Identifier: oldnewlondonnarr05thor (find matches)
Title: Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Thornbury, Walter, 1828-1876
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Cassell, Petter, & Galpin
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ROGERS SEAT AM) INIGO JONES GATEWAY, HOLLAND HOUSE. and of their heir. Lord Kensington, until, as wehave stated above, it was purchased by HenryFox, who subsequently became a lord himself, andtook his title from the mansion. This was towardsthe close of the reign of George II. Henry Fox, the first Lord Holland of the newcreation, was the youngest son of Sir Stephen Fox,a distinguished politician during the reigns ofCharles H,, James IL, William TIT., and Queen Walpole says he was a footman; and the late I^ordHolland, who was a man of too noble a nature toaffect ignorance of such traditions, candidly ownsthat he was a man of very humble origin.Henry Fox was the political opponent of the firstWilliam Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham. Thechief transactions of his lordships public life areall duly recorded in the pages of history. LeighHunt, in his own lively manner, writes thus of Holland House.) THE FOX FAMILY. 169
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207 170 OLD AND NEW LONDON. (Holland House. him :— Fox had begun Hfe as a partisan of SirRobert Walpole ; and in the course of his caieerheld lucrative offices under Government—that ofPaymaster of the Forces, for one—in which heenriched himself to a degree which incurred a greatdeal of suspicion. A good story is told concern-ing Fox whilst he held the above-mentioned office;it is one which will bear repeating here. AfterAdmiral Byrons engagement in the West Indies,there arose a great clamour about the badness ofthe ammunition served out. Soon afterwards, Mr.Fox fought a duel with a Mr. Adam. The formerreceived his adversarys ball, which, happily, madebut a very .slight impression. Egad, sir ! ob-served Fox, it would have been all over with meif we had not charged our pistols Avith Govern-ment powder. Fox, however, was latterly denounced, in a Cityaddress, as the defaulter of unaccounted millions.Public accounts, in those times, were strangelyneglected ; and the family have said

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