gerrard Vanneck, Esq. for an estate called Brock-holm, in Hertfordshire, then valued at 1301. per annum, and which at present produces a great deal more.

An almshouse, for twelve poor persons, was erected here by Sir Abraham Dawes, in his lifetime. By his will, dated in 1639, he endowed it with 401. per annum, issuing out of his estates. Various other subsequent bequests have considerably increased the income of this charity.

In the year 1776 a house was erected upon Putney Heath, at a short distance from the road, by David Hartley, Esq. for the purpose of proving the efficacy of his invention of plates for the preservation of houses from fire.

Mr. Hartley’s object in constructing this house was to shew how a building might be contrived so as to resist the destruction of fire.

in 1784 the late king and queen took their breakfast here, whilst in the room beneath them fires were lighted on the floor and various inflammable materials ignited, to demonstrate that the rooms were fire-proof. —It appears that these floors were partly double, as between the two boards sheets of laminated iron, or copper, were laid. This metallic lining served to render the floor air tight, and thus prevented the ascent of heated air; so that, though the lower boards might be charred, the upper ones could not be injured. —These sheets of iron or copper were not thicker than tinfoil or stout paper, though they effectually stopped the progress of the fire. — However, though the House of Commons voted Mr. Hartley 2, 500l., to defray the expenses of this building, yet the invention sunk into obscurity, except what is known of it by the obelisk, as the house has, some years since, been converted into a tasteful mansion, by adding wings to it, and decorating it with verandas, &c. About a hundred yards from this fire-proof house was the telegraph which communicated from the Admiralty to Portsmouth and Plymouth.

Leaving the house of the late Right Hon. William Pitt, and crossing the common to the retired village of Roehampton, we have the boundaries of Richmond Park opposite, and a little more than half a mile from Pitt’s house stands the elegant mansion that was presented to Mr. Addington. — Roehampton contains about a dozen seats belonging to noblemen and opulent traders. Each of these is surrounded by several acres of garden ground, and bounded by high brick walls, presenting to a stranger a most cheerless aspect. The village of Roehampton may contain about forty small houses and cottages; but among the large mansions, the first in the lane is the classical seat of the Earl of Besborough. Adjoining, is the highly-finished residence of the Marehioness of Downshire, and further on, the superb mansions of Mr. Gosling, a hanker, and of Mr. Dyer. In the lane leading to Richmond Park (a delightful drive to the Star and Garter) is the charming residence of Mr. Temple, and further north the splendid mansion of the late Mr. Benjamin Goldsmid, since become the property of Lord Eilenborough.

The bottom of Roehampton lane joins the road that leads from Putney and Wandsworth to Richmond. Here we reach the high undulating land on which stands Wimbledon and its Common, with Richmond Park and its lovely hill. Wimbledon Common, it should be observed, was the residence of the late Horne Tooke, and Mr. Dundas, as it is at present that of Sir Francis Burdett.

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PUTNEY, anciently called “Puttenheth” and mentioned in Domesday, is a suburban parish on the banks of the Thames, united by a bridge with Fulham, in Middlesex, 4 ½ miles from Hyde Park corner, in the South Western Metropolitan postal district, North Eastern division of the county, Western division of Brixton hundred, new Parliamentary borough of Wandsworth formed by the “Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885,” Wandsworth union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Barnes, archdeaconry of Kingston, diocese of Rochester, jurisdiction of the Central Criminal court and Metropolitan police and in that of Wandsworth police court: here is a station on the Richmond and Windsor branch of the South Western railway; and in 1887—8 both the station and the permanent way were considerably enlarged and improved, at a cost of £15,000. Putney Bridge station, on the Metropolitan District railway, is just across the bridge in Fulham, and from this station there is a line across the river to Wimbledon, with a new station called East Putney, situated in the Upper Richmond road. Putney contributes six members to the Wandsworth District Board of Works, formed in 1855, and consisting of 54 members.

Putney old bridge (the most ancient of all the metropolitan bridges across the Thames), connecting Putney with Fulham, on the Middlesex side, was an extremely ugly and inconvenient wooden structure, designed by Sir Jacob Ackworth, and erected by commissioners in 1729 at a cost of £23,000. This bridge, purchased by the Corporation of London, was transferred by them to the Metropolitan Board of Works, who erected in its place during 1884—6 a noble and substantial stone bridge on the site formerly occupied by the aqueduct of the Chelsea Water Works Company: it spans the river by five segmental arches, the centre arch having a span of 144 feet, and is 700 feet in length between the abutments, with a roadway of 25 feet and two footways of 9 feet 6 inches each. The work has been carried out according to the design and under the personal superintendence of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, by Messrs. John Waddell and Sons, of Edinburgh and London, at a cost of £240,000; in July, 1884, the memorial stone was laid on the west side of the southern abutment by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the bridge was finally opened by their Royal Highnesses, May 29th, 1886. The approaches to the bridge on both sides of the river have been improved, and it is now toll free. An embankment and promenade, extending for about half a mile towards Barnes, has been constructed by the parish authorities at a cost of £5,684.

Putney is supplied with water by the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company, and with gas by the Wandsworth and Putney Gas Light and Coke Co. and the Brentford Gas Company.

The Chelsea water supply is transmitted from the works at Thames Ditton by pipes laid down to the reservoir on Putney Heath, and is thence conveyed through the main street of Putney, crossing the railway, where the pipes are laid under the footway of the new bridge.

The mains of the West Middlesex Water Company are also carried through the parish.

The church of the Virgin Mary is a building of stone, originally erected towards the close of the 15th century, and partly rebuilt in 1836 (the tower having been previously repaired in 1835) at a cost of £8,000; the church was again renovated and reseated and a new organ chamber erected in 1877, at a cost of about £2,000; the organ, built in 1878, cost about £800: the church now consists of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles and south porch and an embattled western tower, with octagonal turret, containing a clock and 8. bells: the tower and arcades of the nave are part of the ancient Perpendicular church: the interior is disfigured by galleries, which surround three sides: the chantry of Nicholas West, Bishop of Ely (1515—34), who was the son of a baker at Putney and died in the latter year, adjoins the church on the north; the fan tracery of this structure is admirable as an example of Late Perpendicular, and it contains also some stained glass: on the floor of the church are several brasses, and there are a considerable number of mural tablets, the largest being now in the porch under the tower: there are 1,000 sittings. The register dates from the year 1620. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £350, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Worcester, and held since 1861 by the Rev. the Hon. Robert Henley M.A. of Balliol College, Oxford.

St. John’s chapel of ease, situated in St. John’s road, Putney hill, and consecrated in 1859, is a building of stone, in the Gothic style, erected at a cost of £5,000, raised by subscription, of which £2,000 was given by John Temple Leader esq.; it consists of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, north and south porches and a western tower with broach spire, containing one bell: there are 650 sittings.

All Saints’ church, on Putney Lower Common, is a building of brick with stone dressings, in the Early English style, erected from the designs of the late George E. Street esq. R.A. at a cost of £8,500, and was consecrated April 25th, 1874: it consists of chancel with south aisle, south transept, nave of three bays, aisles, north porch, vestry and a western turret containing one bell: the east window and several others are stained: the reredos is formed by a folding triptych, exhibiting various scripture subjects, exquisitely painted: there are 730 sittings, all free. Both St. John’s and All Saints’ are attached to the parish church and served by its clergy.

St. Stephen’s is an ecclesiastical district, formed from the civil parish of Wandsworth, August 30, 1878, and immediately adjoins Putney on the east. The church, erected in 1881—2, at a cost of about £8,000, and situated in Manfred road, Upper Richmond road, is a building of red brick with Bath stone dressings, in the Early English style, and consists of apsidal chancel, nave, aisles with arcades of five arches on either side, baptistery, north and south porches, organ chamber and vestry: there is a memorial window to the son of the late Gen. Davidson R.E.: the organ was erected in 1886, at a cost of £1,200, defrayed by voluntary subscriptions: the church will seat 750 persons, about half the sittings being free. The register dates from the year 1878. The living is a vicarage, yearly value from endowment and pew rents £650, net income £370, with residence, in the gift of five trustees, and held since 1878 by the Rev. Christopher Carruthers M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin, and surrogate.

Emtnanuel (Free) church, in the Upper Richmond road, is a plain brick building, erected in 1881 at a cost of £2,300, and will seat 350 persons.

The Granard Presbyterian church, in Putney Park lane, has 295 sittings; and there is a Congregational chapel in the Oxford road seating 500 persons, and a Primitive Methodist chapel in Coopers’ Arms lane with 250 sittings.

The Union church (Congregational and Baptist), Upper Richmond road, is a stone building in the Decorated style, and was erected in 1861 at a cost of about £6,000, and enlarged and internally restored in 1878: it has 700 sittings.

The Baptist chapel, in the Werter road, erected at a cost of £5,200, and opened Sunday, January 4, 1885, is an edifice of brick, with freestone dressings, in mixed styles, from plans furnished by John Johnson esq. A.R.I.B.A, and includes a baptistery; attached are vestries, and in the semi-basement a school room: the chapel will seat nearly 800 persons, and the school and class rooms will hold 500 children.

The Wesleyan church, in the Upper Richmond road, is a structure of brick with Bath stone dressings, in the Early English style, and has a lofty embattled tower at the north-west angle, surmounted by four crocketed pinnacles: the total cost amounted to nearly £6,000; there are sittings for 1,002 persons.

A cemetery of about four acres, with two mortuary chapels, was laid out in 1856, and a new cemetery is now (1890) being formed on Putney heath; these are under the control of a burial board of six members.

There are almshouses here, founded about 1629, by Sir Abraham Dawes knt. for six poor men and six poor women, but poor women only are now admitted, and each of these receives 17s. monthly: this benefaction, by the bounty of many charitable individuals, has been considerably augmented since its first foundation, and has an income of about £166 yearly. The other charities comprise Smith’s, of £28 a year; Wymondsole’s, of £12 10s.; Bigg’s, of £12; one of £40 yearly for church expenses; Waterman’s annuities of £31; a sum of £267 14s. vested in trustees for labourers’ cottages; and sundry general charities amount to about £3 10s. yearly.

Nicholas Vest, bishop of Ely (1515—34), was a native of this place; Thomas Cromwell, the son of a blacksmith of Putney, was born here about 1498; he eventually became Earl of Essex, but was beheaded on Tower Hill, 28th July, 1540; Edward Gibbon, the historian, was also born at Putney, 27th April, 1737. Robert Wood, the antiquary (d. 9th September, 1771); John Toland, the deistical writer (d. 11th March, 1772), and William Boram, a dwarf, are buried here. William Pitt, prime minister in 1783 & 1804, died at the Bowling Green House, 23rd January, 1806. When Charles I. was at Hampton Court, in 1647, Putney was the head quarters of the parliamentary generals.

Putney Heath, one mile south from the station, has beer the scene of several remarkable duels: here, in 1798, Mr Pitt fought Mr. Tierney; and on the same spot in 1809 Lord Castlereagh wounded George Canning. On the heath is an obelisk, erected to commemorate some experiments of Mr. Hartley, in 1770, for the extinction of fires.

Putney is much resorted to for boating on the river and is the head quarters of the London Rowing Club, the Thame Rowing Club and the Leander Rowing Club, all of which have large boathouses with dressing and other rooms, and some boat building is carried on here; it also has been associated with the Oxford and Cambridge annual boat-race almost from its first institution; the first race having been rowed at Henley in 1829, and the next from Westminster to Putney in 1836; this course was adhered to till 1851, when the course from Putney to Mortlake was adopted and has never since been departed from, save on three occasions, the years 1846, 1856 and 1863, when the race was started from Mortlake and the winning post placed at Putney. Up to 1890 46 races had been rowed, of which 24 were won by Oxford and 22 by Cambridge. The great International four-oared race between Oxford and Harvard Universities was also rowed from Putney to Mortlake, 27 Aug. 1860, and won by Oxford by 1 ½ lengths in 22 min. 40 sec.

The Croft is the residence of the Hon. Sir Charles Edward Pollock J.P. and judge of the high court of justice, and Putney Park of Stamford Hutton esq.

Earl Spencer K.G., P.C. is lord of the manor.

The principal landowners are Temple Leader esq. R. J, Petti ward esq. and Stamford Hutton esq.

The area is 2,215 acres of land and 58 of water; rateable value, £154,503; the population in 1871 was 9,439; and in 1881,13,221, including the hamlet of Roehampton.

Places of Worship, with times of services: —

St. Mary’s (parish church), High street, Rev. the Hon. Robert Henley M.A. vicar; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; daily at 10 a.m.; holy communion, 9 a.m. on great festivals & on the 2nd & 4th Sundays in the month, & after morning prayer on great festivals & on Sundays; Rev. A. K. Henley M.A. Rev. L. Macdona B.A; Rev. W. F. Shillito M.A. curates.

All Saints (chapel of ease), Lower common; 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.; holy communion at 8 a.m. on the great festivals & Sundays: there is a second celebration after morning prayers on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month.

St. John’s (chapel of ease), St. John’s road; 11 a.m. 2.45 p.m. with catechizing, when holy baptism is administered; litany at 4 p.m. & evening prayers at 5.30 p.m.; holy communion, 9 a.m. on great festivals & on 1st Sunday in the month; after morning prayer on great festivals & on Sundays; 8 a.m. third Sunday in the month.

St. Stephen’s, Manfred road, Upper Richmond road. Rev. Christopher Carruthers M.A. vicar & surrogate; Sunday, morning service at 11 a.m.; evening prayer at 7 p.m.; Wed. service & sermon at 8 p.m.; holy communion, 1st Sunday in the month, 8.15 a.m.; 2nd, 3rd & 5th, after morning service, 4th after evensong, 4th Sunday a service for children at 3 p.m. with churchings & baptisms at 4 p.m.; Bickersteth’s Hymnal Companion; Rev. David Dewar B.A.

Emmanuel (Free) Church, Upper Richmond road, Rev. Henry Orion Meyers, minister, “Bishop of the Free Church of England;” Sundays, 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; holy communion, first & last Sunday in the month. (The first in the morning & the latter in the evening).

Presbyterian Church (Granard), Putney Park lane, Rev‘. Donald Matheson M.A. minister; 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.; Thur. 8 p.m.

Baptist, Werter road; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 8 p.m.

Congregational, Oxford road. Rev. S. Todd, minister; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Primitive Methodist, Coopers’ Arms lane. Rev. J. Brenthall, minister; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Union, Upper Richmond road, Rev. R. A. Redford M.A., LL.B, minister; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Wesleyan, Upper Richmond road. Rev. Thomas Rippon, minister; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Union Church Mission Room Coopers’ Arms lane.

Mission Room (London City mission), the Platt.

Mission Room (St. Mary’s), Walkers place.

Schools: —

National, Charlwood road, erected in 1867, for 1,015 children, viz. 335 boys, 335 girls & 345 infants; average attendance, 285 boys, as many girls & 335 infants.

National (Upper Grade school), Putney common, for 150 boys; average attendance, 90.

Watermen’s, River street, founded in the year 1716, by Thomas Martyn, merchant of London, for the sons of poor watermen: 20 boys are educated & clothed free, & under a decree of the Court of Chancery, the trustees pay with each an apprenticeship fee of £30.