Place and Orme Square, which was built by a Mr. Orme, formerly a print-seller in Bond Street, who also erected Bayswater Chapel, in St. Petersburgh Place.  Behind these were Moscow Road and Coburgh Place, erected in 1814.

Beyond Petersburg Place was Victoria Place, which led to a field upon which are now built Leinster and Princes Squares and Kensington Gardens Square.

A footpath across this field led to Westbourne Grove.  This footpath was the only way except Black Lion Lane by which Westbourne Grove could be reached.  So much was this field in the country that I have several times seen Sunday School children taken there for their annual excursions.

A little farther down the road was Camden Street, a perfect rookery.  Dirty men, women and children infested this place.  Beyond this was Stourmont House, at that time a ladies’ school but it had been occupied by the Earl of Craven and let by him to Queen Ann as a nursery for the Duke of Gloucester.  Dean Swift lodged here in 1712.

By the side of Stourmont House was Linden Grove—at that time a quiet grove in which resided several noted artists, including the celebrated Mr. Mulready, R.A.

Opposite Linden Grove was the Mall, another favourite residence of artists, and here lived at this time the celebrated Mr. Calcott, R.A., and Mr. Webster.

The Mall had in former time been made notorious by Thurtell, the murderer of Mr. Ware, in whose garden in the Mall the body of the murdered man was found.

At the corner of Linden Grove was situated the first shop in the village of Notting Hill, it was occupied by Mr. Fenn, tailor, who still has a business at Notting Hill and is the oldest tradesman there.

Notting Hill at this time was a little country place with few shops and those very small.  It was however beginning to put on an appearance of life, for four large shops were being erected opposite Silver Street on the garden ground fronting a mansion which had been a large academy.  This old house and others which have since had shops built in their forecourts may still be seen.  Mr. King’s Italian Warehouse was the first London shop opened, and a crowd of people nightly assembled to see the place lighted with gas.

Shortly afterwards other shops were built before the next mansion which had been the residence of Madame Vestris.

In the front of this mansion was the turnpike and the toll-taker’s house.  This was the first turnpike out of London.

At the corner of Portobello Road, now called Devonshire Terrace, was a mansion enclosed by a wall, then the residence of the Rev. Mr. Holloway, minister of Percy Chapel, Fitzroy Square.

Upon the death of Mr. Holloway this mansion was occupied by Rev. Mr. Gordon, a Presbyterian minister and the author of a pocket commentary on the Bible.  Mr. Gordon conducted public services for some years on Sundays in a building attached to his house.

This mansion was afterwards demolished and shops built upon the site, which are now occupied by Messrs. Swain, Fenn, Leverett & Fry, Shirley, and the Devonshire Arms, also the houses by the side, Pembridge Gardens and Devonshire Terrace.

I have traced the main road as it appeared in 1844, from Edgware Road to the house now known as Devonshire Arms.  At this point commenced a country lane, leading partly between hedges and afterwards through fields to Kensal Green.

It was a most delightful walk; from certain portions of the lane charming views could be obtained.  This can hardly be understood by the present inhabitants; it will be made more clear if I say that looking from the back of either mansion I have mentioned from Stormont House to Portobello Lane the whole country was open, and only a few farms here and there.  Hampstead, on the north, was visible, and from the hill by the side of Porto Bello farm, then occupied by Mr. Wise; on the east, London; and on the north-west, Harrow-on-the-Hill were clearly visible.  No wonder that this pleasant lane was the favourite walk not only of the inhabitants of Notting Hill but also of many from the great city.

From west to north, from north to east scarcely a house was to be seen.  Corn fields and meadow land on every side, the quiet only broken by the occasional passing of a train on the Great Western Railway at Kensal Green.  It seems almost impossible to realize the fact, but it is a fact that during this 38 years the thousands of houses which are now to be seen from Ealing to Hampstead, Hampstead to Edgware Road have been built.  Returning to the High Street, in the village of Notting Hill, the little shops from the Mall on the south side of the street were occupied by some of the principal tradesmen of that far off day.

There lived Mr. Burden, who kept a rag and bottle shop, and who was an orator and a great man on the Kensington Vestry, also a proprietor of Bayswater omnibuses, whose wife kept a greengrocer’s shop.  Poor woman, she was of such proportions that when she died I saw the coffin lowered from the bedroom window into the street by ropes.

There also lived Mr. Brewer, who transacted the largest business of the village in the grocery, cheesemongery, and corn-dealing line; also a real candle maker, whose shop was reached up four stone steps.  Then came the first village Inn, the “Swan” at the corner of Silver Street, which, like the “Hoop” a few doors past Silver Street, stood back from the street and had a horse trough in front.  Of course these inns have been rebuilt, as also has the more important inn further up on the North side, the “Coach and Horses.”

At the corner of Silver Street was a little butcher’s shop, and next door a brush shop, the proprietor of which was a most intelligent man, but a “Chartist,” and a great friend of Fergus O’Connor.  He was the principal mover in erecting a monument at Kensal Green over the remains of that gentleman, who seems, by the present condition of that monument, to have been forgotten by this generation, although he tried hard to get every working man a small portion of the land of his birth as a means of acquiring independency.  Many tried it, but they found they could earn more by labour than they could grow in an acre of the best soil.  Close by where the Notting Hill Gate Station now is stood in those days the Village Pump, concerning the removal of which sundry indignation meetings were held and fierce threats made of law proceedings.  It was said at these meetings that no such pure water could be obtained any where else, but as I once lived near Aldgate Pump and used to hear the same, and drank of that water with relish until the horrid chemists analized it and said it was full of organic matter, percolating from Aldgate Churchyard, where the bodies of hundreds had been buried at the time of the plague, I had ceased to have faith in city or village pumps, and rejoiced to see an arrangement made by which pure water could be supplied from the Water Companies’ pipes through a tap.  For years this tap existed in front of No. 71 or 73, High Street, but I find it has been removed.

I think, however, there should have been an inscription there—

“Here stood the Village Pump.”

There should likewise be another Tablet by Farm Street, stating—

“Here stood the Village Pound.”

In which pound I have seen many a disconsolate donkey, horse, or goat.  I never saw the Village Stocks, perhaps the villagers of Notting Hill were always a sober, law-abiding people, and had no need of such civilizing structures.

I remember, however, seeing a man in the stocks at Lewisham, placed there for being drunk.