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Somerset House
This is the site of the first Renaissance Palace in England and was built in 1547-50 for the Lord Protector Somerset. There is some doubt as to the architect, some saying John of Padua and others Sir John Thynne. The entrance gate was carved by Nicholas Cave, a master mason to Henry VIII. To enable the building to be erected the inns of the Bishops of Chester and Worcester were demolished along with Strand Inn, an Inn of Chancery and the Church of the Nativity and Innocents. Stone was needed and the Priory Church of St John Clerkenwell and St Paul’s Charnel House and Cloister were pulled down for this purpose. In 1552 Somerset was executed and the house was given to Princess Elizabeth. In 1558 Elizabeth acceded the throne and part of the house was given to Edward Seymour, the Protector’s son and the remainder was used for grace and favour residences, apartments for foreign ambassadors and as a meeting place for council. (The same could be said today although our council is more modest!) In 1603 the house passed to Anne of Denmark and in 1606 it was renamed Denmark House in honour of Christian IV of Denmark, Anne’s brother, who was staying with her. After her funeral it passed to Prince Charles but his preference was St James’s Palace.
In 1625 the house was given to Henrietta Maria but twenty years later she left for the Netherlands and the house was taken over by Members of Parliament and the Army, becoming once again Somerset House. Soon after a gallery along the water front was built. It was said in an advertisement in 1676 that it was the first English building with parquet flooring. Catherine of Braganza used to retire here and lived permanently in the house following the death of Charles II. She left in 1693 to become Regent of Portugal and until 1775 it was used as grace and favour residences again. The house was demolished as Queen Charlotte chose Buckingham House for her residence.
Sir William Chambers, the Surveyor General, was appointed architect and the new building he designed allocated for government offices, was built around a large courtyard with a free-standing north wing. The river washed against the south terrace, being without embankments. In 1788 the stature of George III was erected in the courtyard. In 1835 the east wing was added by Robert Smirke and the west wing by James Pennethorne.
The Royal Academy was based at Somerset House 1771-1836, the Royal Society 1780-1857 and the Society of Antiquaries 1781-1873, all in the north wing. The Navy had the west wing and part of the river wing and the Stamp Office had the rest. Elsewhere, smaller offices were in residence such as the Hackney Coach and Barge Master. In 1836-1973 the office of the General Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages were there and the Inland Revenue had most of the building. The Courtauld Institute Galleries moved in during 1990. Today HM Revenue and Customs have the New Wing where we currently meet.
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