Contemplating time in St James Square

The last address I had on my list to visit in London was for a house in St James Square. This was the house where Maude Alice Ritchie was employed as a cook in domestic service at the time of the 1911 census. She was 33 and married, but neither her husband David Scott Ritchie Sr nor her son David Scott Ritchie Jr were recorded as living with her.

Walking into St James Square is a slightly surreal experience, especially when you know your great-grandmother once presided over a kitchen in one of these regal-looking houses. The square is bounded by very solid-looking Victorian-style buildings with columns and steps leading up to large, imposing doors. There isa garden surrounded by a wrought-iron fence in the centre, and when you walk through the garden, which isn't very big, it takes you out onto the street that leads to Pall Mall. There's no doubt about it, this is a very fancy part of london. Even being employed there as a servant must have afforded a certain status. For Maude, growing up as the second youngest of 10 children in a small apartment in Huntsworth Mews, the house and its location must have inspired awe.

The head of the household at the time of the 1911 census was George Sheppard Murray. His wife was Lucy Mary Joanna Murray. The couple were 59 and 43 respectively. George Murray was a retired bank manager from Jaffna, Ceylon, while Lucy was a resident of Hong Kong. Also living in the house in 1911 was their 18-year-old son, Eric Dennys Murray, who is listed as an army student and resident of Singapore.

From my research I knew that the house had once been the site of Cleveland House,, home of the Dukes of Cleveland from 1720 to 1894. When that house fell into disrepair it was demolished and replaced by the house in which Maude worked. That house stood for almost 100 years before being knocked down again. The brick-clad office building which stands there now is the headquarters of the Rolex Watch Company in London, and very impressive it is too.

We didn't go into the building although we could have, I think. It wasn't yet the end of the business day. But it had been a long and tiring walk. Tempers were getting a little frayed and I know when enough is enough. Besides, I definitely want to do another trip to London with my sister, so there will be ample opportunity to fill in all the gaps.