Excerpt from Sandford Manor, Fulham

In Sandford Manor House we have, still spared to us, a quiet and well proportioned building of the i7th century, which, both from its archi tectural merit, and the picturesque mingling of history and tradition connected with it, is well worthy of a monograph. With regard to it Mr. Webb has, we feel sure, examined all available sources of informa tion. We can hardly saythat he has been able to find new evidence relat ing to the supposed association of the house with two noteworthy per sonages otherwise as far as the poles asunder, namely, Nell Gwyn and Joseph Addison. On the other hand he has not disproved the statements connecting them with it that have passed almost unchallenged for several generations. In the neighbourhood of what was once the village of palaces, which is so steeped in memories of the past, there is perhaps morejustification than elsewhere for giving ear to the statements that have been locally handed down by oral tradition. Those of us who dwell in Chelsea or Fulham are strongly affected by tradition. Our regard for the Spectator and our affection for pretty witty Nelly, tell as weightily on us as similar feelings told on our predecessors. In Short, we will not give her up if we can possibly help it, and we insist on the fact that the poet and essayist, if never actually domiciled in the dwell ing to which this paper is devoted, at least dwelt hard by and knew it intimately.

There is some satisfaction in being able to tell our readers that Sandford Manor House is apparently in no immediate danger of demolition, but we fear that it is only respited, and the rapid changes that are transform ing all the district in which it Stands, bring home to us the sad necessity of such a work as ours.

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