HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF CHELSEA. CHAPTER I. WALK THE FOURTH. Queen's Elm-Brompton Hall-Jews Burial Ground-York Place South Parade-New Square, and Improvements—Mr. Haworth's Museum-Mrs. Hutchins's Farm-King's ParadeAncient Conduits- Workhouse-Parochial Establishments, and Regulations-Petty Sessions-Old Burial Ground-Monuments and Inscriptions. HAVING, in the preceding Walks, described the several parts of the Parish lying on the banks of the Thames, I now return to the North-western part, and proceeding from Queen's Elm eastward, shall continue my course along the Fulham Road, and the adjacent streets. QUEEN'S ELM derives its name from having afforded accidental shelter to Queen Elizabeth, while on a visit to Lord Burleigh, at his neighbouring residence, now called Brompton Hall. This house, now inhabited by Mrs. Griffiths, the widow of the Rev. Joseph Griffiths, still retains some marks of its ancient splendour. There was, till lately, a grand porch at the entrance. The hall, or saloon, is a step lower than the rooms upon the same floor. The dining-room has a richly carved ceiling of oak, displaying in the centre the rose and crown, 1 Seé vol. 1. p. 151. and in its other compartments the fleur de lys and portcullis; and on taking down some ancient tapestry a few years since, the arms of Queen Elizabeth, carved in oak, and curiously inlaid with gold, were discovered above the chimney-piece. There is also, in another room, the relics of a very curious old wainscot, in small compartments. The house, since it came into the possession of Mr. Griffiths, has been modernized and considerably improved. That it was originally the residence of Lord Burleigh, there is scarcely a doubt; and that his Lordship was occasionally honoured with the visits of his Sovereign, is extremely probable, from tradition still preserved, and well known in the neighbourhood. THE JEWS' BURIAL GROUND, situate at Queen's Elm, in the Fulham Road, was purchased in the year 1813 by a society of Jews, and opened in the same year. It is intended for the interment of those only who subscribed for the purchase money, and for their families. A small building of two stories has been erected at the entrance of the ground, the lower part of which is called the Hall; it has folding doors opening from the road, for the purpose of receiving the corpse previous to interment. Over the mantle piece is the sixteenth Psalm in Hebrew, which is repeated daily on all the holidays, throughout the year; and on each side are also Prayers in Hebrew, used during the funeral ceremony. On the east are lists of the free members who are entitled to the Burial Ground, and also of sundry Benefactions. The upper apartments are occupied by the keeper of the burial ground. The graves are arranged in rows, close to each other, without any distinction, either of sex or age, rich or poor. There are a few altar-tombs, but in general each grave has a stone at the head, with an inscription in Hebrew and English. Alexander, the son of David and Hannah Levy, who departed this life the 26th of September, A. M. 5578; in the 18th year of his age. Thy childlike innocence, with manly prudence join'd; Which shone a bright example unto heedless youth; In memory of Julia, wife of Edward Laurine, who was three years a wife, two years a mother, and then departed this life on the 1st of April, A. M. 5588, aged twenty-one years. Beneath this stone lies slumb'ring here, A tender wife and mother dear; Her days were short, her time was come; In memory of Levy Greiditz, a pious and uninterested man, one of the Founders of the School for instructing indigent Children in Westminster, who devoted his earnings to Charity; departed this life the 5th of Tamuz, 5587. Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Solomon Lyon, who departed this life on the 24th of August, A. M. 5580, aged 65 years. Two hands joined at the thumbs denote the tribe of Cohen; in this manner this peculiarly holy tribe used to pray, and this custom is still followed. None of this tribe may approach a dead body on account of their peculiar sanctity; and when a death takes place, they must leave the house immediately, and not enter it again till after the funeral. At burials they are not permitted to approach the grave, but stand at a distance, merely that they may join in the usual prayers. The following prayers are used at funerals. Whoever has not been in the Burying Ground for the space of thirty days, says the following: Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who formed you in judgment; fed and sustained you in judgment; and killed you in judgment; and knoweth the number of all ye in judgment; and will in future restore ye to life in judgment. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who reviveth the dead. A Prayer, acknowledging the justice of God's decree. He is the Rock, whose work is perfect, for all his ways are just; the God of truth, and in whom there is no iniquity; just and upright is he. He is the Rock, who is perfect in every work: who can say unto him, What worketh thou? He ruleth above and beneath; he killeth and maketh alive; bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. He is the Rock that is perfect in every work; who can say unto him, What doeth thou? O thou, who promisest and performest, grant us mercy gratuitously; and for the sake of him, who was bound a lamb, hearken to our supplication, and grant our request. He is righteous in all his ways; he is the perfect Rock, long-suffering, and full of mercy. We beseech thee to pity, and have compassion on both fathers and children, for thou art Lord of forgiveness and mercy. Thou, Lord, art righteous to kill and make alive: for thy hand is the depositary of all spirits. Far be it from thee to blot out our memorial. O may thine eyes be open towards us in mercy; for thou art Lord of mercy and forgiveness. If a man liveth one year, or he liveth a thousand years, what pre-eminence has he? he is as if he had not been. Blessed be the true Judge, who killeth and maketh alive: blessed be he, for his judgment is true; and with his eye he pervadeth all things. He rendereth justice to every man, according to his account; and all give thanks to his name. We know, O Lord, that thy judgments are righteous; thou art justified in what thou hast spoken, and art pure when thou judgest; we, therefore, cannot imagine evil against thy attribute of justice. Thou, O Lord, art righteous, and thy judgments are upright. He is the true judge, and judgeth with righteousness and truth. Blessed be the true judge; for all his judgments are just and true. The soul of every living creature is in thine hand, for righteousness filleth thy right hand. O have mercy on the remnant of the sheep of thy hand; and say to the Angel, Slack thine hand. O thou, who art great in counsel and mighty in operation, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the children. of men; to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works, to shew that the Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. The Lord has given, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. But he, being merciful, forgiveth iniquity, and destroyeth not; yea, he frequently turneth his anger away, and awakeneth not all his wrath. The following prayer is repeated after the funeral, by the sons of the deceased : May his great name be exalted, and sanctified throughout the world, which he will renew in futurity, to revive the dead, and bring them up to everlasting life; to build the city of Jerusalem, and perfect the holy temple therein, and to extirpate all strange worship from the earth, and restore the worship of heaven to its proper place; and may he reign in his glorious kingdom. Blessed be he, even in your life time, and in your days, and in the life time of the whole house of Israel: speedily, and in a short time; and say ye, Amen. They then pluck some grass, and say, And they shall flourish in the city, like the grass of the earth. In examining the tomb-stones, the following names most frequently occur: Harris, Emanuel, Marks, Simmons, Woolf, Rees, Hyams, Phillips, Davis, Barnett, Manly, Lyon, Douglas, Levy, Lewin, Solomon, Cohen, Abraham, Godfrey, Hart. When any person is buried, the nearest relations, that is, the father, mother, children, husband, wife, brother, or sister, keep the house a week after the funeral, sitting on the ground all the time, excepting on the Sabbath day, when they go to prayers, on which day they have most visits and consolatory discourse made them than upon any other. During this week, they are neither to work nor dispatch any business. The husband and the wife are to lodge asunder. And there come at least ten people, morning and evening, to say the customary prayers with these near relations, who are not to stir abroad. Their devotions are concluded with a prayer for the soul of the person deceased. They go into mourning according to the custom of the country where they live, without being obliged to any such distinction of habits. When the week is ended, they go abroad to the synagogue, where generally they light up lamps, pray, and promise to give alms for the soul of the deceased. This charitable service is repeated at the end of every month, and every year. If the dead person is a rabbin, or one of condition, they make a funeral oration by way of panegyric upon him. It is customary for the son to say the Gadise, or holy prayer, every morning and evening in the synagogue, for his father's or mother's soul; and this is to be done eleven months together; and some fast upon every anniversary of their death. They believe there is a Paradise, where the blessed enjoy the beatific vision, which they call Gan-Hedem'; they believe the souls of the wicked are tormented there with fire and other kinds of punishment; that though some of them will be damned to all eternity, yet others are thrown in for a certain time. They hold that no |