The Owners

Unknown – 1757theDowagerDuchessofChandos,MarchionessofCarnarvon

1758 – 1771The2ndDukeofChandos,MarquisofCarnarvon

1772 – 1774The3rdDukeofChandos,MarquisofCarnarvon

1776 – 1778WilliamWoodley

1778 – 1822The5thEarlofStamford

1822 – 1828TheDowagerDuchess,CountessofStamford

1828 – 1830The2ndMarquisofBute

1830 – 1867Captain(laterAdmiral)GeorgeFerguson

1867 – 1898EdwardCharlesBaring(laterLordRevelstoke)

1900 – 1918TheEarlofDartmouth

1923 – 1926TheHon.MrsRobertLindsay

1926 – presentTheEnglish-SpeakingUnionoftheCommonwealth–nowtheheadquartersoftheESUworldwide.

INTERNATIONALHEADQUARTERS OF THE ESU

DartmouthHousewaspurchasedbytheESUforthesumof£45,000fromTheHon.MrsRobertLinsdayin1926,andformallyopenedastheLondonheadquartersbythethenprimeministerSirStanleyBaldwinon22February1927–the195thanniversaryofGeorgeWashington’sbirthday.

ItistheinternationalheadquartersoftheESUintheheartofMayfair,justoffBerkeleySquare.

Dartmouth House

ThelandonwhichDartmouthHousestandswasformerlyfarmland.AtthetimeoftheDomesdayBook(1086)thelandwaswithintheManorofEyeheldbyGeoffreydeMandeville.ShortlyafterwardshegavethelandtotheAbbeyofWestminsterinwhosehandsitremaineduntil1536,whenHenryVIIIconfiscateditpriortothedissolutionofWestminsterAbbey.

In1554,thepartoftheManorknownasBrickClose(socalledbecauseofclaydeposits),wassoldtotwogentlemen,oneofwhom,WilliamJennings,bequeathedittohisgrandsonwhoheldituntilthefirstLordBerkeleyacquireditin1675.JohnBerkeley(b.1607)wasaRoyalistcommanderwhowasrewardedwithabaronyafterleadinghistroopstovictoryatStrattoninCornwall.In1664heboughtafieldforhistownhouse–BerkeleyHouseonPiccadilly,describedbythediaristJohnEvelynas“asweeteplace”.

Apartfromthefarmhouseandafewfarmbuildings,BrickClosewasopenfields.WhentheBerkeleyfamilysoldpartofitin1683toasyndicateconsistingofJohnHindeandothers,itwasknownasHayHillFarmandconsistedof28acres.Oneoftheconditionsofthesalewasthatthelandshouldbedeveloped.

Aswellasbeingapropertydeveloper,Hindealsoheldseveralgovernmentoffices.Uponhisdeathitwasdiscoveredthathehadimproperly“borrowed”about£100,000fromtheExchequerandhadrunupfurtherdebtsof£71,000.TheCrownthereforeseizedthelandincompensation,thoughin1702HayHillrevertedbacktotheBerkeleyfamilyfollowinganactionintheChanceryCourtinwhichitwasprovedthatHindehadnotfulfilledhisobligationstodevelopthesite.

HISTORY OFDARTMOUTH HOUSE AND CHARLES STREET

Oppositepage:DartmouthHousefromConcordHousecirca1973

TheareawasdevelopedbyJohnBerkeley’sgrandsonwhobuiltBerkeleySquare,BrutonLane,BrutonStreet,BrutonPlace,HillStreetandfollowingthat,CharlesStreet.ItisthoughtthatCharlesStreetwasnamedafteramemberoftheBerkeleyfamily.D.H.Johnsonwrote,

“It has been said that Charles Street was named after Charles, Viscount Falmouth, a brother of the first Lord Berkeley, but possibly the name commemorates either Charles, second Lord Berkeley, or a younger brother, so named, of the fifth Lord Berkeley, who was living when the street was laid out”.

CharlesStreetwaslaidoutin1675.ThefirstrecordedratepayerofNo.37wastheDowagerDuchessofChandos,MarchionessofCarnarvonin1755,widowofthefirstDuke,whoisrememberedforhisassociationwithHandelandPope.ThepropertyremainedinthepossessionoftheDuke’sofChandosuntil1774.SubsequentownersofNo.37weretheEarlofStamfordandtheMarquisofBute.ResidentsofNo.38includeSirJohnHyndsCottonin1757,andSirThomasandLadyHesketh–cousinof,andchiefsourceofbiographicalinformationabout,thepoetCowper.

Theoriginalsiteandpremisescanbetracedbackto1755.AtthetimetheTybournebrookstilllayopenatthesouthendof

BerkeleySquare,andwassoevilsmellingthatitwasdescribedatthetimeas“acommonsewer”.ThebrookrunsunderDartmouthHouseandcausedseriousdamagetopapersstoredinthebasementinthe1990s.

BerkeleySquarewasthehauntofthievesandviolencewascommon.Aspateofstreetcrimein1755sawacoachrobbedanditsoccupantsrelievedofwatchesandasubstantialamountofmoney.Afewnightslater,aCharlesStreetresident,JohnGoodyer,wasreturningfromtheCocoaTreeClubinPallMallinasedanchairwhenhewasstoppedbytwofootpads.Hishinderchairmanwasshotdeadattemptingtodefendhimselfandhisemployer.ItwasaboutthistimethatDr.Johnsonwroteinhispoem‘London’:

“Prepare for death if here at night you roam And sign your will before you sup from home”

Thereislittlerecordedhistoryofthehouses,otherthandetailsofratepayers,althoughitisrecordedthatin1866,thesupervisingarchitectwasrebukedbytheBoardofWorksCommitteeforattemptingtoputsidesintheporticoatNo.37withoutpermission.

Above:TheWedgwoodRoomandtheRevelstokeRoomcirca1980

Oppositepage:OriginalarchitecturaldrawingofthefireplaceintheLongDrawingRoom

LORD REVELSTOKE’S CONVERSION OF NO. 37 & NO. 38

EdwardCharlesBaringboughtNo.37CharlesStin1870.HebecameLordRevelstoke(1stBaronRevelstokeofMembland)in1885andin1890hepurchasedNo.38inordertoturnthetwoGeorgianhousesintoonelargerhousetocreateashowcaseforhiscollectionofLouislVfurnitureandart.Noexpensewassparedtocreateahomeof“rococoopulence”intheAnglo-Frenchstyle,popularduringthelateVictorianera.

HismotherwasthecousinofthefounderoftheWashingtonfamilyintheUnitedStates,thustheremoteconnectionbetweenLordDartmouthandGeorgeWashington.

LordRevelstokeemployedWilliamCubittandCofortheexteriorconstructionworkwhichincluded;theconversionofthetwoproperties,there-facingofthebuildingin

stone,thebuildingofthecourtyardandmewshouse.MayfairfurnishinganddecoratingcompanyWilliamTurnerLordwereemployedtoundertaketheinteriordesign,“therefittingof37/8CharlesStforoneofthemostconspicuousconsumersofthedecadewasacommissionofunprecedentedsizeandimportanceand…wascrucialinestablishingthefirm’sreputationastheleadinginteriordecoratorsofMayfair”.

LordRevelstoke’sLondonhomewasanamalgamationofstyles,soexpertlydesignedbyWilliamAllwright,WilliamTurnerLord’sdesigner,thatitisoftendifficulttoidentifywhatisoldandnew.ThiswasnotunusualforthestyleandthetasteofthelateVictorians,“muchpanellingfromdecayingParisianhotelshavebeenshippedtoEngland,cleanedre-gildedandneatlymadeupforthefashionabledrawingroomsoftheperiod.”

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS

Althoughatonetimeitwasthoughtthatthefireplaceswere19thcenturycopies,theyareinfact18thcenturyoriginals,themostexcitingbeingaRobertAdamsoriginallylocatedatDerbyHouse,GrosvenorSquare.

Newfeaturesdesignedespeciallyforthehouseincluded,theBelgianmarblestaircase,theexteriorironrailings(possiblyCoalbrookedale),themarblecourtyardandanunusuallygrandmewshouse,particularlystylishevenforMayfair.

ThepanelsintheWedgwoodRoomwerepaintedbyPierreVictorGalland(1822-1892)apopularartistofthetime,whopaintedceilingsandpanelsforanumberofhousesinEuropeandAmerica.OncloseinspectiononecanseethatGallandhascleverlyworkedBaringsnameintothedesign.

MauriceBaring(1874-1945),LordRevelstoke’sson,latertobecomeanauthoranddiplomatandgreatfriendofG.K.Chesterton,HilaireBellocandSarahBernhardt,offeredaviewoflifeatDartmouthHouseandMembland,thecountryhouseboastingitsownyachtandstreamlaunch,inhisautobiographyPuppet Show of Memory.AtthenurseryatDartmouthHouse,Mauriceandtwoofhissevensiblingswerelookedafterbytwonursesandtwonurserymaids.

WORK ON NO. 37 CEASES WITH BARING CRISIS OF 1890S

InNovember1890,acrisisatBaringsBankcurtailedexpenditureandallbuildinganddesignworkceasedalthoughthehousehadnotbeencompleted.Afinalpaymentwaspaidtothebuilderin1893,andthesamesummerChristieMansonandWoodsheldathreedayauctionofLordRevelstoke’sfurnishingsandobjectd’art.HecontinuedtoliveatNo.37untilhisdeathfromdiabetesin1897.

NO. 37 AND LORD DARTMOUTH: 1900 - 1918

LordDartmouth(6thEarlofDartmouth)wasthenextowner.Themostsignificantchangestothehousetookplacein1900-theconversionofthreedrawingroomsonthefirstfloortotworooms,nowcalledtheLongDrawingRoomandSmallDrawingRoom.TheseroomshavefineornateceilingsincorporatingthecrestoftheDartmouthFamilyandtheyear1900.LordDartmouthalsohadhisnameengravedoverthefrontdoorandduringthistimeanelectricliftwasalsoinstalled.

No.37wastheDartmouthfamilyhomeuntiltheoutbreakofwarin1914,whenthehousewasusedbytheRedCrossasamilitaryhospital,underthesupervisionofLadyLytton.Wallcoveringsandfireplacesweresealedupforprotection.Soldin1918,thehousewasoccupiedbrieflybytheHon.MrsRobertLindsayfrom1923untilpurchasedbytheESUon24thJune1926,forthesumof£45,000.

Oppositepage:TheStaffofDartmouthHousecirca1900

OPENING OF DARTMOUTH HOUSE AS ESU HEADQUARTERS

OnDecember11926,theESUofficesweremovedfromNo.1CharingCrossRoadtoDartmouthHouseandstafftookuptheirdutiesinthe83rooms,including38members’bedrooms.Inordernottoclosethehouse“fortheusualmonthofspringcleaning”,andtokeepdomesticstafftoaminimum,modernconvenienceswereinstalled–ahighpowersuctionvacuumcleaningsystemandhotandcoldwaterineachbedroom.Theoriginalestimateof£6,670tokitoutthehousewitheverythingfromkitchenutensilstoliveryforthedoormanwasfoundtobewoefullyinadequate.Donationsweresoughttoraisetheextrafundingandmembersrespondedfromaroundtheworld.Bedroomswerenamedandfurnishedafteradifferentperiod–theQueenElizabethRoomhousedanoakchestfromtheTudorperiod;theJohnBunyanRoomheldanoriginalBibleboxandQueenMarydonatedanovermantelfortheroomthatwasgivenhername.AcongratulatoryletterarrivedfromtheEditorofThe ForuminNewYork,alsoenquiring“IunderstandthatDartmouthHouseisinthedistrictofhauntedhouses…”.Therehavebeenseveralreportedsightingsofaladyonthestaircase.

MrStLoeStrachey,editorofThe SpectatorandESUViceChairmanrecommendedhisson-in-law,CloughWilliamsEllis(ofPortmeirionfame)asayoungarchitectcapableofthetransformingaratherneglectedandoutmodedVictorianhouseintothebusyheadquartersoftheEnglish-SpeakingUnion.Althoughnomajorstructuralalterationstookplace,agroundfloorpanelledroomwasturnedintotheWalterHinesPageMemorialLibraryandrestaurants,bedroomsandsittingroomswerecreated.

THE ESU ATDARTMOUTH HOUSE

Oppositepage:StGeorge’sWard,intheSmallDrawingRoom,betweenOctober1917andDecember1918

DartmouthHouse,asitnowbecameknown,wasopenedbythePrimeMinister,SirStanleyBaldwin,on22February1927.LordBalfourandLordReadingwerealsopresentmadespeechesandtheAmericanAmbassadorandseveralHighCommissionersattended.

PRE-WORLD WAR II

Duringthe1920sand30s,roomswereavailableformembersandDartmouthHousebecameawelcoming“homefromhome”.Travellingscholars,selectedfortheESU’snewschoolboyandteachersscholarshipshavefondmemoriesofmeetingupatDartmouthHouse,beforeembarkingontheirAtlanticcrossingstoAmerica.Thehousewasalsoapopularvenueforlectures,parties,concertsanddances,oftenopentonon-members.

DARTMOUTH HOUSE’S SPECIAL ROLE DURING WORLD WAR II

OntheoutbreakofWorldWarIIin1939,thehousewasonthevergeofclosureasmembersleftLondonforthecountry.However,duetoaninspirationalideafromtheESU’sfounderSirEvelynWrench,thehousetookupitsnewandpossiblymostsignificantroletodate.DartmouthHousebecametheheadquartersofalargescalewarreliefprogrammeorganisinganddistributingclothing,toys,blankets,ambulances,mobilecanteensandbinocularsthroughoutBritaintoBritishservicemen,HomeGuard,theRedCross,WVSandBritishfamilies.

By1942thehousehadalsobecomea“homefromhome”toAmericanandCommonwealthservicepersonnel,providingoneofthebusiestinformationbureauxinLondon.VIPvisitorstothehouseincludedtheQueen,MrsRoosevelt,MrsChurchill,andnumerousMPsandforeigndiplomats.

POST WORLD WAR II AND FURTHER CONVERSIONS

Fortunately,DartmouthHousewasnotdamagedduringthewarbutyearsofusewerebeginningtoshowandtheupkeepofalargehousewasastrainonESUresources.Inthe1940sand1950s,theESUhadexpandedintootherCharlesStreetpropertiesincludingNo.36andConcordHouse.ConcordHousewassoldinthe1970sandNo.36wasturnedintotheChesterfieldHotel.ThebuildingofthehotelnecessitatedtheremovalofnumberofDartmouthHouseroomsandthelossofthesecondandthirdfloormembers’bedrooms,whichbecamepartofthehotel.

Sincethe1970sthemajoralterationshaveincludedthemodernisationofthebasementareaswhichhousethekitchen,thecreationofmeetingroomsandnewtoiletfacilitiesandtheconversionofaroominthemewshouseintoanewlibrary.ThestructureandfittingsofthegroundandfirstfloorroomsarevirtuallyunchangedsinceLordDartmouth’soccupation.

WHAT IS LEFT OF LORD REVELSTOKE’S ORIGINAL HOUSE?

TodayonecanseetheworkofdesignerAllwright,inthewoodpanelledouterandinnerreceptionhalls(knockedintoonehallwayinthe1960s),themarblestaircasehall,theWedgwoodRoomandtheBallroom(nowknownastheChurchillRoom)facedwithwalnutpanels.

TheDiningRoomre-namedtheRevelstokeRoom,hasfeworiginalfeaturesfromLordRevelstoke’sdaysapartfromthe18thcenturyfireplacewhichisamadeofcolouredmarble.

Unfortunately,afirstfloorroombelievedtobetheworkofGrinlingGibbonsandreputedtohavecomefromahomeownedbyNellGwynnewassoldin1970,duringtheconversionoftheChesterfieldHotelnextdoor.

CURRENT PAINTINGS AND FURNISHINGS

Thecurrentfurnishingsareoflittlehistoricalinterestandhavebeendonatedorboughtovertheyears.ThehousedoeshavesomeratherfinepaintingsincludingsomeportraitsinthecurrentRevelstokeRoombyMargaretLindsayWilliamsandJ.HudsonandlandscapesintheLongDrawingRoombyS.H.Baker,SirAlfredEast,EdwardReginaldFramptonandBenjaminWest.TheportraitofSirWinstonChurchillbyJohnWilsonJowseywhichhangsonthestaircase,wasloanedtotheESUbyChurchillCollege,CambridgetocoincidewiththeinaugurationoftheChurchillRoomin2003.

ThebuildingisnowGradeII*(abuildingofnationalimportance)andismentionedinmanyLondonguidebooksforitsfaçade.

Oppositepage:MembersonthestaircaseofDartmouthHouse,1967

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