He was succeeded in his property at Barn Elms by his eldest son, Richard, who was created a Baronet on the 10th of June, 1786; and died at Bath, on the 11th of October, 1787; leaving the house and estate at Barn Elms to his widow. Her Ladyship died on the 10th of September, 1800; and, on that event, the property descended, by will, to Henry Hugh, the eldest son of the aforesaid Sir Richard by his second marriage with Francis Ann, daughter of Richard Acland, Esq. who still makes it his occasional residence. BARN ELMS, distant five miles from Hyde Park Corner, rather deserves the title of a country seat than that of a villa. The attached grounds comprise above 600 acres of land; and being surrounded, nearly on three sides, by the river Thames, possess the combined advantages of rural beauty and perfect retirement. In point of seclusion, this seat was, indeed, well-suited to the pensive temper of the poet Cowley; for one foot-path only, leading from the river to the village of Barnes, intersects its peaceful and elegant demesne. A row of fine elin-trees decorates its borders on the River Thames; and the house is approached through a venerable avenue. The mansion is built with brick; and was considerably enlarged, and improved, by the late Sir Richard Hoare, Bart. in the year 1771. Amongst several good pictures preserved in this seat, must be noticed two of the largest and finest landscapes of Gasper Poussin. The gardens at the back of the house are well laid out, and are enriched by much fine wood, and a large ornamental sheet of water. It may be here remarked that the soil of this domain is naturally dry, and that the place does not, from any circumstance, appear to deserve the imputation of unhealthiness, ascribed to it by the biographer of Cowley. It is impossible to quit our notice of Barn Elms, and the truly respectable family to which the estate belongs, without reminding the reader that Sir R. Colt Hoare, the second baronet, and elder brother to the present possessor, Henry Hugh Hoare, Esq. is distinguished by his literary attainments and productions. On this subject it may be desirable to cite the "Beauties" for Wiltshire: "To this gentleman the literary and antiquarian world is indebted for some very useful and interesting works; and as they are mostly of a topographical nature, they particularly demand our notice here. They consist of a Translation of the tour, &c. of Giraldus Cambrensis, through Wales, Wales, two vols. 4to.; A Tour in Ireland, one vol. 8vo.; and The ANCIENT HISTORY OF SOUTH WILTSHIRE, folio. In thus appropriating his leisure, and a part of his fortune, Sir Richard must derive much rational pleasure; at the same time he is entitled to the thanks of every topographer and antiquary."* The parish of Barnes has, at different times, afforded a residence to the following well-known characters in the annals of literature and the arts: Henry Fielding,† unquestionably the best English novelist; Handel, the Shakspeare of musicians; and Vandrebank, the painter. Hughes wrote a short poem intituled " Barn-elms," which is printed in his works. A celebrated Club, once held at Barn-Elms, likewise demands attention. Of the KIT-CAT CLUB we have all heard; but its history was little known, until collected and presented by Mr. Bray, to whose work we are indebted for the following particulars. This club derived its name from a person called Christopher Cat, who was either a pastry-cook or a tavern-keeper, and supplied the members with delicious mutton-pies at the original place of their meeting, in London. Tonson, the bookseller, while secretary to the club of Kit-cats, caused the meetings to be transferred to a house belonging to himself at Barn-Elms; and built a handsome room for the accommodation of the members. The portrait of each member was painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller; but the apartment not being sufficiently large to receive half-length pictures, a shorter canvas (36 inches by 28 in width) was adopted; and hence proceeded the technical term of Prints in Kit-cat size, so generally known as to its application. mezzotinto were scraped from the original pictures, by Faber, between the years 1730 and 1736; and are published in one volume, containing forty-three plates, which commemorate the following personages: 1. Sir Beauties of Wiltshire, p. 274, note. Two other villages near London (Twickenham and Ealing) are men tioned in the "Beauties" for Middlesex, as having been favoured with the temporary residence of this witty writer and deep student of human nature. History of Surrey, Vol. III. 1. Sir Godfrey Kneller. 2. Charles, Duke of Somerset. 3. Charles Lenox, second Duke of Richmond, K. G. 4. Charles Fitzroy, secand Duke of Grafton, K. G. 5. William Cavendish, second Duke of Devonshire, K. G. 6. John, Duke of Marlborough, the celebrated General, K. G. 7. John, second Duke of Mountague, K. G. 8. Evelyn, Duke of Kingston, K.G. 9. Thomas Pelham Holles, Duke of Newcastle, K. G. 10. Charles Mountague, Duke of Manchester. 11. Lionel Cranfield Sackville, Earl of Dorset, K. G. 12. Thomas Wharton, Marquis of Wharton. 13. Theophilus Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon. 21. Charles Mountagu, Earl of Halifax, K. G. 23. Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, K. G. 24. Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham. 25. Charles Mohun, fifth and last Lord Mohun. 26. Charles Cornwallis, fourth Lord Cornwallis. 27. John Vaugkan, Earl of Carbery. 28. John Sommers, Baron of Evesham. 29. Richard Boyle, Viscount Shannon. 30. Sir Robert Walpole, the celebrated Minister of State, after wards Earl of Orford. 31. Sir John Vanbrugh, the Architect, &c. 32. Sir Samuel Garth, M. D. 33. Sir Richard Steele. 34. John Tidcomb, Esq. 35. William Pulteney, Esq. 36. Joseph Addison, Esq. 37. George Stepney, Esq. 38. Abraham 38. Abraham Stanyan, Esq. 42. William Congreve, Esq. 43. Charles Dartiquenave, Esq. a celebrated epicure, recorded by Pope in his Satires, and by Lord Lyttelton in his Dialogues. 44. Thomas Hopkins, Esq. 45. Edward Hopkins, Esq. 46. Arthur Mainwaring, Esq. 47. Jacob Tonson.* This interesting series of portraits, comprising the most illustrious statesmen and authors of that age, were bequeathed by Mr. Tonson to his nephew, Jacob; on whose decease they became the property of his brother, Richard, of Water-Oakley, near Windsor, who removed them to that place; and they now belong to William Baker, Esq. late M. P. for the county of Hertford, whose father married the eldest daughter of Jacob, nephew of the original secretary to the Kit-cat Club, Mr. Jacob Tonson, the bookseller, who died in 1736. Many curious particulars respecting the characters of the above cele brated members of the Kit-cat Club, are collected in Mr. Bray's History of Surrey, Vol. III. Article Barnes, |