In the year 1824, a new road was opened, connecting Old and New Manor Street, forming a direct communication from Cheyne Walk to the King’s Road, and St. Luke’s Church. Prior to that period a large garden crossed the street, with a wall and iron railing, so that the two streets were entirely detached.
With respect to the embankment of the shores of our parish, this was certainly the work of ages, much posterior to the Norman Conquest, nor was it even completed before the latter end of the seventeenth century, for, from the manorial records, we find them to have been frequently imperfect, whilst the keeping them in repair and good order, was a subject of vexatious dispute between the Lord of this Manor and his tenants; and hence sometimes by the parish and the turnpike trust; sometimes by those persons who inhabited houses immediately in front of the River, to the extent of their own frontages; and sometimes by the Lords of the Manor themselves, to the extent of their frontages. This uncertainty respecting the right of repair was attended with many evils, the walls being often out of order, and in a dangerous state. In December, 1822, upon the trial of an indictment on the prosecution of the Kensington turnpike trust, against the Lords of the Manor, in the Court of King’s Bench, the Chief Justice ruled at _nisi prius_, that the _onus_ rested on the latter, unless and until they could show on whom by right of tenure, or otherwise, the burthen lay.
Having now arrived at the conclusion of Book I., in which are described all that is worthy of special notice in a great portion of the western extremity of the parish, I shall commence Book II., with a description of that beautiful architectural structure, St. Luke’s Church.
Consecration and other interesting particulars of St. Luke’s Church and Burial Ground—Its Monuments, &c.—Rectors, Curates, and Lecturers—Parochial National Schools, &c.—The Workhouse and the Old Burial Ground—The Origin and Condition of the King’s Road in the “Olden Times:”—Its state at the commencement of this Century, together with some notices of the New Buildings, and its thriving Trade at the present Time—Markham Square Congregational Church—Savings’ Bank—Chelsea College—Charles II. and Nell Gwynne—The Royal Military Asylum—Old Ranelagh—The Original Bunhouse—The whole interspersed with many other interesting notices of Distinguished Residents, &c.