HISTORICAL GARDENS 
3*5 
extraordinary number of centenarians this small burying- 
ground contains is astounding. William Hisland surely 
beats the record, as he was married when he was over 
a hundred ! He was born in August 1620, and died 
in February 1732. Another veteran of 112 died five 
years later, while another, Robert Comming, who was 
buried in 1767, was 115, and before the end of the 
eighteenth century three others, aged respectively 102, 
hi, and 107, were interred. The eldest of these 
three, who died in 1772, had fought in the Rattle of 
the Boyne! It certainly speaks well for the care and 
attention bestowed on them in the Hospital. 
The garden to the east of the buildings was part 
of the original ground, but has had a career and history 
of its own. It was the famous Ranelagh Gardens, which 
enchanted the beaux and fair ladies of the eighteenth 
century. From 1742 to 1803 its glories lasted. Rane¬ 
lagh House was built by the Earl of that name, who 
was Paymaster to the Forces in the reign of James II., 
a clever, unscrupulous person, who amassed considerable 
wealth in the course of his office-work. He obtained 
a grant of the land from Chelsea Hospital, built a house 
and laid out a garden, where the “ plots, borders, and 
walks ” were “ curiously kept, and elegantly designed.” 
After passing through the hands of his daughter, Lady 
Catherine Jones, the property was sold to Swift and 
Timbrell, who leased it to Lacey, the patentee of Drury 
Lane Theatre. The idea was to turn it into a winter 
Vauxhall. Eventually it was open from Easter till 
the end of the summer, and effectually outshone Vaux¬ 
hall. Walpole, in a letter two days after it was first 
opened, did not think much of it. “ I was there, last 
night, but did not find the joy of it. Vauxhall is a 
