ROMANCE OF YEARS AGO.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 225, 10 November 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

ROMANCE OF YEARS AGO.

THE MYSTERY HOUSE OF QUEEN S GATE.

INQUEST REVEALS A LONG-LOCKED-UP SECRET.

Romance of years ago, telling of a bridegroom jilted on his wedding eve. his brido going off with another man, was reveafed at an inquest at Westminster last month. Two of the men engaged to demolish the house of losthopes and life-long despair were killed as the result of the collapse of a floor of this residence of rumour—this builiing of local mystery—situate in Queen's Gate, South Kensington. Deceased were George Everson, 53, builder's labourer, of Hercules-road, Westminster, and Charles Cooper, 61, carpenter, of Vicarage-road, Crowdon. — William McMillan, foreman in the employ of Messrs Dixon, builders, Fuiham, said that the men were engaged in carrying out alterations to an ol.i building which had been unoccupied tor 45 years. A conservatory roof had been removed, and rain hal collected on the floor. While work was in progress the floor suddenly collapsed, carrying with it Everson and buryin,Cooper. Tho floor of the rcom below also gave way. Both men were killed almost instantaneously, and another workman, John Roper, had a miraculous escape.—Mr. Leonard Bingham, solicitor, said that it seemed strange that such a house should remain unoccupied for 45 years, out a romance attached to it. A gentleman who was engaged to be married had the house prepared for his bride. On the eve of th.' wedding she eloped with his brother, whereupon ho shut up the house, and only entered it to pay the caretakers wages. The gentleman had since died, and the house had been sold by the executors.— Coroner (Mr. Oddie): What happened to the lady—retribution?--Solcitor: I do not know.—A verdict if "Accidental death" in each case was returned. THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY. The house in question was that owned by the late Mr. William Hamilton Codrington Nation, a man who had the most extraordinary hobbies in the world, and who is well-r'emembercd in London for his astonishing career as a consistently unsuccessful playnght and theatrical 'producer. He was in fact, a Jonah in the world of drama and seemed to have what Americans called a "hoodoo," tor the theatres_ which had been crammed for years .with enthusiastic audienesc were full of echoes when Mr. Nation produced his masterpieces. He was a librettist and a composer, a dramatic and farcical author, but he as as fortunate with art as he was with love. He never had a success and lost money with equanimity. Born in 1843, Ids father .was Mr. William Nation, lord of the manor of Rockbeare, Devon. He went to Eton and Oriel and in 1860 was engaged to a beautiful girl. He took the house in Queen's Gate, and furnished it with taste and luxury in readiness for his wedding. A sumptuous breakfast was spread for 50 guests on the first floor, and Mr. Nation was about to start for the church when the news came that the bride-elect had eloped with another man. He gave instructions that everything should reman just as t was, and left at once the house and th • countrv. For ten years the wedding breakfast was allowed to stand there untouches except by dust and cobwebs :» a locked and shuttered room in the large hou.ve tenanted only by a caretaker. The breakfast was at last removed, but tho other rooms remained, with the furnture that Mr. Nation had provided for his bride, locked and shuttered. I'hJ caretaker obeyed his instructions to tho letter and nothing win touched. not even the blankets, sheets, or counterpanes in the bedrooms bemg fered with. During the whole tune the house was unoccupied, iJi. Nation paid an annual ground rent of £6O. Tho property cculd easily have been let e.i £3OO per year, so the secret actually cost the owner £16,200, apart from the expenses of the caretaker. All however, ho refused to sell or let the residence, and it remained for 50 yej'S the " mystery house" of Queen's Gate. He kept it tenancies-, merely to shrine a precious memory. But oi' the loved one and the course of the romance there is no .word. Mr. Nation's first venture in theatrical work was when, aged 23. he took over the management of a theatre and produced "The Golden Dustman," a play adapted by hinisc-'l' from "Our Mutual Friend." In kit:* years he had productions at Terry's tho Scala, and the Royalty, while h:s last "show" was at Wyndham's in 1012. All the plays he produced wev-> written by himself, and imitated from the French. When Mr. Nation died a bachelor in March, 1914, lie left a fortune cf £311,00U, in spite of the drafts lie had made upon it by his theatric! misadventures. There was a grct search for a will, but none could he found. Family manors in Devonshire and Somerset were involved, and finally the estate was divided. Miss Vioi-jt and Miss Irene Yanbrugh, tho actresses .whose mother, Mrs. Barnes, was a step-sister of Mr. Nation, SHARED IN HIS FORTUNE. " .My father was the caretaker of Mr. Nation's house ..which the latter bought in 1K64," remarked Mrs. WieK. the caretaker, to the "Evening News.'' She was nine when she went to th" houVe in Queen's Gate. "No sooner had he bought it than he called in a man Iroin the, street, a Mr. Archer, wiio looked after the premises for five years," she went on. "Alter that my lather and mother went there, an I when mother died about IS months afterwards ie.thcr remained n. occupation lor the next 28 years. Then he died, and 1 continued there as caretaker till March, 191 I. During all that time Mr. Nation was a frequent visitor but sometimes be would be away for H months. He was a very eccentric man, but when away he ai'v.ays sent money from different parts o'' the Continent in bank-notes cut in half. He. never in his life slept in the house, but ho used sometimes to come there an.l have a glass of .wine and a biscuit. We had instructions not to move or disturb anything when workmen came in. He never talked about money, bus would talk freely about bis travels m France, Germany, and Switzerland. From time to time he took furniture away from spare rooms in the house, but the eight bedrooms, the two draw-ing-rooms, the library, and the diningroom were by his orders left completely undisturbed. Heels, carpets, furniture, and everything bad to remain untouched in the coach-house, ft was a splendd barouche, but the rats ate nwav the cushions, and the silver fell off, 'and alter his death it was broken up' 1 told him several times there up. I told him severa ltiie.es there would be an accident, but during the 45 years I was there it was only whitewashed once. When Mr, Nation pai.l visits to the house he never went into tiny other room but the library. Hi did not carry a latchkey, no:- would he have anv gas or electric lipht in the place <>n!v candles were used as an illuminant, ' Mr. Nation had a lot )f clothes which were kept in a chest in a. bedroom which he never occupied, but he sent to me for any chuige oi

clothes he wanted. He had a hobuy tor hansom oabs, and in th.J old days drivers used to wait long for him. He would never receive anybody at the house, but ho was a generous man, and subscribed largely to charities. Three tons of manuscript and books which he had written and collected it various times .were removed from the library after his death. The MSS. contained many poems, which he would read aloud to mo with the greatest gusto."