RICHMOND
A royal palace stood here in quite early times, being in ruins in the reign of Henry the Fourth. Henry V rebuilt it, and when Henry VII became King, he made it his royal residence, changing the name of the hamlet from West Sheen to Richmond, in commemoration of his title as Earl of Richmond in Yorkshire.
A fire broke out in 1498, completely demolishing the old building. A new palace was erected in 1501. This building is especially interesting, being in its entirety a Tudor structure, representing the architectural taste of the time in domestic building, when the sole determining factors were pleasure and convenience. This object was fully obtained by mixture of judicious colouring, oblong or diamond shaped patches of black brick, having been originally super-imposed upon a ground of warm red. The level of the frontage is broken up by the intervention of small circular towers, sallying forward from the background, and fine mullioned windows, with a forest of turrets complete the frontage, which formed a most picturesque view and which existed only for that purpose. These architectural details bore a strong affinity to the Saracenic type of architecture, which may well have influenced English taste through our then close connexion with Spain.
The chief drawback to the general good effect of the building is its huddled appearance, arising principally from the narrowness of the projecting towers and the manner in which they are crowded together upon a not too extensive front.
This impression is assisted by the close proximity of the palace to the river. An early chronicler, about 1501, narrates that the building was girded and encompassed with a strong and mighty brick wall, barred and bent with towers in each corner and angle and also in the midway. The openings, thestrong gates of double timber and heart of oak, were stuck full of nails right thick and crossed with bars of iron. Now but little is left to confirm the fact that there was a palace upon the site built as late as the time of Henry VIII, and was still standing in the seventeenth century. The most conspicuous of the remains are those in the house occupied by Mr. Middleton, facing Richmond Green, and the gateway to Wardrobe Court, with its upper chamber forming part of the house. The gateway is of red brick, and has a large four central archway of stone, over which is a perished stone panel of arms; on the east side is an eighteenth century oval window, and on the other side three block windows, above a stone string course, with a moulded top member and a bead at the bottom. The building is cut short north of the gateway, but evidence of its continuation in that direction is given by the arched recess on the ground floor and the blocked doorway in the upper storey, besides the marks showing the position of the first floor and the flat roof on that face, which now overlooks the gardens of the old Court House, an eighteenth century building now occupied by a lady. Some of the lower walls of Mr. Middleton’s house, no doubt, retain the original brickwork, and the three projecting bays in the east front, a semi-octagonal one between the two five-sided bays are evidently on the old foundation, but there is little in the house to call attention to its age except a fireplace on the first floor, with a Tudor arch and a chimney stack on the west side. Authentic records exist proving that Shakespeare and his fellow actors often acted before the Court when residing at Richmond Palace. The Hall in which the performance took place was situated in an upper storey containing one fairly large room 100 feet by 40 feet, called the Great Hall. The following account is taken from a description of the Palace, written in1649: “This room (the Great Hall) hath a screen in the lower end, over which is a little gallery; the pavement is tiled, and is very well lighted; the ceiling is adorned with eleven statues; on the side stands a brick hearth for a charcoal fire, having a large lanthorn in the roof of the Hall fitted for that purpose, turreted and covered with lead. In the north end of the Great Hall there is one turret, and a clock case covered with lead, which, together with the lanthorn in the middle thereof, are a special ornament unto that building.”
No detailed account of a performance is known, and only in one instance is the name given of the play performed; documents may exist at the Record Office which one day may give us new information on the subject.
1575. The Earl of Warwick’s players were paid £10 for performing a play before the Queen at Richmond on Shrove Monday last past.
1578. The Lord Chamberlain’s men were paid £10 for performing a play called “A History of the Cruelties of a Stepmother.” This play was performed at Richmond on Innocents’ Day at night.
1578. A play was performed at Richmond on St. John’s Day at night by the Children of the Chapel Royal.
On March 15th, 1639, John Lowin, Joseph Taylor and Edward Swanston were paid £300 for 24 plays acted before the King by the King’s players. Six of these plays were produced at Richmond in the previous year.
The next year the same actors were paid £20 for producing several plays before His Majesty, two of which were performed at Richmond.
1640. A warrant for £60 unto the company of the Prince’s players for three plays acted at Richmond at £20 each play, in consideration of their travelling expenses and loss of the days at home.