New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-14
SARDINIA CHAPEL.
A RELIC OF THE GORDON RIOTS.

Another Interesting landmark IS presently TO dis
appear from London. This Is the Sardinia Chapel IN
Lincolns Inn Fields. The County Council has Marked
It for destruction, TO make way for new street be-
tween TIolborn and the Strand 1t Is really reno
OF Old London dating back 10 iG43. and being To-
day in fact the oldest Roman Catholic chapci con
tinuo,sly used as such In London. writer In "The
London Globe" recalls that II was erected even be-
fore the mansion which existed I'm " The Fields cnmc
TO be used rs the Sandman Embassy ana WINE u
was still the town residence OF the Countess OF ha'h.
The Fields are mentioned In connection Win Romh"
Catholicism as early 1888. when Il priest ana -
Iayman wcre In the reign OF Elizabeth. executed there
"on n new pair Of gallows" by being hanged drawh
| and CHARTERED From that time to the present inc
ulnce has ALWAYS been connected with ROnanism. IL
was exactly century af,crward that the hrst anu
| popcry attack was made on the place. ana anothcr
century all but eight years later that the Gordon rios
broke ont the passing OF the act which permitted
Roman Catholics TO take the oath OF allegiance WIN
ont the religious test and on the runor that other
| inducencesn were to be allowed. The periods both
before and after these riots times OF great dill
Guilty for the Roman Catholics, and many are the
stories told-some fabulous. but having substra'um
OF truth-of how the services were for long time
held in the taproom OF the Ship Public House. IN the
ncighborhood the Bishop arriving In tho "coiored
clothes" OF ordinary citizen, and cxhor'ihg MS
| flock with a pipe In his hand and foaming mug
NJ beer in front OF him. In order deude any chance
arrivals the members OF the congregation too, sitting
| round the table with pipe and glass as though en-
gagged I'm an ordinary tnproom discussion. 1nn' ms
took pace MS q regular custom for long time Is De-
yond dispute and at the Ship is still preserved the
snurbox of Bishop Challoner, who was Bishop at that
| time
It's. however, with the "No Popery" riots, organ
z.d by Lord George Gordon, that the venerable cdnce
K chiefly associated Part OF the original building,
which WAS twice burned and looted by the mob. still
remains though the larger part OF The chapei ana aa
i,c.nt budlng ONLY dates back TO that period when
they were restored and enlarged at the cost OF the
nation. Even before that time the chapel bad al
| ready a history. and had passed through sflrrns
episodes including that sacking OF the Catholic chapes
| which followed Immediately The announcement
that the Prince OF Orange had landed ut Brixham on
| November A. 1853. when desperate and continued
attack was made for day and night on the francis
cans who lived In the building now used as presoy
ferry and was only stopped 10y guard OF Infantry ana
| cavalry sent by the King
From q story OF the sackng OF the chapel ms told
in "The Political Magazine Of that date. appears
tot the mob broke open the door Of the chapel ana
pued down the rails. seats and other WOODWORK win
| which they made q bonfire near the door, THIS WAS
about 10 o'clock In the morning. In about twenty
minutes the chapel caught fire and The mob would not
| let any one cxtInguish IT, About ii O'Clock inc
| uords came md the engines began to play but hy
the house over the gate much damaged on the fol-
lowing day the house OF Mr. Mabcrley In Little Queen
at was Quilted. In consequence OF his having gwen
evidence against the rioters. and number OF popsh
cbapels together with the houses OF LORD Petre ana
| others we're "among the trlumphs OF the night
| Two DAYS later, on Sunday, June d. the sardh'ah
Cbone, was again attacked. The repairs already nc
complished were destroyed. and the mob was ABOUT
to finish the work Of demolition when the guards ar-
rived from somerset House. One incident Of the riot
* very curious. While II was In full swing jesuit
father went, I'm company with an Anglican clergy
man TO view the burning chapel The MOB In its DINA
rage mistooS the clergyman for priest ana desp''e
his protestatons, about to throw him INTO The
burning building. when the Jesuit who was Of conf
handing appearance. and In accordance WIZ the ne
eos cs OF the time was dressed In ordinary costume
,epp,d forward and assured the rnbblc that the sup
posed priest was IA clergyman OF the English Church.
the Jesuit thus saving the life OF the parsol.
After the rebuilding OF the chapel II continued up
10 the end OF the first quarter OF the present century
to be the centre OF Roman Catholicism. Even since
that period. when DR.. Baldacconi wns missionary
rector the chapel had a very fine choir. and In the
creot festivals Iablache, RubIni, Tamburln Gris
persiani and other italian opera singers attracted
large and fashionable regaons. 1t has also one
OF the finest organs 10 be met With Id any pace o
worship in London and though II Is situated In poor
and souad observation-disclosures notorious rendezvous
tho press do great deal to mitigate the lo' OF The
moor people who crowd the tumbledown houses IN The
vicinity.
Viewing the chapel from the outside no one wouid
suppose II to be n building OF any importance. ANY
thing more unecclesiastlcal II would be dh'cuit 10
imagine than the long. almost wlndowless wall win
curlous angles which accentuate It's other cnmorous
features but this Is accounted for by the fact mat
xhen Il was built the persecution OF the Catholics
was 50 unrelenting that the more church could be
made 10 resemble n stable or factory the more likely
II would be 10 escape notice. When It came 10 be re-
constructed and enlarged after the Gordon riots lingo
Zones added the heavy stone archway at the end OF
what was then Duke-st.. but which Is now known as
orar,ast .one OF most clumsy pieces OF work ne
o~er perpetrated. Inside. however. the chapel is
rsailx ,rnntc-much money having Deen spent upon
w"nnnd the absence Of windows adds that aim. re-
,,g,oms ITCH, which enables one the better 70 ap
ts.cate The dark panslling and very nne WOODWORK,
aonstntng An adnira bic foil TO the pnght coors and
Irht. NJ he affairs and the SIDE chapels oy when
~. 'apm,orit,es OF the walls are hidden The double
wy rye II a quaint appearance ana the "gnal'
@ c.iierv sill, exces the attention OF the curious.
IVY hin" The place where for centuries the grandees
na,a sar There also the Ambassadors pew: manu-
"m.,v constructed In mahogany Win special kta!f-
,nn sb", of from the church, useo by many "
,,.,.u" uer.onS among whom j. counted Nictor
Er,manuei, King OF sardinia.