52 THE APOTHECARIES' GARDEN 



History and anatomy, to Montagu House, and 

 form a British Museum. 



The monument to Sir Hans Sloane, with its 

 large urn and serpents in the graveyard of 

 Old Chelsea church, was erected in 1763. 



It has been suggested that as Sloane was for 

 many years an absentee landlord, and pulled 

 down Beaufort House, it would have been 

 better for Chelsea if he had " never been 

 born." But, without any doubt, Beaufort 

 House, which had a frontage of 200 feet, and 

 had been for twenty years unfurnished and 

 unoccupied, would have disappeared as soon 

 as it became an eligible building site who- 

 ever happened to be the owner. Chelsea, too, 

 is greatly indebted to Sloane for saving the 

 Physic Garden. It was also due to his influence 

 in high places that an order was sent from the 

 Lords of the Treasury to the King's Surveyor 

 to open the King's Road to Chelsea residents. 

 The King's Road was originally a narrow cart- 

 way. It allowed farm labourers and market 

 gardeners access to their fields on each side, 

 and to Chelsea Common on the north. It was 

 widened by taking land off the headlands, 

 where ploughs turned, in the fields by the side 

 of it. As a compensation the tenants were 

 allowed to make use of the road. 



In Sloane 's time the King's Surveyor took 

 upon himself to close the gates on the road 

 against all but a few privileged persons. 



Sir Hans Sloane, supported by three free- 

 holders, after some trouble obtained an order 

 to Brigadier Watkins, Surveyor of the King's 

 private roads, to allow the tenants of the fields 



