BRIEF HISTORY DURING THE SNOW ERA (1813-58)

Built in 1734-7 for William Cavendish, third Duke of Devonshire, the house had an opulent interior in contrast to the simplicity of the outside.  It was here in 1851 that the first performance of Bulwer-Lytton's comedy Not so Bad as We Seem was performed before Queen Victoria, with Charles Dickens (1812-1870) amongst the actors.

Source: Weinreb B, Hibbert C (eds). The London Encyclopaedia, 1993.