LXXXV.—No. 41, BEDFORD SQUARE.
Ground landlord and lessee.
Ground Landlord, His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G.; lessee, Anthony Hope Hawkins, Esq.
General description and date of structure.
On 20th November, 1777, a lease[753] was granted of the thirteenth house from Charlotte Street, on the south side of Bedford Square. This is now No. 41, Bedford Square.
The premises have been considerably modernized, but four chimneypieces remain, that in the front room on the ground floor being Greek in character, with panelled pilasters and acanthus capitals. The one in the rear room on the same floor is treated with three-quarter Ionic columns carrying the cornice directly over, to which a shelf of later date has been added.
On the first floor, the chimneypiece in the front room (Plate 95) has coupled and bracketed pilasters and sculptured frieze. That in the rear room (Plate 95) is inlaid with mottled green marble. It retains the original cast-iron grate. The ornamental plaster ceiling in this room has four oval plaques in square panels. According to Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, the present occupier, it is composed partly of old portions of a ceiling formerly in No. 30 or No. 31, Bedford Square, the remaining part being a copy of a ceiling still existing in one of these houses. The ceiling appears to be a replica of that in the rear room of No. 31 (Plate 88), with the exception that it is of less width, and consequently the central design, instead of being circular, is compressed into an oval form.
Condition of repair.
The premises are in good repair.
Biographical notes.
According to the ratebooks, Robert Peers took the house in 1782 and remained there until after the close of the century.
The Council’s collection contains:—
Detail of marble chimneypiece in front room on ground floor (photograph).
Detail of marble chimneypiece in rear room on ground floor (photograph).
[754]Marble chimneypiece in front room on first floor (photograph).
Ornamental plaster ceiling in rear room on first floor (photograph).
[754]Marble chimneypiece in rear room on first floor (photograph).