History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

Marianne has always scoured charity shops for book bargains, and recently she discovered a copy of ‘Victorian Sidelights’ by A.M.W. Stirling (1954). She looked at the index and was surprised to find anecdotes about people or places with West Hampstead and St John’s Wood connections. Mrs Stirling The cover gave no biographical information about the author. An Internet search revealed it was writer and art collector Anna Marie Diana Wilhelmina Stirling (1865-1965). The subject of the book was Jeanie Hering, who became a successful novelist and playwright. Stirling uses Jeanie’s letters and papers to describe her life from childhood to old age.  Born Marion Jean Catherine Hamilton in 1846, she was the illegitimate daughter of the 11th Duke of Hamilton and wife of eminent Victorian sculptor John Adams-Acton. Her early years were happy ones, spent on the Isle of Arran, the home of the Dukes of Hamilton.  Old West End House, William Beckford and the Dukes of Hamilton Hamilton provid...

The Black Lion, by Dick Weindling 2021 On 3 October 2023, CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) presented the Black Lion with an award as the winner in the National Pub Historic England Conservation category. Photo by Life in Kilburn To coincide with the award, we look at the history of this well-known pub. Kilburn High Road follows the line of an ancient highway, part of the Roman Watling Street. It became a well-used main road, and as the numbers of travellers increased, so they supported the growth of many pubs along both sides of the street. Some started as beer houses, lacking a liquor license but also selling groceries. Others offered a full range of services, from stabling to food, accommodation, and entertainment. A surprising number have survived, with many rebuilds dating from Victorian times. This was the age of the ‘gin palace’, large establishments with elaborate decorations and big exterior lantern lights advertising their presence.  The best surviving example on the High...