10 



The cock-pit gave its name to a whole group 

 of buildings including residential quarters. 

 When, in 1683, Princess Anne of York was 

 married to Prince George of Denmark, the 

 uncle of the bride, Charles II, gave her " that 

 adjunct of Whitehall which was called the 

 cock-pit " as a residence * 



Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire in 1 697, 

 and a Privy Council room was built on the site of 

 the buildings which had included the old cock -pit 

 It is an interesting example of the tenacity 

 of names that Treasury papers for over a 

 hundred years after this Privy Council room 

 was built were often headed "The Cock-pit," 

 while in popular language the Privy Council 

 itself was sometimes called " The Cock-pit " 

 so recently as the year 1806 f 



The Westminster cock-pit was at the north- 

 western end of Dartmouth Street ; this was the 

 scene of battles for a long period of years until 

 1816, when it was pulled down. The " Cock- 

 pit steps " out of Birdcage Walk remain to 

 indicate the site. The ground whereon the 

 Westminster cock-pit stood was owned by 

 Christ's Hospital ; and on the day the lease 

 expired the Governors and Trustees met at the 



* Strickland's Queens of England 



'\ MSS. of the Earl of Lonsdale. Hist. MSS. Comm. 



