The Brighton Road Part 7

By this time the thoroughly artificial character of most of these later cycling records had become glaringly apparent. It was not only seen in the fact that their heavy cost was largely borne by cycle and tyre-makers, who found advertis.e.m.e.nt in them, but it was obvious also in the arbitrary selection of the starting-points, by which a record run to Brighton and back might be begun at Purley, run to Brighton, then back to Purley, and thence to London and back again, with any variation that might suit the day and the rider. It was evident, too, that the growing elaboration of pace-making, first by relays of riders and latterly by motors, had reduced the thing to an absurdity in which there was no credit and--worse still--no advertis.e.m.e.nt. Then, therefore, a new order of things was set agoing, and the era of unpaced records was begun.

On September 27th, 1898, E. J. Steel established a London to Brighton and back unpaced cycling record of 6 hrs. 23 mins. 55 secs.; and on the same day the new unpaced tricycle record of 8 hrs. 11 mins. 10 secs. for the double journey was set up by P. F. A. Gomme.

The South London Harriers' open "go-as-you-please" walking or running match of May 6th, 1899, attracted the attention of the athletic world in a very marked degree. Cyclists, in especial, were in evidence, to make the pace, to judge, to sponge down the compet.i.tors or to refresh them by the wayside. The start was made from Big Ben soon after seven o'clock in the morning, when fourteen aspirants, all clad in the regulation running costumes and sweaters, went forth to win the modern equivalent of the victor's laurelled crown in the ancient Olympian games. F. D. Randall, who won, got away from his most dangerous opponent on the approach to Redhill, and, increasing that advantage to a hundred yards' lead when in the midst of the town, was not afterwards seriously challenged. He finished in the splendid time of 6 hrs. 58 mins. 18 secs. Saward, the second, completed it in 7 hrs. 17 mins. 50 secs., and the veteran E. Ion Pool in another 4 mins.

As if to show the superiority of the cycle over mere pedestrian efforts, H. Green on June 30th cycled from London to Brighton and back, unpaced, in 5 hrs. 50 mins. 23 secs., and on August 12th, 1902, reduced his own record by 20 mins. 1 sec. Meanwhile, Harry Vowles, a blind musician of Brighton, who had for some years made an annual walk from Brighton to London, on October 15th, 1900, accomplished his ambition to walk the distance in one day. He left Brighton at 5 a.m. and reached the Alhambra, in Leicester Square, at ten o'clock that night.

On October 31st, 1902, the Surrey Walking Club's 104 miles contest to Brighton and back resulted in J. Butler winning: time, 21 hrs. 36 mins. 27 secs., Butler performing the single journey on March 14th the following year in 8 hrs. 43 mins. 16 secs. For fair heel-and-toe walking, that was considered at the time the ultimate achievement; but it was beaten on April 9th, 1904, in the inter-club walk of the Blackheath and Ranelagh Harriers, when T. E. Hammond established the existing record of 8 hrs. 26 mins. 57-2/5 secs.--the astonishing speed of six miles an hour.

[Sidenote: STOCK-EXCHANGE WALKS]

This event was preceded by the famous Stock Exchange Walk of May Day, 1903. Every one knows the Stock Exchange to be almost as great on sport as it is in finance, but no one was prepared for the magnitude finally a.s.sumed by the match idly suggested on March 16th, during a dull hour on the Kaffir Market. Business had long been in a bad way, not in that market alone, but in the House in general. The trail of the great Boer War and its heritage of debt, taxation, and want of confidence lay over all departments, and brokers, jobbers, princ.i.p.als, and clerks alike were so heartily tired of going to "business" day after day when there was no business--and when there calculating how much longer they could afford annual subscriptions and office rent--that any relief was eagerly accepted. In three days twenty-five compet.i.tors had entered for the proposed walk to Brighton, and the House found itself not so poverty-stricken but that prize-money to the extent of 35, for three silver cups, was subscribed. And then the Press--that Press which is growing daily more hysterical and irresponsible--got hold of it and boomed it, and there was no escaping the Stock Exchange Walk. By the morning of March 25th, when the list was closed, there were 107 compet.i.tors entered and the prize-list had grown to the imposing total of three gold medals, valued, one at 10 10_s._ and two at 5 5_s._, with two silver cups valued at 10 10_s._, two at 5 5_s._, and silver commemoration medals for all arriving at Brighton in thirteen hours.

Long before May Day the Press had worked the thing up to the semblance of a matter of Imperial importance, and London talked of little else. April 13th had been at first spoken of for the event, but many of the compet.i.tors wanted to get into training, and in the end May Day, being an annual Stock Exchange holiday, was selected.

There were ninety-nine starters from the Clock Tower at 6.30 on that chill May morning: not middle-aged stockbrokers, but chiefly young stockbrokers'

clerks. All the papers had published particulars of the race, together with final weather prognostications; hawkers sold official programmes; an immense crowd a.s.sembled; a host of amateur photographers descended upon the scene, and the police kept Westminster Bridge clear. Although by no means to be compared with Motor-car Day, the occasion was well honoured.

Advertisers had, as usual, seized the opportunity, and almost overwhelmed the start; and among the motor-cars and the cyclists who followed the compet.i.tors down the road the merits of Somebody's Whisky, and the pills, boots, bicycles, beef-tea, and flannels of some other bodies impudently obtruded.

"What went ye out for to see?" The public undoubtedly expected to see a number of pursy, plethoric City men, attired in frock-coats and silk-hats, walking to Brighton. What they _did_ see was a crowd of apparently professional pedestrians, lightly clad in the flannels and "shorts" of athletics, trailing down the road, with here and there an "unattached"

walker, such as Mr. Pringle, who, fulfilling the conditions of a wager, walked down in immaculate silk hat, black coat, and spats--"immaculate,"

that is to say, at the start: as a chronicler adds, "things were rather different later." They were: for thirteen hours' (more or less) rain and mud can work vast changes. The day was, in fact, as unpleasant as well could be imagined, and it is said much for the sporting enthusiasm of the countryside that the whole length of the road to Brighton was so crowded with spectators that it resembled a thronged City thoroughfare.

It said still more for the pluck and endurance of those who undertook the walk that of the ninety-nine starters no fewer than seventy-eight finished within the thirteen hours' limit qualifying them for the commemorative medal. G. D. Nicholas, the favourite, heavily backed by sportsmen, led from the beginning, making the pace at the rate of six miles an hour. He reached Streatham, six miles, in 59 mins.

And then a craze for walking to Brighton set in. On June 6th the butchers of Smithfield Market walked, and doubtless, among the many other cla.s.s-races, the bakers, and the candlestick-makers as well, and the proprietors of baked-potato cans and the roadmen, and indeed the Lord alone knows who not. Of the sixty butchers, who had a much more favourable day than the stockbrokers, the winner, H. F. Otway, covered the distance in 9 hrs. 21 mins. 1-4/5 secs., thus beating Broad by some 9 minutes.

Whether the dairymen of London ever executed their proposed daring feat of walking to Brighton, each trundling an empty churn, does not appear; but it seems likely that many a fantastic person walked down carrying an empty head. A German, one Anton Hauslian, even set out on the journey pushing a perambulator containing his wife and six-year-old daughter; and on June 16th an American, a Miss Florence, an eighteen-year-old music-hall equilibrist, started to "walk" the distance on a globe. She used for the purpose two globes, each made of wood covered with sheepskin, and having a diameter of 26 in.; one weighing 20 lb., for uphill work; the other weighing 75 lb., for levels and descents. Starting at an early hour on June 16th, and "walking" ten hours a day, she reached the Aquarium at the unearthly hour of 2.40 on the morning of the 21st.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STOCK EXCHANGE WALK: E. F. BROAD AT HORLEY.]

Those who could not rehea.r.s.e the epic flights of these fifty-two miles walked shorter distances; and, while the craze lasted, not only did the "midinettes" of Paris take the walking mania severely, but the waitresses of various London teashops performed ten-mile wonders.

[Sidenote: MORE PEDESTRIANISM]

On June 20th the gigantic "go-as-you-please" walking or running match to Brighton organised by the _Evening News_ took place, in that dismal weather so generally a.s.sociated, whatever the season of the year, with sport on the Brighton Road. Two hundred and thirty-eight compet.i.tors had entered, but only ninety actually faced the starter at 5 o'clock a.m. They were a very miscellaneous concourse of professional and amateur "peds"; some with training and others with no discoverable athletic qualifications at all; some mere boys, many middle-aged, one in his fifty-second year, and even one octogenarian of eighty-five. Among them was a negro, F. W.

Craig, known to the music-halls by the poetic name of the "Coffee Cooler"; and labouring men, ostlers, and mechanics of every type were of the number. It was as complete a contrast from the Stock Exchange band as could be well imagined.

The wide difference in age, and the fitness and unfitness of the many compet.i.tors, resulted in the race being won by the foremost while the rearmost were struggling fifteen miles behind. The intrepid octogenarian was still wearily plodding on, twenty miles from Brighton, six hours after the winner, Len Hurst, had reached the Aquarium in the record time--26 mins. 18 secs. better than Randall's best of May 6th, 1899--of 6 hrs. 32 mins. Some amazing figures were set up by the more youthful and incautious, who reached Croydon, 9-1/2 miles, in 54 mins., but were eventually worn down by those who were wise enough to save themselves for the later stages.

In the following August Miss M. Foster repeated her ride of July 12th, 1897, and cycled to Brighton and back, on this occasion, with motor-pacing, reducing her former record to 5 hrs. 33 mins. 8 secs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS M. FOSTER, PACED BY MOTOR-BICYCLE, Pa.s.sING COULSDON.]

[Sidenote: PEDESTRIAN RECORDS]

On November 7th the Surrey Walking Club's Brighton and back match was won by H. W. Horton, in 20 hrs. 31 mins. 53 secs., disposing of Butler's best of October 31st, 1902, by a margin of 1 hr. 4 mins. 34 secs.

With 1904 a decline in Brighton Road sport set in, for it was memorable only for the Blackheath and Ranelagh Harriers' inter-club walk to Brighton of April 9th. But that was indeed a memorable event, for T. E.

Hammond then abolished Butler's remaining record, of 8 hrs. 43 mins. 16 secs. for the single trip, and replaced it by his own of 8 hrs. 26 mins.

57-2/5 secs.

Even the efforts of cyclists seem to for a time have spent themselves, for 1905 witnessed only the new unpaced record made July 19th by R. Shirley, who cycled there and back in 5 hrs. 22 mins. 5 secs., thus shearing off a mere 8 mins. 5 secs. from Green's performance of so long as three years before. What the future may have in store none may be so hardy as to prophesy. Finality has a way of ever receding into the infinite, and when the unpaced cyclist shall have beaten the paced record of 5 hrs. 6 mins.

42 secs. made by Neason in 1897, other new fields will arise to be conquered. And let no one say that speed and sport on the Brighton Road have finally declined, for, as we have seen, it is abundantly easy in these days for a popular Press to "call spirits from the vasty deep," and arouse sporting enthusiasm almost to frenzy, whenever and wherever it is "worth the while."

Thus, in pedestrianism, other new times have since been set up. On September 22nd, 1906, J. Butler, in the Polytechnic Harriers' Open Walk, finished to Brighton in 8 hrs. 23 mins. 27 secs. On June 22nd, 1907, Hammond performed the double journey, London to Brighton and back, in 18 hrs. 13 mins. 37 secs. And on May 1st, 1909, he regained the single journey record by his performance of 8 hrs. 18 mins. 18 secs. On September 4th of the same year H. L. Ross further reduced the figures to 8 hrs. 11 mins. 14 secs.

BRIGHTON ROAD RECORDS.

RIDING, DRIVING, CYCLING, RUNNING, WALKING, ETC.

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Date. | | Time. | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | |h. m. s.| |1784, July 25. |Prince of Wales rode horseback from the | | | | "Pavilion," Brighton, to Carlton House, | | | | London, and returned |10 0 0| | | Going | 4 30 0| | | Returning | 5 30 0| | | | | | " Aug. 21. |Prince of Wales drove phaeton, three horses | | | | tandem, from Carlton House to "Pavilion" | 4 30 0| | | | | |1809, May. |Cornet Webster of the 10th Light Dragoons, | | | | rode horseback from Brighton to | | | | Westminster Bridge | 3 20 0| | | | | |1831, June 19. |The "Red Rover" coach, leaving the "Elephant | | | | and Castle" at 4 p.m., reached Brighton | | | | 8.21 | 4 21 0| | | | | |1833, Oct. |Walter Hanc.o.c.k's steam-carriage "Autopsy" | | | | performed the distance between Stratford | | | | and Brighton | 8 30 0| | | (Halted 3 hours on road. Actual | | | | running time, 5 hrs. 30 mins.) | | | | | | |1834, Feb. 4. |"Criterion" coach, London to Brighton | 3 40 0| | | | | |1868, Mar. 20. |Benjamin B. Trench walked Kennington Church | | | | to Brighton and back (100 miles) |23 0 0| | | | | |1869, Feb. 17. |John Mayall, jun., rode a velocipede from | | | | Trafalgar Square to Brighton in "about" |12 0 0| | | | | | " Mar. 6. |W. M. and H. J. Chinnery walked from | | | | Westminster Bridge to Brighton |11 25 0| | | | | | " April 14. |C. A. Booth rode a velocipede London to | | | | Brighton | 9 30 0| | | | | |1872, Sept. 19.|Amateur Bicycle Club's race, London to | | | | Brighton; won by A. Temple, riding a 44-in.| | | | wheel | 5 25 0| | | | | |1873, Aug. 16. |Six members of the Surrey B.C. and six of the| | | | Middles.e.x B.C. rode to Brighton and back, | | | | starting from Kennington Oval at 6.1 a.m. | | | | Causton, captain of the Surrey, reached the| | | | "Albion," Brighton, in 4 hrs. 51 mins., | | | | riding a 50-in. Keen bicycle. W. Wood | | | | (Middles.e.x) did the 100 miles |11 8 0| | | | | |1874, April 27.|A. Howard cycled Brighton to London | 4 25 0| | | | | |1878, --. |P. J. Burt walked from Westminster Clock | | | | Tower to Aquarium, Brighton |10 52 0| | | | | |1884, --. |C. L. O'Malley walked from Westminster Clock | | | | Tower to Aquarium, Brighton | 9 48 0| | | | | |1886, April 10.|J. A. McIntosh walked from Westminster Clock | | | | Tower to Aquarium, Brighton | 9 25 8| | | | | |1888, Jan. 1. |Horse "Ginger" trotted to Brighton | 4 16 30| | | | | |1888, July 13. |James Selby drove "Old Times" coach from | | | | "Hatchett's," Piccadilly, to "Old Ship," | | | | Brighton, and back | 7 50 0| | | Going | 3 56 0| | | Returning | 3 54 0| | | | | |1889, Aug. 10. |Team of four cyclists--E. J. Willis, G. L. | | | | Morris, C. W. Schafer, and S. Walker-- | | | | dividing the distance between them, cycled | | | | from "Hatchett's," Piccadilly, to "Old | | | | Ship," Brighton, and back | 7 36 19| | | | -2/5| |1890, Mar. 30. |Another team--J. F. Shute, T. W. Girling, R. | | | | Wilson, and A. E. Griffin--reduced first | | | | team's time by 4 mins. 19-2/5 secs. | 7 32 0| | | | | | " April 13. |Another team--E. R. and W. Scantlebury, W. W.| | | | Arnott, and J. Blair | 7 25 15| | | | | | " June. |F. W. Shorland cycled from "Hatchett's" to | | | | "Old Ship" and back ("Geared Facile" | | | | bicycle, pneumatic tyres) | 7 19 0| | | | | | " July 23. |S. F. Edge cycled from "Hatchett's" to "Old | | | | Ship" and back (safety bicycle, cushion | | | | tyres) | 7 2 50| | | | | | " Sept. 3. |C. A. Smith cycled from "Hatchett's" to "Old | | | | Ship" (safety bicycle, pneumatic tyres) and| | | | back | 6 52 10| | | | | | " " 30. |E. P. Moorhouse cycled (tricycle) from | | | | "Hatchett's" to "Old Ship" | 8 9 24| | | | | |1891, Mar. 20. |E. H. Cuthbertson walked from "Hatchett's" to| | | | "Old Ship" |10 6 18| | | From Westminster Clock Tower | 9 55 34| | | | | |1892, June 1. |S. F. Edge cycled from "Hatchett's" to "Old | | | | Ship" and back | 6 51 7| | | | | | " Sept. 6. |E. Dance cycled to Brighton and back | 6 49 1| | | | | | " " 9. |R. C. Nesbit cycled (high bicycle) to | | | | Brighton and back | 7 42 50| | | | | |1893, Sept. 12.|S. F. Edge cycled to Brighton and back | 6 13 48| | | | | | " " 17. |A. E. Knight " " | 6 10 29| | | | | | " " 19. |C. A. Smith " " | 6 6 46| | | | | | " " 22. |S. F. Edge " " | 5 52 30| | | | | | " " |E. Dance " " | 5 52 18| | | | | | " Oct. 4. |W. W. Robertson (tricycle) " | 7 24 2| | | | | |1894, June 11. |W. R. Toft " " | 6 21 30| | | | | | " Sept. 12. |C. G. Wridgway " " | 5 35 32| | | | | | " " 20. |Miss Reynolds cycled to Brighton and back | 7 48 46| | | | | | " " 22. |Miss White cycled to Brighton and back | 7 6 46| | | | | |1895, Sept. 26.|A. A. Chase, Brighton and back | 5 34 58| | | | | | " Oct. 17. |J. Parsley (tricycle) | 6 18 28| | | | | | " Nov. |J. H. Herbert cycled backwards to Brighton | 7 45 0| | | | | |1896, June 26. |E. D. Smith and C. A. Greenwood (tandem) | 5 37 34| | | | | | " --. |W. Franks walked from south side of | | | | Westminster Bridge to Brighton | 9 7 7| | | | | | " July 15. |C. G. Wridgway | 5 22 33| | | | | | " Sept. 15. |H. Green and W. Nelson (tandem) | 5 20 35| | | | | | " Nov. 14. |"Motor-car Day." A 6 h.p. Bollee motor | | | | started from Hotel Metropole, London, at | | | | 11.30 a.m., and reached Brighton at 2.25 | | | | p.m. | 2 55 0| | | | | |1897, April 10.|Polytechnic Harriers' walk, Westminster Clock| | | | Tower to Brighton. E. Knott | 8 56 44| | | | | | " May 4.|W. J. Neason cycled to Brighton and back | 5 19 39| | | | | | " July 12.|Miss M. Foster cycled from Hyde Park Corner | | | | to Brighton and back | 6 45 9| | | | | | " " 13.|Richard Palmer cycled to Brighton and back | 5 9 45| | | | | | " Sept. 11.|W. J. Neason cycled from London to Brighton | | | | and back | 5 6 42| | | | | | " Oct. 27.|P. Wheelock and G. J. Fulford (tandem) | 4 54 54| | | | | | " --. |L. Franks and G. Franks (tandem safety) | 5 0 56| | | | | |1898, Sept. 27.|E. J. Steel cycled London to Brighton and | | | | back (unpaced) | 6 23 55| | | | | | " " " |P. F. A. Gomme, London to Brighton and back | | | | (tricycle, unpaced) | 8 11 10| | | | | |1899, May 6.|South London Harriers' "go-as-you-please" | | | | running match, Westminster Clock Tower to | | | | Brighton. Won by F. D. Randall | 6 58 18| | | | | | " June 30.|H. Green cycled from London to Brighton and | | | | back (unpaced) | 5 50 23| | | | | |1902, Aug. 21.|H. Green cycled from London to Brighton and | | | | Brighton and back (unpaced) | 5 30 22| | | | | | " Oct. 31.|Surrey Walking Club's match, Westminster | | | | Clock Tower to Brighton and back. J. Butler|21 36 27| | | | | |1903, Mar. 14.|J. Butler walked from Westminster Clock Tower| | | | to Brighton | 8 43 16| | | | | | " May 1.|Stock Exchange Walk, won by E. F. Broad | 9 30 1| | | | | | " June 20.|Running Match, Westminster Clock Tower to | | | | Tower to Brighton. Won by Len Hurst | 6 32 0| | | | | | " Aug. |Miss M. Foster cycled to Brighton and back | | | | (motor-paced) | 5 33 8| | | | | | " Nov. 7.|Surrey Walking Club's match, Westminster | | | | Clock Tower to Brighton and back. H. W. | | | | Horton |20 31 53| | | | | | " --. |P. Wheelock and G. Fulford (tandem safety) | 4 54 54| | | | | | " --. |A. C. Gray and H. L. Dixon (tandem safety, | | | | unpaced) | 5 17 18| | | | | |1904, April 9.|Blackheath and Ranelagh Harriers, inter-club | | | | walk, Westminster Clock Tower to Brighton. | | | | T. E. Hammond | 8 26 57| | | | -2/5| |1905, July 19.|R. Shirley, Polytechnic C.C., cycled Brighton| | | | and back (unpaced) | 5 22 5| | | | | |1905, --. |J. Parsley (tricycle) | 6 18 28| | | | | | " --. |H. S. Price (tricycle, unpaced) | 6 53 5| | | | | |1906, Sept. 22.|J. Butler walked to Brighton | 8 23 27| | | | | | " --. |S. C. Paget and M. R. Mott (tandem safety, | | | | unpaced) | 5 9 20| | | | | | " --. |H. Green (safety cycle, unpaced) | 5 20 22| | | | | | " --. |R. Shirley " " | 5 15 29| | | | | | " --. |L. Dralce (tricycle, unpaced) | 6 24 56| | | | | | " --. |J. D. Daymond " " | 6 19 48| | | | | |1907, June 22.|T. E. Hammond walked to Brighton and back |18 13 37| | | | | | " --. |C. and A. Richards (tandem-safety, unpaced) | 5 5 25| | | | | | " --. |G. H. Briault and E. Ward (tandem-safety, | | | | unpaced) | 4 53 48| | | | | |1908, --. |G. H. Briault (tricycle, unpaced) | 6 8 24| | | | | |1909, May 1.|T. E. Hammond walked to Brighton | 8 18 18| | | | | | " Sept. 4.|H. L. Ross " " | 8 11 14| | | | | | " --. |Harry Green cycled Brighton and back | | | | (unpaced) | 5 12 14| | | | | |1910, --. |L. S. Leake and G. H. Spencer (tandem | | | | tricycle, unpaced) | 5 59 51| | | | | |1912, June 19.|Fredk. H. Grubb cycled (paced) Brighton and | | | | back | 5 9 41| | | | | | " --. |E. H. and S. Hulbert (tandem tricycle, | | | | unpaced) | 5 42 21| | | | | |1913, --. |H. G. Cook (tricycle, unpaced) | 6 7 4| |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |NOTE.--The fastest L. B. & S. C. R. train, the 5 p.m. Pulman | | |Express from London Bridge, reaches Brighton (51 miles) at | | |6.0 p.m. | 1 0 0| +-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+

X

We may now, somewhat belatedly, after recounting these varied annals of the way to Brighton, start along the road itself, coming from the south side of Westminster Bridge to Kennington.

No one scanning the grey vista of the Kennington Road would, on sight, accuse Kennington of owning a past; but, as a sheer matter of fact, it is an historic place. It is the "Chenintun" of Domesday Book, and the Cyningtun or Koningtun--the King's town--of an even earlier time. It was indeed a royal manor belonging to Canute, and the site of the palace where his son, Hardicanute, died, mad drunk, in 1042. Edward the Third annexed it to his Duchy of Cornwall, and even yet, after the vicissitudes of nine hundred years, the Prince of Wales, as Duke of Cornwall, owns house property here. Kennington Park, too, has its own sombre romance, for it was an open common until 1851, and a favourite place of execution for Surrey malefactors. Here the minor prisoners among the Scottish rebels captured by the Duke of c.u.mberland in the '45 were executed, those of greater consideration being beheaded on Tower Hill. It is an odd coincidence that, among the lesser t.i.tles of "Butcher c.u.mberland" himself was that of Earl of Kennington.

At this junction of roads, where the Kennington Road, the Kennington Park Road, the Camberwell New Road, and the Brixton Road, all pool their traffic, there stood, in times not so far removed but that some yet living can remember it, Kennington Gate, an important turnpike at any time, and one of very great traffic on Derby Day, when, I fear, the pikeman was freely bilked of his due at the hands of sportsmen, n.o.ble and ign.o.ble.

There is a view of this gate on such a day drawn by James Pollard, and published in 1839, which gives a very good idea of the amount of traffic and, incidentally, of the curious costumes of the period. You shall also find in the "Comic Almanack" for 1837 an ill.u.s.tration by George Cruikshank of this same place, one would say, although it is not mentioned by name, in which is an immense jostling crowd anxious to pa.s.s through, while the pikeman, having apparently been "cheeked" by the occupants of a pa.s.sing vehicle, is vulgarly engaged, I grieve to state, in "taking a sight" at them. That is to say, he has, according to the poet, "Put his thumb unto his nose and spread his fingers out."

[Sidenote: KENNINGTON GATE]

Kennington Gate was swept away, with other purely Metropolitan turnpike gates, October 31st. 1865, and is now to be found in the yard of Clare's Depository at the crest of Brixton Hill. It was one of nine that barred this route from London to the sea in 1826. The others were at South End, Croydon: Foxley Hatch, or Purley Gate, which stood near Purley Corner, by the twelfth milestone, until 1853; and Frenches, 19 miles 4 furlongs from London--that is to say, just before you come into Redhill streets. Leaving Redhill behind, another gate spanned the road at Salfords, below Earlswood Common, while others were situated at Horley, Ansty Cross, Stonepound, one mile short of Clayton; and at Preston, afterwards removed to Patcham.[6]

Not the most charitable person could lay his hand upon his heart and declare, honestly, that the church of St. Mark, Kennington, which stands at this beginning of the Brixton Road, is other than extremely hideous.

Fortunately, its pagan architecture, once fondly thought to revive the glories of old Greece, is largely screened from sight by the thriving trees of its churchyard, and so nervous wayfarers are spared something of the inevitable shock.

The story of Kennington Church does not take us very far back, down the dim alleys of history, for it was built so recently as the first quarter of the nineteenth century, when it was thought possible to emulate the marble beauties of the Parthenon and other triumphs of cla.s.sic architecture in plebeian brick and stone. Those materials, however, and the architects themselves, were found to be somewhat inferior to their models, and eventually the public taste became so outraged with the appalling ugliness of the pagan temples arising on every hand that at length the Gothic revival of the mid-nineteenth century set in.

But if its history is not long, its site has a horrid kind of historic a.s.sociation, for the building stands on what was a portion of Kennington Common, the exact spot where the unhappy Scottish rebels were executed in 1746, and where Jerry Abershawe, the highwayman, was hanged in 1795. The remains of the gibbet on which the bodies of some of his fellow knights of the road were exposed were actually found when the foundations for the church were being dug out.

The origin of Kennington Church, like that of Brixton, is so singular that it is very well worth while to inquire into it. It was a direct outcome of the Napoleonic wars. England had been so long engaged in those European struggles, and was so wearied and impoverished by them, that Parliament could think of nothing better than to celebrate the peace of 1815 by voting a million and a half of money to the clergy as a "thank-offering."

This sum took the shape of a church-building fund. Wages were low, work was scarce, and bread was so dear that the people were starving. That good paternal Parliament, therefore, when they asked for bread gave them stone and brick, and performed the heroic feat of picking their impoverished pockets as well. It was accomplished in this wise. There was that Lucky Bag, the million and a half sterling of the Thanksgiving Fund; but it could not be dipped into unless you gave an equal sum to that you took out, and then expended the whole on building churches. And yet it has been said that Parliament has no sense of the ridiculous! Why, it was the most stupendous of practical jokes!

[Ill.u.s.tration: KENNINGTON GATE: DERBY DAY, 1839. _From an engraving after J. Pollard._]

[Sidenote: HALF-PRICE CHURCHES]

Lambeth was at that time a suburban and a greatly expanding parish, and was one of those that accepted this offer, and took what came eventually to be called Half Price Churches. It gave a large order, and took four: those of Kennington, Waterloo, Brixton, and Norwood, all ferociously hideous, and costing 15,000 apiece; the Government granting one moiety and the other being raised by a parish rate on all, without distinction of creed. The Government also remitted the usual taxes on the building materials, and in some instances further helped the people to rejoice by imposing a compulsory rate of twopence in the pound, to pay the rector or vicar. All this did more to weaken the Church of England than even a century of scandalous inefficiency:

Abuse a man, and he may brook it, But keep your hands out of his breeches pocket.