Battersea

BATTERSEA, a parish and populous suburb of London, chiefly in the western, partly also in the eastern division of the hundred of Brixton, in the county of Surrey, 4 miles to the S. W. of London. It is a station on the West End branch of the South Coast and Crystal Palace railways. It lies on the south bank of the Thames, which is here crossed by two bridges, connecting the village with Chelsea. The parish includes the chapelries of Battersea Newtown, Christ Church, and Penge.

It was anciently of greater extent, and was among the possessions of St. Peter's abbey, Westminster, whence it is called, in the Norman survey, Patricsey or Peters-ey. The land is chiefly laid out in market gardens, from which a large supply of vegetables is sent to London. These gardens are less extensive than they were formerly. Asparagus was first grown here. Some of the inhabitants are employed in the silk manufacture. There is also a vitriol factory and several others. In 1790 a horizontal air-mill was erected, which was employed in crushing linseed, for the extraction of the oil, and afterwards in grinding malt.

The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Winchester, of the value of £982, in the patronage of Earl Spencer. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. It is a plain brick edifice with a tower and spire, erected in 1777 on the site of an older one, and stands close to the river. On the stained east window, preserved from the former church, are portraits of King Henry VII., Margaret Beauchamp, his grandmother, and Queen Elizabeth. In the church are several interesting monuments, the principal of which is one to Henry, Viscount Bolingbroke, and his lady, by Roubiliac. Others are in memory of Sir Edward Winter, a distinguished officer of the East India Company; Thomas Astle, the antiquary, who died in 1802; Arthur Collins, author of the "English Peerage," who died in 1760; and William Curtis, the botanist. Newtown church, called also Battersea-in-the-Fields, is dedicated to St. George.

The living is a perpetual curacy, value £158, in the gift of the vicar. The church was built in 1828, and is in the perpendicular style of architecture.

There are two other district churches-one called Christ Church, the other at Penge. The livings of both are perpetual curacies, the former in the patronage of the vicar, and the latter in that of trustees. There are chapels belonging to the Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists. The training school of the National Society is established in this parish. The charitable endowments of Battersea amount to £281 per annum, of which £160 is the revenue of the free school for 20 boys, established by the St. Johns in 1700. There are also National and infant schools.

Bolingbroke House, taken down in 1778, was the ancient residence of the St. John family. It was here that Lord Bolingbroke, the friend of Pope, died in 1751. Pope was a frequent guest, and wrote some of his poems in a room wainscoted with cedar, which is still preserved. The vicarage of Battersea was once held by Bishop Patrick.

There are many pleasant seats and villas in the neighbourhood. Battersea Rise was the seat of the late Sir R. H. Inglis, Bart. In 1829, a duel was fought in Battersea Fields between the Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Winchelsea. These fields have been recently formed into a park, containing 186 acres, with a fine sheet of ornamental water in the centre. The Act was obtained in 1846, but the source from which funds were expected having failed, the undertaking was deferred till 1848, when a vote of £200,000 was made for this purpose; but the total cost was estimated by Sir Benjamin Hall in 1857 at £376,999. The necessary improvements have since been effected, including a handsome new bridge, connecting Battersea Park with Chelsea, from which latter place it takes its name, to distinguish it from old Battersea bridge, which crosses the river considerably higher up. This latter bridge, nearly 800 feet in length, was erected in 1771, and cost £22,500. The former, known as Chelsea Chain Bridge, is close to the railway bridge, and its appearance is not at all improved thereby. The works were commenced in May, 1851, and have been four years finished. The bridge is 47 feet between the railings, including the chains; it contains 41,490 superficial feet of roadway and footway, and cost £88,000. The girders and plates for the roadway are of iron instead of timber. The towers are of iron instead of brick, and the casing of an ornamental character, painted light green and relieved by gilding.

The Pimlico railway bridge, which adjoins the suspension bridge, was designed by Mr. T. Fowler, to carry the South Coast and Crystal Palace railways across the Thames to the Victoria station. That portion of the river where the new bridge crosses is about 900 feet in width, and the structure consists of four openings, each having a clear span of 175 feet, and one side-opening at each land side of 70 feet each. These openings are covered with segmental arches in iron, and rest on massive piers, the supporting stones of which average a weight of 8 tons each. Each river pier measures 63 feet in length, by a width of 19 feet. The new bridge, which is constructing for the West London railway, to connect the North Western and South-Western lines, is not yet sufficiently advanced to enable us to give a detailed description.

The parish of Battersea is very extensive, embracing an area of 31,183 acres, consisting of some of the richest land in England. The fields in the vicinity are well known to botanists as containing above one quarter of the species of English plants. In July, 1862, an international agricultural and cattle show was held in the park.