St. James's Church, Piccadilly Burial Ground
Bacon Traveller's Pocket Map of London 1890 George Washington Bacon |
St. James's Church, Piccadilly Burial Ground.
Following the blogs about the lost articles from April about
auctions and auctioneers this blog will be looking at the founder of one of the
most important auction houses in the country, Christie’s.
Founded during 1766, by James Christie. Its main premises being situated along King
Street, St. James’s, London. The first auction
having been conducted was on 5th December 1766, at rooms in Pall
Mall. These rooms were formerly occupied
by the print warehouse of Richard Dalton.
James Christie Thomas Gainsborough |
James Christie was born 1730, Perth, Scotland, having moved to London and establishing auctions rooms. During the late 18th century, the auction rooms dealt with some important sales. James moved next door to Gainsborough, who was living in the western wing of Schomburg House.
James who was friends with Garrick, Reynolds and Gainsborough. James died aged 73, during November 1803 at his
Pall Mall residence. He was buried at
the burial ground of St. James Church, Piccadilly.
Also buried at this burial ground is the unknown English
navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders.
Matthew Flinders Antoine Toussaint de Chazal |
Matthew was born 1774, Donnington, Lincolnshire. Aged 15, 1789, Matthew joined the Royal Navy. Initially ranked as a servant on board HMS Alert, then transferred to HMS Scipio as able-seaman. The following year, 1790, Matthew was made into midshipman on HMS Bellerophon.
Fiver years later, 1795, and the desire for adventure,
Matthew enlisted as a midshipman on board HMS Relliance. The vessel was heading out to New South Wales,
with the new appointed governor, Captain John Hunter. It was on this voyage that Matthew proved
himself a fine navigator and cartographer.
When the HMS Relliance arrived September 1795 at Port
Jackson, Matthew organised an expedition, along with the ship’s surgeon, George
Bass. The expedition was carried out in
an open boat named Tom Thumb, sailing from Botany Bay and up to Georges
River. The following year, March 1796,
in another open boat, Tom Thumb II, this expedition went south, but was
forced to stop at Red Point, where they accepted help from two Aboriginal men
who piloted the boat to entrance of Lake Illawarra.
1798, Matthew now ranked Lieutenant was given command of a
sloop Norfolk, along with George they circumnavigated Van Diemen’s Land.
1799, Matthew request to explore the northern coast of Port
Jackson. George had gone back to England;
Matthew recruited his brother Samuel Flinders.
It was during this expedition that they made it to Hervey Bay.
With a new century, Matthew was back in England. On the voyage back, the Antipodes Islands
were discovered and charted. Matthew’s
work had come to the attention of many scientist of the day including Sir
Joseph Banks.
1801, Matthew was given the command of the 334-ton sloop HMS
Investigator.
During the exploration of HMS Investigator, that the Southern
coast of Australia was surveyed and charted and mapped.
With the HMS Investigator being deemed not seaworthy
June 1803 at Sydney and condemned, that Matthew took passage onboard HMS Porpoise
back to England.
Wrecked on the Wreck Reefs part of the Great Barrier
Reef. Matthew navigated the ships cutter
back the 700 miles back to Sydney for a vessel to rescue the remaining ships
crew. Matthew took command of the 29-ton
schooner HMS Cumberland. This vessel
was in poor condition that Matthew was caught by the French. Matthew was prisoner of the French for
several years, and finally arriving back to England 1810.
July 1814, Matthew aged 40 died at his London residence, 14
London Street.
1878, the burial ground, became St. James’s Gardens, with
only a few gravestones lining the edges of the park. 1849, when part of the gardens was lost and
built over for the expansion of the nearby Euston station.
2017 the Gardens were closed to the public, for work to be
carried out the HS2.
Two years later, January 2019, archaeologist found Matthew’s
grave. His coffing having identified by
the well-preserved coffin plate. It was
thought that his grave was lost in the earlier works.
Following the discovery his grave, Matthew Flinders was reinterred
in the church of St. Mary and the Holy Road, Donnington after a successful campaign. It was in this church that Matthew had been baptised.
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