Scale
(7, 8) bar scales of 1¼ inches to 10 feet
Inscribed
7 Plan on the Line A B of the Section, Plan on the Line CD of the Section, Plan on the Line EF of the Section, Plan on the Line GH of the Section. Section labelled: Section on the Line IK of the Plan, shewing / the levels of the Floors, Ground Line, Ventilation Room, Servants Hall &c Mr Lee's 3' above the level of the Labourer in Trust, Long Gallery, Floor of the Lobby to the House of Commons, Committee Clerks Office, Clerk of the Fees Office, Clerk of Election / Recognizances , Journal Office, Examining Offices, Roof, Long Gallery, A B C D E F G H. Plan AB labelled: as section and Lobby to / the House / of / Commons, Steps down to the Long Gallery &c, Water Closets (twice), Engrossing Office, Part of the / House of / Commons, Clerk of the Fees Office, Mr Ley's House. Plan CD labelled: Lobby of / the House / of / Commons, Steps down to the / Long Gallery &c, Upper Part of the / Long Gallery, Floor 3'6" / above the / Lobby, Committee Clerks / Office / qy[query] 8 Clerks, Stairs to the Journal Office &c, to Copying Clerk, Upper Part of the / Clerk of the Fees Offices, Part of Mr Ley's. Plan EF labelled: Over the / Lobby to the / House of Commons, Side Gallery of the House of Commons, Steps down to the Lobby of the House, Clerk of Election / Recognizances, Skylight, Clerk of Committee Elections, Skylight, Passage lighted by Skylights, Private Bill Office, Journal Office / 7 Clerks, Steps down to Passage adjoining Lobby, Copying Clerk / Clerk of Fees office, Steps down to Lobby, Part of Mr Ley's House. Plan GH labelled: Private Examiniing / Office and Examining Offices / 4 Clerks. Mem The floor of Solomon's Porch is 3'0" above the Floor / of the Lobby of the House of Commons // The Floor of the Long Gallery is 7'5" below the / Floor of the House of Commons and 6'7½" / below the Floor of the Lobby to the House of Commons. // The Rooms under the long Gallery are 8'1" high and dimensions given
8 labelled: Lobby, House of Commons, Floor of the House 8" (red pen) 9¼, (pen) Solomons Porch, Long Gallery, Floor of the Long Gallery &c / 6' 7½" below the Lobby, (pencil) 7.4¾ below House of Commons / Line of the House of Lords as assending (sic) to left, (pen) House of Lords, (pencil) 3.10¾ below House of Commons / 3.1½ below Lobby to do, Staircase up to Rooms above Long Gallery, down to Long Gallery, Water Closet (twice), Engrossing / Office, The Fees, Rooms the / level of the Lobby, Clerk of (sic), (some illegible pencil), Principal Clerk of the House of Commons, Painted Chamber, (pencil) The Red Line Shows Mr Lee's (sic). (Soane, pen) note: Floors House of Commons / 9¼ above the Lobby / into the House - & / the floor of the / House of Lords is 3.1½ / below the Lobby with the / H. Of Commons & 3.10¾ / below the floor of the Ho of Com and dimensions given
Signed and dated
- (7) Lincolns Inn Fields / 1825 4th August (8) Lincolns Inn Fields / August 19th 1825
Medium and dimensions
(7) Pen, red pen, sepia, pink, yellow and blue-grey washes, pencil, pricked for transfer on wove paper with one fold mark (673 x 532) (8) pen, red pen, sepia, yellow and pink washes, pencil, pricked for transfer on wove paper with three fold marks, one old paper patch (640 x 533)
Hand
(7) Stephen Burchell, 1807-?, pupil 1823-1828 (8) Soane office (nil in Day Book)
Notes
The ground, first, second and attic floor plans on drawing 7 relate to drawings 3-6 and are drawn to the same scale. The section on drawing 7 shows the differing floor to ceiling heights. Drawing 8 is to the same scale as drawings 3-6 and corresponds with the left-hand part of drawing 3 but extends (right-hand side) to the Painted Chamber. It is more detailed and has the addition of four extra staircases all marked 'Steps down'.
'Mr Lee' was Adam Lee (c.1772-1843), Labourer in Trust at Westminster and Whitehall from 1806. Lee retained an official apartment in both places, living in one and letting the other (King's Works, VI, p.61fn.9). Labourers in Trust assisted the various Clerks of the Works and were responsible for ordinary repairs. Lee had trained as a carpenter, but had design abilities so that, for example, he submitted plans for the rebuilding of the House of Commons in 1833 (King's Works, VI, p.119-120). His drawings for that scheme in the Soane Museum (51/4/2-8) are inscribed 'Copied June 1825'.
Level
Drawing
Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation