Queensberry Road, Salisbury

Queensberry Ward, Salisbury Infirmary

The derivation of ‘Queensberry Road’ is relatively clear – it is named after ‘Queensberry Ward’, which was a male surgical ward at the old Infirmary in Fisherton Street ‘Celebrating Salisbury nurses : a series of personal reflections and stories’ p54 ; edited by M Stride Published Salisbury Nurses League, 1999 ISBN/RCN W000006659.

A few other roads in the same area, just off Victoria Park, are also named after wards at the Infirmary. Some of these still exist at Salisbury District Hospital.

• Beatrice Road – still exists as Beatrice Ward at Odstock Salisbury Hospital NHS Foundation – Wards
• Bartlett Road – existed as Bartlett Ward, probably at the Infirmary ‘Celebrating Salisbury nurses : a series of personal reflections and stories’ p37 ; edited by M Stride Published Salisbury Nurses League, 1999 ISBN/RCN W000006659
• Feversham Road – existed as Feversham Ward, at the Infirmary. Feversham Ward itself would be named after Lord Feversham who endowed Salisbury City Council with money to build the Infirmary in 1776′Celebrating Salisbury nurses : a series of personal reflections and stories’ ; edited by M Stride Published Salisbury Nurses League, 1999 ISBN/RCN W000006659
• Attwood Road – existed as Attwood Ward, probably at the Infirmary ‘Celebrating Salisbury nurses : a series of personal reflections and stories’ p49 ; edited by M Stride Published Salisbury Nurses League, 1999 ISBN/RCN W000006659

Why Queensberry Ward?

The ward at Salisbury Infirmary would have probably been named after one of its early patrons, one of the Dukes of Queensberry. Elizabeth Harris wrote in 1797:

The greatest event we have had in Salisbury was the grand march of the subscribers to the Infirmary from the Council House to the Cathedral. They made a fine procession down the High Street. The Corporation with Lord Radnor in his gold gown were the foremost, then follow’d music then the
Duke of Queensberry & Lord Pembroke … Elizabeth Harris quoted in ‘Music and Theatre in Handel’s World’, Donald Burrows, Rosemary Dunhill, James Harris page 494

The Dukes of Queensberry had strong Scottish connections, but during the 18th century, they owned Amesbury Abbey. file:///media/USB_4G/research/Queensberry/Amesbury.htm.

William Douglas, fourth duke of Queensberry – ‘Old Q’

The Duke of Queensberry referred to by Elizabeth Harris in 1797 as a subscriber to the Infirmary was the fourth Duke, William Douglas (1725–1810), otherwise known ‘Old Q’.
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The fourth Duke might be seen as a colourful character. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography summarizes him as a

‘sybarite and politician’William C. Lowe, ‘Douglas, William, fourth duke of Queensberry (1725–1810)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7937, accessed 18 Dec 200816 Dec 2008]

I had to look up the meaning of ‘sybarite’. Chambers Reference Online defines the word as follows:

sybarite noun someone devoted to a life of luxury and pleasure. sybaritic adj luxurious.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: originally an inhabitant of Sybaris, an ancient Greek city in S Italy, noted for its luxury.file:///media/USB_4G/research/Queensberry/sybarite.htm

but I prefer Wordnet:

Noun:
* S: (n) voluptuary, sybarite (a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses) file:///media/USB_4G/research/Queensberry/sybarite2.htm

The Dictionary of National Biography records that

After reaching his majority, March settled in London and dedicated himself to the pursuit of pleasure in a variety of forms. William C. Lowe, ‘Douglas, William, fourth duke of Queensberry (1725–1810)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7937, accessed 18 Dec 200816 Dec 2008]

He was a comparatively successful gambler. In 1750 he bet Theodore Taafe and Andrew Sproule 1000 guineas that a horse and carriage could cover 19 miles in one hour. He had a sort of carriage specially constructed for the purpose. He trained a team of horses to pull the carriage. The time trial was held at Newmarket – and the 19 miles were completed in 54 minutes. William C. Lowe, ‘Douglas, William, fourth duke of Queensberry (1725–1810)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7937, accessed 18 Dec 200816 Dec 2008]

Another bet was that he could transport a letter 50 miles in one hour. To win this bet he first had the letter encased in a cricket ball. He then he had 20 cricketers stand in a large circle and bat the ball around it several times Regency Personalities – Old Q

The duke has been identified as a member of one of the Hellfire clubs of the eighteenth century Bosie, although I don’t believe there is any proof for this.

The Marquess of Queensberry rules

After the death of the fourth duke, the title passed to his cousin. One of the descendants of this cousin was the ninth Marquess of Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas.

This was the man who gave his name to the ‘Queensberry rules’ of boxing, which still largely apply to the so-called sport today. The rules were largely formulated by a boxer called JG Chambers. The use of the name ‘Queensberry’ was intended to convey an air of respectability Oxford DNB article: Douglas, John Sholto

The ninth Marquess’ other claim to fame, or possibly to notoriety was his part in the downfall of Oscar Wilde. The marquess was disturbed by Wilde’s relationship with his son Alfred. He more-or-less publicly accused Wilde of being homosexual – leaving a card at his club referring to Wilde as a ‘somdomite’. Wilde reacted by suing for libel, but lost the case.

The Nile Clumps

A more local legacy of the Queensberrys are the Nile Clumps.

Update: There’s more on the Nile Clumps in this Daily Mail article

Visiting Salisbury?

For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.

The Nile Clumps are small groups of trees planted near Stonehenge which approximate the positions of the warships in the Battle of the Nile.

The Nile Clumps were planted by the 6th Marquess of Queensberry. He was a friend of Lady Hamilton, and he planted the trees as a tribute to Lord Nelson after his death at Trafalgar.