Before they married, Winifred
Fortescue was tasked with finding a suitable home in London. She settled
on a delightful house at 15, Brompton Square, off Brompton Road, only a
short walk from Harrods. Apologies to Dirk Bogarde - (who,
co-incidentally, lived very close to Winifred's Domaine in France years
later). John liked the house at once and after having it properly
surveyed they took it. Winifred and John split their time between London
and Windsor castle. When in London John would write in his garden study
and when WWI arrived they kept chickens on the study roof to provide their
own supply of eggs. Winifred, in common with every other woman, did
various kinds of war-work including packing parcels of foodstuffs for
prisoners of war in a great concrete floored building in Brompton Rd.
John & Winifred stayed at Brompton Square until they moved to
Admiral's House, Hampstead Heath in 1916. John
had been told by his doctor that he should find a house with a large
garden so that when his eyes prevented him from writing he could work
outdoors instead of wandering around noisy London streets.
Brompton Square is still an
extremely pleasant and beautifully preserved haven. The residents garden
in the centre is kept locked and, considering it is fronted by the very
busy Brompton Rd, it is amazingly quiet. There are a number of houses in
the road with interesting connections, some bearing blue plaques. Some
examples include No. 25, the home of the writer E. F. Benson, No. 6, Stephane Mallarme, poet, and No. 21, Francis Place, Political Reformer.
Outside
Holy Trinity Church an awning had been put up and a carpet laid down
for an important wedding in the afternoon, and, as John walked up to
the side door of the church, a reporter accosted him - 'I beg your
pardon, sir, but could you tell me if this awning is put up for the
wedding of the Hon. John Fortescue ?' 'Yes, I can assure you that it
is not' replied John with perfect truth. 'Thank you, sir, you've
saved me from wasting my time kicking my heels here' said the
reporter gratefully, and walked off.
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On the 30th April 1914, John
and Winifred were married at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane St, Kensington.
John was very shy about the wedding. Being a member of the Royal
Household and coming from a large family he was concerned that a London
wedding would become a pageant. His brother, Seymour, had quarters in
St. James's Palace and wanted the wedding to be in the Chapel Royal.
John firmly declined. He favoured a private ceremony in the Royal
Library at Windsor Castle but the Special Licence was too costly. His
London flat being in Brook St, he was within the parish of St. George's,
Hanover Square - one of the most fashionable churches for weddings in
all London, and therefore to be avoided. To secure a quiet wedding the
only option was to find another church. John decided to dump a bag of
clothing in his elder sister Susan's flat in Burton Court, which would give him
the right to have his banns called in the church of Holy Trinity, Sloane
St. Arrangements were made by Winifred with the rector for her father
and brother, Guy, to perform the marriage service in the side chapel.
The wedding took exactly seven and a half minutes - John informed
Winifred afterwards. Only eleven people were present including the happy
couple!
Holy Trinity Church is a
masterpiece. It was described by John Betjeman as 'The Cathedral of the
Arts & Crafts Movement' and it is just that. Building commenced in 1888 to
a design by John Dando Sedding. Sedding was an inspirational speaker on
the ideals of the Arts & Crafts Movement but always paid tribute to the
person who offered him so much inspiration: the versatile and meteoric
Pugin. The message of the Arts & Crafts Movement was to make everyday
things beautiful and to revere nature through crafts, painting and
architecture. Prominent members of the, movement included John Ruskin,
William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Henry Wilson, Armstead and Pomeroy.
Sloane Street, Kensington
Burton Court in Fitzroy Gardens where
John's sister lived |
Burton Court in Fitzroy Gardens |
Holy Trinity Foundation stone |
Holy Trinity, Sloane St, Kensington |
Side altar where the Fortescue
marriage was held |
Side altar where the Fortescue
marriage was held |
High altar and east window |
High altar and east window |
Holy Trinity, Sloane St - 'The
Cathedral of the Arts & Crafts Movement' John
Betjeman |
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