- Rosherville Gardens
Rosherville Gardens was a
pleasure garden inGravesend, Kent ,England .The Gardens
Rosherville was opened in
1839 by George Jones (a business man fromIslington in northLondon ) on the site of a disused chalk pit inNorthfleet . It became a favourite destination for thousands of Londoners during good weather, many travelling by paddle steamer down theRiver Thames . In 1878 many visitors to the gardens died in the SS|Princess Alice|1865|2 disaster.At one time it was managed by Barnet Nathan, brother of the musician and 'friend of Byron'
Isaac Nathan . Barnet, who was known professionally as 'Baron Nathan' (in mockery ofNathan Rothschild ), was renowned for his act of dancing a hornpipe, blind-folded, across a stage laid out with eggs. On his death he merited an obituary in Punch.The advent of the railways led to the Gardens' demise, as Londoners were now able to reach coastal resorts such as
Margate andSouthend .In literature
Rosherville is mentioned in
The Newcomes (vol. 2 chapter 6) byWilliam Makepeace Thackeray , where its Gothic Hall is singled out for its gaudiness.It is referred to in
Gilbert & Sullivan 'scomic opera "The Sorcerer " Act 2. Mr Wells sings "Hate me! I spend the day at ROSHERVILLE!"It is also mentioned as a "place to spend a happy day" in chapter 13 of
E. Nesbit 's "The Story of the Amulet ".Links
[http://www.imagesonline.bl.uk/britishlibrary/controller/subjectidsearch?id=13539&&idx=1&startid=39620 Map of Rosherville Gardens]
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