Good morning All…
I’m researching a certain CSM Brice McGregor and in particular, his activities following his service as Yeoman of the Guard.
Brice was a former Sergeant in the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards (The Scots Guards) and was one of the men officially down as assisting with the closing of the north gate in the Hougoumont Farm, Waterloo.
His 1841 census
Suttley House, Whitehall:
Brice McGregor, 59, publican, born abt1782 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Wife Elizabeth ‘McGregor’ (McGheill) 56, born abt1785, England.
Plus several servants.
I always thought that ‘Suttley House’ was a house name because his death indicates; “Died at Suttley House, Whitehall, London on 3rd of December 1846.”
In the meantime, I’ve discovered that the word ‘suttley’ or ‘suttling’ was the name for a canteen.
I received the following from the Guards Museum this morning…
“You refer to the property in two ways, 'Suttley' and 'Suttling'. I am a member of the Honourable Artillery Company and the bar at our headquarters (Armoury House, City Road, EC1) has always been known as the Sutling Room and many theories abound as to why it is so named. I rather like your explanation.....I certainly didn't know that fact.”
Unfortunately, he was unable to tell me where it was exactly.
As you can see with the Wiki URL, this part of the Palace was already built over a ‘suttling house.’ (see the image with a Guard sentry clearly visible)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_House,_St_James%27s_PalaceIn order to help find the location, I have a newspaper cutting relative to a prosecution against McGregor in 1832 where he was accused of having thrown a Coldstreamer out of the canteen and he “fell down 5 steps.”
A witness for the defence of McGregor was a Colonel who fought alongside him at Hougoumont and he said…, “I was watching the incident from the Officer’s Mess where I could see the door.” Meaning that the Mess must have been at about 90° to the canteen.
Could York House (Wiki image) be the Officer’s Mess with the canteen to the left ?
If anyone has any idea where this suttling house was situated (or better still, a sketch) I’d be extremely interested to receive the details.
Thanks in anticipation…, Iain.