An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 7 From 1817 to 1819 he was of Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, and on 22nd May, 1819, he bought an annuity of £42 payable by William Horace Beckford, secured on certain farms in Gloucestershire known as Sudeley, Waterhatch, .and Trench Farms. I rather fancy this also was lost. He was then (1819) described as of Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, gentleman. In 1820 (7th February} he bought an annuity from J. Rudney, and was then of 27, York Buildings, New Road. In 1821 he bought for £2,600 a lease of premises in Lower Woodstock Street, and in 1822 was living in Portland Place, and from 1824 he was of Woodstock Street. In 1826 he was described as of 2, Lower James' Street, Golden Street, gentleman, in the will of Thomas Wright, of 13, Warwick Street, and in the same year lent money on some houses at Brixton, which were a constant source of worry to my father. In 1828 he was of Westmoreland Street, Marylebone. He was living at Warwick Street, 1828, when he lent money on mortgage to bis son's future father-in-law, Benjamin Tuppen, of Brighton, 1 and also in 1833 when described as of 20, Warwick Street, gentleman, he made his will dated 13th May, 1833, of which his son, his wife, and William Oak, of Sherrard Street, were executors. He had property in the newly-erected "Quadrant," for on 2nd August, 1826, he bought the Crown lease of No. 91 (rent £63 15s. gd. and £5 laud tax) for £1,100, and at once underlet it to John Noseda at £ 207 14s., the upper 1 The Tuppens orTopyns were long settled at Brighton, and it may probably be the French Topia, see Subsidy Roll 34-5, Henry VIII. It also occurs very early in Norfolk, e.g., Robert Topyu of Norwich, in 1303 (Pat. Cal., pp. 190-273, and in 1309 Norwich Deeds, pt. 2). My grandfather, Benjamin Tuppen, who was an architect and builder, is said to have had something to do with building that atrocity, the "Pavilion." He married Elizabeth Collins, of St. Albans, a member of the Church of England, au<l for doing so was expelled from the Quakers, to which he and his father belonged. To use Kipling's words he was " a most immoral man," and after her death married a servant with whom he had somewhat sinned, and left her and her children all he had to leave. He was, however, a very fast runner and a good cricketer, and it was probably through his strain of blood that led my brother, , myself, and our children, to go in so strongly and not unsuccessfully for athletics. Of three of my sons I can say that their mile-times averaged under 4·40, which I think is a family record. I never beat 4·48 myself, but was a better walker.