42 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 



hated him thoroughly and intensely — slighted his young and amiable 

 wife — sided with his father, who upon all occasions behaved towards 

 him with harshness and severity; and when on her deathbed the 

 prince importuned to be allowed to see her, and sent her a most 

 affectionate message, refused to have him admitted to her presence." 

 And therefore " of this famous Richmond Lodge, its magnificent 

 gardens, the statuary and the numerous and singular buildings with 

 which the Queen of George II had at such an extraordinary outlay 

 enriched the place, the remains of the ancient monastery of Sheen, 

 the large and embattled Gothic entrance, and the numerous houses 

 still appertaining to the hamlet — we have now not a vestige left." 

 For "a few years after the accession of George III, the public, more 

 especially of Richmond and Kew, were surprised to learn that it was 

 His Majesty's intention to pull down the whole of the buildings and 

 convert the estate into a large pasturage for cattle, which intention 

 was duly carried out." 



" It was at the time asserted, and in that assertion there is no 

 doubt much truth, that the young King so detested the memory of 

 his grandmother, Queen Caroline, so cherished a recollection of the 

 unnatural behaviour which she had always shown towards his late 

 father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, that he took an earnest pleasure 

 in destroying all that she had erected, or on which her taste and 

 resources had been expended." 



To return to the topographical description of the property. The 

 Brentford Horse Ferry was superseded by the erection of the first 

 Kew Bridge in 1759. 



In 1765 George III obtained an Act (6 George III) for the shutting 

 up of Love Lane, undertaking in return to maintain Kew Lane, the 

 present high road from Richmond to Kew Bridge. This Act was 

 apparently ineffective, for a further one was passed in 1784 (25 George 



in). 



The Palace at Kew was the residence of Augusta Princess of Wales, 

 mother of George III, and the Observatory attached to it fell 

 into disuse. Accordingly, when the Transit of Yenus occurred in 

 1769, facilities for observing it at the old Kew Observatory did 

 not exist. This was pointed out to King George III (apparently 

 by Dr. Demainbray), and he gave orders for the erection of an 

 Observatory in the Old Deer Park, the architect being Sir William 

 Chambers. This was known as the " King's Observatory," and in a 

 paper* by the late Major- General Gibbes Rigaud, it is further styled 

 "the King's Observatory at Kew." Dr. Evans, however, calls it "The 

 Royal Observatory," and speaks of it as being at Richmond. 



* "Dr. Demainbray and the King's Observatory at Kew.'* — "The Observatory," 

 October 2nd, 1882. 



