London - Pax Britannica

World of Darkness: 1900 ~&~ London ~&~ Past Imperfect ~&~ Caer Ludein

Quote

You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford. -- Samuel Johnson, 1777

An Introduction to the Capital of Great Britain

A Note of Welcome

Dearest Kindred,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to London, the greatest city of the European Union and seat of both Lady Anne Bowesley, Queen of London and the House of Windsor and its heir-apparent Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. I am certain that I do not need to inform a guest such as yourself of the details pertaining to the singular honor the Queen has granted you by giving you leave to remain in this mighty metropolis. You are, for the time being, a welcome guest in this, the greatest of all cities on the face of the Earth.

Of course, such an honor brings with it certain obligations and responsibilities that I am sure you will find it your pleasure to perform. A society such as ours can function only with the clearest of guidelines and strictures and any violation of said strictures will be met with the appropriate punishment. I hardly need mention the possible severity of such a chastisement. London, both by day and by night, is a city where law reigns supreme. People know their place in society and, while they may work to better it, until they have achieved that worthy aim they do not step beyond those bounds for fear of losing the approbation of their peers. You would, my Kindred, do well to remember that in the coming nights. The particular demands of our own society will be made clear to you in the in the normal way. I feel it is my duty, though, to guide you through the onerous task of dining out in our first weeks in London.

If I may make a distinction here, one would do well to note the difference between the city, which is London in its wider sense, and the City, which is the square mile within London's medieval city walls in which the major financial business of the city is transacted. Displaying an ignorance of this distinction is a certain way to mark yourself as an uncivilized buffoon from some rural retreat.

While this letter contains much worthy advice, I would caution you against hoarding it for many nights. Read, learn, and act upon what is within. Then, destroy it utterly, for you know the penalty for transgression against our primary custom. This letter is dispatched to you with the approval of Lady Anne, and the urchin who carried it is tied to us by the oath that cannot be broken. Its security and secrecy are your responsibility and your responsibility alone.

Dining Out

As a newcomer to this city, I suspect that it is unlikely that you have made appropriate arrangements for a regular supply of sustenance to your lodgings. I thus offer a few guidelines for a gentleman or lady of our society who seeks to dine with the minimum of fuss and inconvenience. When selecting your repast for the evening, one would do well to consider the social stratification of London society among the kine. They define themselves clearly into three classes, each of which carries its own set of responsibilities and manners of behaving.

The Working Class

The lower or working class is composed of those men and women who work with their hands to make a living. They are the laborers, dockworkers, cabbies and cleaners of London. They undertake the manual tasks that keep this city running, yet which require little in the way of higher thought or initiative. Their clothes match their station in life: simple, shoddily fit yet robust and often somewhat dirty. Among themselves, their manner is coarse and bawdy, yet they show due deference to those of higher status within the city, at least upon the surface. Their discussions in the mean and overcrowded slums they call home are of a quite different tone. The dwellings of such folk can be found in particular parts of the city. The East End houses many of them, for example, providing a ready source of menial labor for both the City itself and the transportation hubs that facilitate communication and transaction with the rest of the world.

Those among us whose manner or linage brands them as part of this lower class will find themselves able to dine easily and freely in such parts of town. They run the risk of consuming a meal tainted by alcohol or the wide variety of drugs that many people of all classes use to distract themselves from the reality of their lives. London can be a harsh mistress for those too weak to or ignorant to seize the opportunities offered, as you will no doubt discover.

The Middle Class

The middle classes are those who make their living from the skills of their minds. They are the scholars, businessmen and lawyers of the city; the very lifeblood, if I may venture such a play on words, of London's power and wealth. Most are well educated and some of them, if their fathers or mothers were successful, may well have attended one of the better boarding schools that dot the English countryside. Their clothes are stylish and well made, though they are not prone to the excesses of fashion that often characterize the upper classes. On the whole, they are a dour, serious lot with strong work ethic and traditional and strict moral and religious beliefs that lead them to repress their emotions and passions. This, of course, makes them deliciously easy to manipulate and ideal dining companions for our Kindred.

Many of the middle classes reside in the center of the city, in areas a short walk from their places of employment. The houses of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and even the better parts of Soho are home to them. Of course, there are other places suitable for such a person, but I will not trouble you with the complexities of London's geography just yet. Many of the middle classes now choose to live in the new suburban areas of London, developing thanks to the rapid growth of London's splendid railway network. Many of our kind have found such places to be suitable location for an evening meal, though one would do well to consult with General Sir Arthur Halesworth before making such a journey. Protocols must be observed in such matters.

The Upper Class

The upper classes are composed of those families who have ruled London, England and the whole of the United Kingdom by day for much of the last millennium. They consist of those people whose birthright is aristocracy. They are the lords and ladies, barons, baronets and baronesses of the mortal world. You can be recognize them by their expensive, exquisitely fashionable and beautifully constructed attire, their arrogance and, more often than not, their utter debauchery. Most have enough financial resources to negate the need to work, and so they lose themselves in such pastimes as hunting, politics, military service or sexual adventuring. You should discount them as potential dining partners: to even move on the fringes of their society requires a particular station of birth, significant wealth and a member of the their ranks who is prepared to offer you an introduction. Those of the Kindred who are in a position to do so are often loath to provide such an introduction to one like yourself easily, at least without a significant price being attached to it.

The upper class's right to rule is unquestioned but rarely exercised. The twin houses of the United Kingdom's parliament, housed in Westminster, work together to create the legislation that determines personal and national destiny. The House of Commons, voted for by men and women of all classes, decides upon the nature of the legislation needed and the house of Lords, in which the men and women of the upper classes sit by right, advise and aid their inferiors by dint of their long experience and noble upbringing.

Many of our kind feel themselves compelled to build some form of influence over mortal society. If you, too, suffer from this affliction, you would be well advised to steer a course toward the middle classes rather than the upper classes. The reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, the middle classes offer greater influence over the day-to-day running of society, trade and politics. You will find that the right pressure applied on a member of this class can bring a most satisfactory conclusion to pass. Members of the house of Commons are particularly susceptible to pressure of the financial variety. Many of them consider such incentives to be an accepted means of supplementing the stipend they receive for their service in the House.

A Note of Caution

Those people who have been knighted by her Majesty and are now known as "Sir" are usually members of the middle classes whose service to the crown has been such that they are subject to special recognition or reward. They occupy a place in society that is both within the echelons of the upper middle classes and the lower upper classes. Thus, they can often be a useful bridge between the two strata of society.

In Conclusion

The living people of London are well aware of their place in the social order and are inherently suspicious of any who attempt to move in circles that do not match their standing. Your clothes, manner of speech and bearing will all mark you as a member of a particular class. You should attempt to dine amongst those kine who are of your own apparent class. Any attempt to do otherwise will, unless you are skilled indeed in your choice and manner of dining, attract unwelcome attention and render your chances of remaining within this city somewhat negligible. For example, a gentleman or lady of the middle classes who is found walking the slums of Hackney will be subject to the query and rumor amongst those people who are the lower class, and indeed may attract the attention of the Metropolitan Police.

I hope that his short work was sufficiently edifying and will prevent any embarrassing misdemeanors in the near future. I look forward to your further education in Elysium in the nights to come.

I remain, sir or lady, your most obedient servant,

Stephen Lenoir - E.S.Q.

---

---

Appearance

---

---

The City of London, or the Square Mile

The City of London, also known as the City, is a city, ceremonial county and local government district[note 1] that contains the ancient centre, and constitutes, along with Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London and one of the leading financial centers of the world. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the modern area referred to as London has since grown far beyond the City of London boundary. The City is now only a small part of the metropolis of Greater London, though it remains a notable part of central London. The City of London is not one of the London boroughs, a status reserved for the other 32 districts (including Greater London's only other city, the City of Westminster). It is also a separate ceremonial county, being an enclave surrounded by the ceremonial county of Greater London, and is the smallest ceremonial county in England.

The City of London is known colloquially as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km2) in area. Both the terms the City and the Square Mile are often used as metonyms for the UK's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. The name London is now ordinarily used for a far wider area than just the City. London most often denotes the sprawling London metropolis, or the 32 Greater London boroughs, in addition to the City of London itself.

The City is made up of 25 wards, with administration at the historic Guildhall. Other historic sites include St Paul's Cathedral, Royal Exchange, Mansion House, Old Bailey, and Smithfield Market. Although not within the City, the adjacent Tower of London, built to dominate the City, is part of its old defensive perimeter. The City has responsibility for five bridges across the Thames in its capacity as trustee of the Bridge House Estates: Blackfriars Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

The City is a major business and financial center, with both the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange based in the City. Throughout the 19th century, the City was the world's primary business center, and it continues to be a major meeting point for businesses

Boroughs of London

Local government

In 1900, eleven years after its foundation, the London Government Act divided the County of London into 28 metropolitan boroughs. These replaced the ancient parish vestries and district boards as the second tier of local government.

County of London boroughs numbered in the information box on the right side:

Metropolitan Borough	Successor(s)	No. on map
City of London †		1
Battersea		28
Bermondsey		8
Bethnal Green		6
Camberwell		10
Chelsea		29
Deptford		11
Finsbury		4
Fulham		25
Greenwich		14
Hackney		16
Hammersmith		24
Hampstead		20
Holborn		3
Islington		18
Kensington (Royal Borough)		23
Lambeth		27
Lewisham		12
Paddington		22
Poplar		15
Shoreditch		5
Southwark		9
St Marylebone		21
St Pancras		19
Stepney		7
Stoke Newington		17
Wandsworth		26
Westminster (City)		2
Woolwich		13

† Not a metropolitan borough.

Outer London

Ealing

Hounslow

Richmond upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames

Merton

Sutton

Croydon

Bromley

Lewisham

Greenwich

Bexley

Havering

Barking and Dagenham

Redbridge

Newham

Waltham Forest - The domain of the Tzimisce Anastasius

Haringey

Enfield

Barnet

Harrow

Hillingdon

Near London

Basingstoke

Mentmore Village

Radlett Town

Wanstead

Wanstead Park

Wanstead House

Animated 19th Century Map

https://booth.lse.ac.uk/map/13/-0.1227/51.4928/100/0

---

---

Climate

---

---

Economy

---

---

History

Historical Key: Plain "Black" text denotes mortal events, while text in "Maroon" denote Cainite historical events and "Gray" text represent events pertaining to Wraiths and their Grand Necropolis of London.

A Chronology of London - With Reference to Events in Britain

London is without doubt the most important city in Britain and the world, but to examine its history in isolation would be to miss the forces that drove events in London and provided the motivating force for its occupants, rulers and conquerors. As such, this chronology occasionally strays from details of the city itself to the wider scope in Britain (and occasionally, the world). I beg your indulgence in this matter and pray it does not inconvenience you, dear reader.

The Mists of Time

When the first Cainites came to London one cannot say, but mortals had been living in the isles for millennia when the Romans arrived on these shores in 55 B.C. My lord Mithras has told me of Ancients abiding in Britain when he came to these shores, but it does not seem that any yet survive -- or at least are known, or willing to share their knowledge. We know from the annals of Marcus Verus that Gangrel dwelt here, according to legend having pursued "a great betrayer" from the East. Who or what this was I cannot say, and efforts to draw information from the ancient Baron of Chester have been met with hostility. A substantial Ventrue and Brujah population also resided in Britain, perhaps having accompanied the mortal migrations across Europe, or mayhap displaced there by events in the civilized lands of the Mediterranean.

One legend associated with the founding of London builds on such events, claiming that the founders of London came from Asia Minor, fleeing a great war that claimed their city eleven centuries before the birth of Christ. They say that the people followed their great leaders to the edge of the known world, crossing the narrow seas to a cool but verdant land where they sought to rebuild their lost glories. Their city they called Troia Novantum: New Troy. My lord Mithras decries these claims as "unsubstantiated musings" and asserts that the story is a modern invention popularized over the last fifteen hundred years, one that was never heard in the first century after Christ when he came to the isles (the first reference appears to be in the 6th century A.D. in the poems of Taliesin). The pre-Roman name for London, Trinovantum (according to Geoffrey of Monmouth), would seem to lend some credence to the legend, though it was superceded by the more probable, but equally speculative (save for some place names such as Ludgate), Caer Ludd -- Ludd's Fort -- transformed by the imperials into Londinium. Whatever the truth, the Troy origin story appeals to both Kindred and kine, suggesting an antecedent for the city's glory, most recently exhibited in its role as the capital of the empire. But I digress.

The location we now know as London was a place of power, important to mortals and supernaturals alike. The springs of Tower Hill, Penton and Tothill were sacred to the Druids, and Lupines were also drawn to these sites, though I know not why. Around the times in which Christ walked

19th Century London

---

---

A Century Yet to Be Born - Dawn of the 20th

---

---

---

---

Population

• -- City (3,094,391) - 1861 Census
• -- City (5,137,908) - 1888 estimated

London was the world's largest city from c.1831 to 1925, with a population density of 325 people per hectare. London's overcrowded conditions led to cholera epidemics, claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866. Rising traffic congestion led to the creation of the world's first local urban rail network. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion in the capital and some of the surrounding counties; it was abolished in 1889 when the London County Council was created out of those areas of the counties surrounding the capital.

---

---

---

---

Attractions

• Great Clock of Westminster

---

---

Auction Houses

Auctions have long been compared to a theatrical event for their inherent glamour, suspense, and entertainment value. Despite the rise of international commerce, when looking to purchase luxury goods, exclusive artworks, and one-of-a-kind pieces, the global glitterati still flock to one of the world’s top five luxury auction houses found in London.

• ~ Sotheby’s -- Sotheby’s has been selling luxury goods at auction in London since 1744. Sotheby’s beats out Christie’s for the title of oldest and largest fine art auction house in the world. Sotheby’s is famous for the sale of rare books and collections to such historic men as Napoléon Bonaparte, John Wilkes, Benjamin Heywood Bright and the Dukes of Devonshire and of Buckingham. Of late the auction house extended its activities to auctioning prints, medals, and rare coins.

• ~ Christie’s -- Founded in 1766 by Scottish born auctioneer James Christie, this auction house is now one of the world’s largest and most famous. At a Christie’s auction buyers will find everything in the realm of fine and decorative arts including photography, jewellery, collectibles, and more. Christie’s is known for high profile sales such as the auctions of country estates, the personal libraries of prominent literati, and one of a kind jewellery. With its long history and wide-reaching presence, the Christie’s brand carries a reputation for luxury excellence around the Empire.

• ~ Bonham’s -- Founded in London in 1793, Bonham’s has grown a reputation over the past century that begins to rival Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Bonham’s is particularly strong in the sale of Asian art, but buyers will also find lots for antiquities, watches and clocks, European ceramics, and more. Bonham’s has a reputation in London for excellence in the sale of jewelry, diamonds, and colored stones.

• ~ Phillips -- Phillips was founded in 1796 by Harry Phillips, a former senior employee of James Christie. Harry Phillips achieved considerable success for his auction house during his lifetime, holding sales for major contemporary figures such as Beau Brummel and Napoleon Bonaparte.

• ~ Wembley's -- Wembley's Auction House is an art auction house located in the small village of Wembly Green in Middlesex. It is a well regarded and renowned house for trading prominent art pieces. Est.1848

---

---

Banks/Exchanges

• ~ Rhinefelds Exchange

Bridges

• -- Blackfriars Bridge
• -- London Bridge
• -- Tower Bridge
• -- Regent Bridge
• -- Westminster Bridge
• -- Temporary Bridge

---

---

Castles

• -- Banqueting House
• -- Buckingham Palace - The active residence of the British royal family.
• -- Hampton Court Palace - The western most castle, or rather palace of the royals in London, it is most famous for its association with Henry VIII who made it his primary residence. It is not a true castle, but is really a stately palace built in the late renaissance fashion.
• -- Kensington Palace - The favorite residence of the royals until they found favor with Buckingham, it is both a palace and park. It was also the preferred residence of Princess Diana before her death. It is a very popular tourist attraction.
• -- Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte's Cottage
• -- The Tower of London - The first and primary castle built by the Normans after their invasion, it has protected London for over 900 years. (demolished - 2031)
• -- Windsor Castle - Located on the edge of London, the castle serves as a secondary residence for the royals and is very popular tourist attraction.

---

---

Cemeteries

Historically, the cemeteries of London were inner city church-yards, that towards the end of the 17th century became increasingly overcrowded and the source of disease and epidemics. In response, seven new cemeteries were built to deal with this problem. Only Bunhill Fields Burial Ground is older, it was built as burial ground for non-conformists, religious or otherwise. Of the eight below, seven are famous, while Nunhead Cemetery seems to languish in ignominy.

The Famous Seven Cemeteries of London

• -- Kensal Green Cemetery -- Est.1832
• -- West Norwood Cemetery -- Est.1837 Seward
• -- Highgate Cemetery -- Est.1839
• -- Abney Park Cemetery -- Est.1840
• -- Brompton Cemetery -- Est.1840
• -- Nunhead Cemetery -- Est.1840
• -- Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park -- Est.1841

London's Other Cemeteries

• -- Bunhill Fields Burial Ground -- Est.1665
• -- Tottenham Cemetary
• -- Margravine (Hammersmith) Cemetary

---

---

Churches

• -- All Hallows-by-the-Tower
• -- St Paul's Cathedral
• -- Westminster Abbey

---

---

Clubs

• -- Army and Navy Club
• -- Brooks's
• -- Carfax Abbey -- Goth Club & Anarch Hangout.
• -- Etheric Explorers Club
• -- Heathens Retreat -- Goth/Hollower club known for it's mystic atmosphere.
• -- Merritt House
• -- Oriental Club
• -- The Carlton
• -- The Marlborough
• -- St James's Club
• -- The Reform Club
• -- The Taurus Club
• -- Whites
• -- X-Club

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gentlemen%27s_clubs_in_London

---

---

Casinos

Technically, gambling in London and Great Britain is illegal save for betting on horse-racing. But the upper-crust continue to play games of chance like cards, dice, roulette and a host of others without much fear of repercussion. The lower classes were not so lucky and had to look for games of chance in unsavory places and if caught could face fines or imprisonment. While London in 1900 has no casinos, betting in private clubs is an open secret, although not every club allows gambling - most do - unofficially. See: Nightlife (below)

---

---

Crime

Individual Criminals

• -- Aurther Wayborn
• -- Jack the Ripper

---

---

Opium Dens

Victorian London's reputation as a center of opium smoking is based on the belief of literary fiction over historical fact. The London press, along with popular British authors of the day, were fond of portraying London's Limehouse district as an opium-drenched pit of danger and mystery. In fact, London's Chinese population never exceeded the low hundreds, in large contrast to the tens of thousands of Chinese who settled in North American Chinatowns. In the mid-1880s, Chinatowns started to form in London and Liverpool with grocery stores, eating houses, meeting places and, in the East End, Chinese street names. In 1891, the Census recorded 582 Chinese-born residents in Britain, though this dropped to 387 in 1896. 80% were single males between 20 and 35, the majority being seamen. Companies began to export opium from India to China, selling the drug to raise the money to buy shipments of tea. This was against the law and angered China's authorities. In 1839, war broke out between Britain and China over the opium trade. Britain defeated China and under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, Hong Kong became a British colony. In 1857, the Second Opium War resulted in the unequal Treaties of Tianjin which included a clause allowing Britain and France to recruit Chinese to the British Colonies, North America, South America, and Australia as cheap labor. However, Britain did not recruit as many workers as North America, where the Chinese were employed on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and where many Chinese immigrated in search of fortune during the gold rush, thus the Chinese communities were much smaller in Britain.The Chinese immigrants to London often arrived in the East London ports by boat, such as the Blue Funnel Line. Most of them were seamen, and many would have settled in only a few select streets. When jobs on the docks and on boats dried up, many Chinese turned to other businesses, such as the restaurants or laundries.

In the 1860s, "Dark England" with its opium dens in London's East End was described in popular press and books, various individuals and religious organizations began to campaign against unrestricted opium trafficking. At Pennyfields there was a Christian Mission for the Chinese and a Confucian temple. At Limehouse Causeway there was the famous Ah Tack's lodging house. There was much prejudice against the East End Chinese community, with much of it initiated by the writings of Thomas Burke and Sax Rohmer. Both of these men wrote about the Chinese community. Burke and Ward exaggerated the Chinese community's true size and made much mention of gambling, opium dens, and "unholy things" in the shadows. A character from Charles Dickens' last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) sets the scene: "O my poor head! I makes my pipes of old penny ink-bottles, ye see, deary – this is one – and I fits-in a mouthpiece, this way, and I takes my mixter out of this thimble with this little horn spoon; and so I fills, deary. Ah, my poor nerves!"

Dickens is famous for his portrayal and caricature of nineteenth-century London. So it is significant that he has immortalized this opium den in east London, identifying it as part of the fabric-weave of Victorian London. The establishment "run by the Chinaman" described in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was based on a real opium den. It was run by Ah Sing, or John Johnston as he was known to his clients, an immigrant from Amoy in China. Rare photographs of the Chinese opium scene in East London do exist. A photograph held at the Science Museum in London shows two Chinese women outside Ah Sing's opium den. Ah Sing was a smoker himself and it was claimed that only he had the "true secret of mixing opium ... with an eye to business". His secret evidently brought him much success, as his den was frequented by the local Chinese sailors on a break from working on the ships, but also others. Some of the literary elite of the time including Arthur Conan Doyle (see "The Man with the Twisted Lip") and Dickens himself visited the area, although whether they themselves took up the "pipe" has remained undisclosed. Ah Sing's opium den was probably the most famous of the dens in Victorian London, attracting gentlemen from the very elite of London's high society.

In 1868, the Pharmacy Act recognized dangerous drugs and limited their sale to registered chemists and pharmacists, but until the end of the nineteenth century few doctors and scientists warned about the dangers of drug addiction. When the small number of opium dens gradually declined in London, following crackdowns from the authorities, individuals like Ah Sing were forced to move from their properties, and had to find alternative ways of making a living. In his latter days, it was said that he continued to smoke, despite finding religion. He did eventually manage to give up opium smoking, though only days before he died around 1890, aged 64. He is now buried in Bow Cemetery.

~ Ah Sing ~ Owner of an Opium Den

---

---

Organized Crime

London was the first city noted to have a major problem with criminal gangs, followed thereafter by American cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. A number of street gangs were present in London during the 20th century, many in the East End, often referred to as Mobs, including The Yiddishers, Hoxton Mob, Watney Streeters, Aldgate Mob, Whitechapel Mob, Bethnal Green Mob and the organized Italian Mob headed by Charles Sabini. The history of these gangs is well documented in "London's Underworld: Three centuries of vice and crime".

The Pall Mall Gazette released a research report on gangs and crime in England in 1888, they discuss the downfall and dissolution of a gang called "The Skeleton army" a few years before hand and include a collection of 9 gangs and their respective territories, gathered from contemporary police reports, which are as follows:

Gangs

The Bandit Gangs of London - 1888

Gang Name	Territory
Marylebone Gang	Lisson Grove.
Fitzroy Place Gang	Regent's Park.
Monkey Parade Gang	Whitechapel.
Black Gang	Union Street, Borough.
New Cut Gang	The New Cut, Lambeth.
Greengate Gang	City Road.
Prince Arthur Gang	Duke Street, Blackfriars.
Gang of Roughs	Norwood.
Jovial Thirty-Two	Upper Holloway.
Brixton Hall Boys	Brixton Center

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_in_the_United_Kingdom

---

---

Prostitution

~ Darcy Tobias ~ Prostitute -- Fed upon by Henry Stern

---

---

Citizens of London

Alienists

~ Dr.Pearce Hightower -- Attending physician at Bethlehem Royal Hospital

~ Dr.Sands -- A visiting physician

Ambassadors to Great Britain

~ Joseph Francis Ditton -- American Ambassador 1900-1905

Aristocracy

~ Alexandrina Victoria ~ Queen Victoria -- (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901)

~ Albert Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ~ Eldest Royal Prince and Heir to the Throne of Great Britain

~ Adelynn Gloria Southers ~ Duchess

~ Kenton Anton Southers ~ Duke (deceased)

~ Gervase Boatwright ~

Artists

~ Arthur Conan Doyle ~ Writer

~ Charles Dickens -- Famous Author / Social Critic

~ H.G. Wells ~ Father of Science Fiction

~ J. M. Barrie ~ Author of Peter Pan

Athletic Clubs

~ Hurlingham Club

Celebrities

~ Lord Byron

Cults

~ Trógon tou Thanátou -- Death Cult

Common Citizens

~ Petrus Raskopf -- Street Urchin --

~ Sunday Glass -- Matchstick Girl --

~ Keila Laurissa Lamar ~

~ Wilford Ayton -- Freelance Photographer --

~ Storm Moore -- Proprietor of the Club

~ Helen Barkaresh -- Medium and author of Paranormal Science pamphlet

~ Dr David Castlebaum -- Coroner in 1905.

~ Nurse Carol Brown -- nurse Charing Cross Hospital

~ Nurse Brenda Langer -- Nurse Charing Cross Hospital

~ Orval Kellan -- Gun Smith (Hays Lane St Olaves Southwark)

Occultists

~ Aleister Crowley ~ Author, Ceremonial Magician, and Spy

Philosophers

~ G. K. Chesterton ~ Prince of Paradox

---

---

Political Factions or Groups

• -- Fenians

Reporters

~ Felicia Joandra Kellogg ~ Up and coming Reporter for the London Times

~ Lucian Lamar -- Reporter London's Telltale Newspaper

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

---

---

---

---

Current Events

Missives: In-Game

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

~ [[]] ~

---

---

Education

Boarding Schools

• Grey Coat Hospital
• St Paul's School
• St Paul's School for Girls

Universities

• - London School of Medicine for Women
• - University College London

---

---

Fashions

• Canes (http://canequest.com/)

---

---

Financial Institutions

• -- London's Royal Exchange

---

---

Galleries

London is one of the most populous cities in Europe and indeed the world, thus, it comes as no surprise that it is a center of art and culture with literally hundred, perhaps thousands of art galleries. As beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and there are over 14 million such beholders in London, galleries and what passes for them literally litter the city. Depending on your taste, the quality and quantity of London's art scene varies from night to night, and only a true aficionado would be able to delve the glamorous showroom extravaganzas, glitzy parties showings and cold-water flat revivals to separate the dross from that sublime perfection called art. What follows is a select sampling of London's most famous and enduring art showrooms, some have survived for decades, others for centuries and some may be more immortal than the Kindred who frequent them.

• National Gallery -- Est.1824
• National Portrait Gallery -- Est.1856
• Royal Academy of Arts -- Est. 1768
• Brice Art Gallery --

---

---

Government

• Palace of Westminster
• Somerset House

---

---

Hospitals

• -- Bethlam Royal Hospital -- AKA: Bedlam -- An ancient sanitarium for the insane.
• -- Charing Cross Hospital --
• -- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children --
• -- Guys Hospital --
• -- Moorfields Eye Hospital --
• -- Royal Free Hospital --
• -- St. Thomas' Hospital -- Located across the river from Parliment

NHS Trust hospital in Hampstead. The trust offers a major accident service, all branches of surgery and medicine, paediatrics, maternity services, care of the elderly services and an adolescent psychiatric service.

• -- St George's Healthcare NHS Trust --

NHS Trust incorporating St George's Hospital in Tooting, Bolingbroke Hospital in Battersea and the Wolfson Centre for neurorehabilitation in Wimbledon.

• -- St Bernards Hospital -- Middlesex County Asylum in Hanwel.

• -- St Bartholomew's Hospital‎

• -- The Cromwell Hospital --

Independent hospital in Kensington specialising in radiotherapy and oncology, liver disease, the Neurosciences and cardiothoracic disorders.

• -- The Harley Street Clinic --

Oncology unit and acute care hospital also specialising in adult and paediatric cardiac surgery.

• -- The Lister Hospital --

Private hospital in the heart of Chelsea.

• -- The Portland Hospital --

London's only private hospital dedicated entirely to women and children.

• -- The Princess Grace Hospital --

Private hospital and acute care facility situated in the heart of Marylebone.

• -- The Royal Marsden Hospital --

Leading independent cancer centre specialising in cancer diagnosis, treatment and research.

• -- St Ann's Hospital -- Insane Asylum --

• -- The Wellington Hospital --

Large purpose-built private hospital located in St John's Wood.

---

---

Hotels & Hostels

• -- Claridge's - Mayfair - Est.1812 (as Mivart's Hotel)
• -- Langham Hotel - Marylebone - Est.1865
• -- Hotel Savoy of London - The Strand - City of Westminster - Est.1889
• -- Rombards Hotel - Hobart & Grossvenor streets.

---

---

Hunters

---

---

The Arcanum

• - Orde Hall

---

---

The Inquisition

• -- Father Marshall

---

---

Landmarks

• -- Big Ben
• -- Charing Cross
• -- Cleopatra's Needle (London 1900)
• -- Freemasons' Tavern ()
• -- Kensington Palace
• -- Palace of Westminster 1900
• -- St. Paul's Cathedral
• -- The Ley Convergence of London
• -- The Tower of London
• -- Westminster Abbey

---

---

Libraries

• British Library
• Bodleian Library
• Codrington Library
• Kensal Rise Library

---

---

Maps

• Charles Booth Poverty Map, Notebooks https://booth.lse.ac.uk/
• https://www.theundergroundmap.com/article.html?id=30936
• https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/london-wall-and-gates/

---

---

Monasteries

• -- Curzon Park Abbey - is one of three monasteries of nuns in the English Benedictine Congregation.
• -- Ealing Abbey - is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastic foundation on Castlebar Hill in Ealing. It is part of the English Benedictine Congregation.

---

---

Monuments

• Cleopatra's Needle, London

---

---

Museums

• -- Bruce Castle -- Being refurbished now.
• -- The British Museum -- Great Russell Street - Bloomsbury - Borough of Camden - Est.1753
• -- Natural History Museum --
• -- National Gallery -- Paintings
• -- Whitehouse Banqueting Hall --

---

---

Newspapers

• The London Times Pantelis Schroter
• The Echo
• The East End Picayun Bartholomew Reddiger
• East London Observer
• London Evening News

Periodicals

• ~ The Gentleman's Magazine -- Est. 1731

---

---

Night Life

Exclusive Clubs

• -- Les Ambasadeurs Club: London
• -- Hellsfire Club: London

Low End Clubs

• -- Club Mahogoney --
• -- Garfingles
• -- Pearce House -- Run by Henry St. John
• -- The Tunnel -- Run by Lennie Neville
• -- The Underworld Club -- Run by Borely David

Public Friendly Establishments

• -- Mulvaney's Emporium
• -- Casino's of London
• -- Borgans Tea House

---

---

Occult Orders of London

• - Hermetic Order of the Rising Day
• - Church of Starry Wisdom

Magical Schools

• - Ekkehard Advanced School for the Occult
• - Wendals School - school for the academic research of the occult.

---

---

Palaces

• Buckingham Palace
• Palace of Westminster
• St James's Palace -- Oldest of the Royal Residences in London

---

---

Parks

• -- Crystal Palace Park
• -- Hyde Park
• -- Kensington Gardens
• -- Regent's Park
• -- Victoria Tower Gardens -- Park

---

---

Metropolitan Police

Detectives

~ Joshua Rusnak

~ Ballantine Lecroix -- Inspector who thinks vampires are real

~ Burkhard Merrill -- Investigator for the City Police

~ Ruairie Jaydon Blackman ~ Inspector Cripplegate Watch House

~ Saxon Bray -- Detective

~ Jack Romilly -- Detective

Bobbies

~ Maxwell Ash ~ Officer watch house

• Jem Schmitz
• Lyon wolfgang
• Callan Ikin
• Cameron Whittaker

---

---

Private Residences

• -- Sycamore Gardens

---

---

Pubs

• -- Cittie of Yorke
• -- Gordon's Wine Bar
• -- Lamb & Flag
• -- The Blind Beggar
• -- The Dove
• -- The George Inn
• -- The Goat & Compasses
• -- The Mayflower
• -- The Spaniards Inn
• -- The Ten Bells
• -- The World's End
• -- Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

---

---

Restaurants

~ Rules (restaurant) ~ London's oldest restaurant (founded in 1798)

~ Criterion (restaurant) ~

~ Kettners (restaurant) ~

~ Beauberry House (restaurant) ~

~ Medcalf (restaurant) ~

~ Veeraswamy (restaurant) ~

~ Ptarmigans (restaurant) ~

~ Jonquils Diner -- A low end Gentleman's diner

---

---

Ruins

• -- Mithraeum of London

---

---

Shops

• Grbić's Printing --

---

---

Theaters

http://stagebeauty.net/th-women.html#first

---

---

Transportation

Coaches

International Travel

Travel Article from the The Telegraph of London - 2018

An isochronic map published by the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society charts travel times from London to different parts of the world, which ranged from around five to 40 days.

Created by John George Bartholomew, a British royal cartographer who worked for King George V, for the book An Atlas of Economic Geography, the colourful grid is sectioned by isochrones – lines that connect all the points on the map that are accessible within the same amount of time from London, The Economist reports.

Travellers from London could get as far west as the Azores and as far east as the city of Perm in Russia within five days, as well as other areas within the dark pink section at the centre of the map.

Travelling a similar distance to most of Africa would take more than 40 days, the same time it would take to get to Australia.

Londoners could also get as far as Winnipeg, Canada, or Lake Baikal in Siberia within five to 10 days while it could take as much as 20 days to reach Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, which is located closer to Britain.

The development of railways from around the mid-19th century made travelling on land quicker and visiting India and the US, for example, much easier, with journeys taking between 10-20 days and five to 10 days, respectively.

The introduction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Indian railway, which was extended from 838 miles to 15,842 miles between 1860 and 1880, allowed for greater trade and travel between the US and Europe as well as Asia.

Journey times to China could be cut from 153 days to around 30 days, according to Asa Whitney, an American merchant from the 1840s who lived near New York and lobbied for a transcontinental railroad to help make trade dealings in China easier. So railway travel was key especially for business travellers at the time, the magazine reported.

Isochronic maps have been used for transportation planning from around the 1880s.

Some of the earliest include the works of Britain’s Sir Francis Galton in 1881 and of Albrecht Penck, the German geographer who created isochronic maps for smaller areas of land as well as maps for different modes of transportation such as for railway travel.

Credit Due: Soo Kim, Travel writer - 5 October 2018 • 12:00pm

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/What-travelling-was-like-100-years-ago/

Ports

Port of London

Port of Tilbury

Rail System

• London Waterloo station --

http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnie_Internationale_des_Wagons-Lits

The Underground

• The London Underground -- The Tube or Underground.
  • Circle Line -- a spiral-shaped London Underground line, running from Hammersmith in the west to Edgware Road and then looping around central London back to Edgware Road.

---

---

Sunrise & Sunset

---

---

Supernaturals of London

---

---

---

---

Gallu

• Lucius Adalbert -- Keeper of Highgate
• Waldo Gwythrn
• Alia Rocco
• Eliza Housner
• Edgar Lionel Bellefontaine

---

---

---

---

Outsiders

Ctulu's Spawn

• Sarvesh Chowthyatra -- Male Rhakshasa in London, currently mated to Rathi Varuni

  Rathi Varuni -- Female Rhakshasa in London, currently mated to Sarvesh Chowthyatra.

---

---

---

---

Hell Kin

• Velistas of Ur -- Demon working in London

---

---

Revenant Families

• The Levitt's

London by Night

Vampires

The Gangrel of London Circa 1900

Clan Malkavian

Abraham Mellon - Demented Mento

Dr.Timothy - The Lunatic Primogen of London

Juliet Parr - The Sheriff of Northern London

Warin Versessen - London resident and Agent Provocateur

---

---

Clan Nosferatu

Harold Tanner - The Nosferatu Primogen & Leper Archivist

Violet Mary - The Hidden Harpy

Rathe Haversham - Prince of the Poor

Richard de Worde - Spy Master living in seclusion

---

---

Clan Toreador

The Toreador of London are not what they used to be, the Sabbat Siege of 1848 destroyed many of the city's Roses, both elders and ancilla perished in the flames of sect warfare. The arrival of Edward Williamson shortly thereafter allowed for the Clan of the Rose to survive and even flourish in London instead of withering away into obscurity. To accomplish this end, Edward used the Ventrue's Treaty of Durham against them and imported a number of ancilla and neonate Toreador as supposed hostages, but whose presence allow the clan to remain firmly planted in London throughout the Victorian Age into the Twentieth Century.

Elders

Edward Williamson - Toreador elder & Primogen

Victoria Ash -- Primogen & Performer

Ancilla

Horace Holden - Insightful Poseur, recently made Guardian of Ellysium

Endymion -- Poet of the Night (1863)

Gore Rayne -- Master of Protocol (1863)

Jools Tash -- Pickpocket turned Cat Burglar (1863)

Fionntan Grier -- Glasgow Hostage and Agent Provocateur (1863)

Artemis Wylde-Whitney -- Esquire, Courtier of London (1863)

Neonates

Duke - Toreador neonate, childe of Edward

Qadir Al - Asmai -- Neonate of India (1863)

Lorna Dingwall - The Scottish Hostage

Henry Stern - Renowned Toreador Sculptor

---

Eric Baring-Gould - Toreador Primogen of London {Embraced: 1880}

Regina Blake - Toreador Neonate {Embraced: 1888}

---

---

Clan Tremere

The Tremere of London were able to get into the city under the leadership of Valerius. They currently are researching the magic of the city, and trying to not come to the attention of the Ventrue overly much, other than to be helpful to the cause. To that end, they keep their own chantry house in Lambeth Square, while the displaced Tremere hold a rookery in the slums of Whitehouse.

St. James House

John Dee - Master level Tremere

Frederick Smythe - - Childe of John Dee

Nigel Howard - Apprentice of the Seventh Circle, and Resident Astor.

Emma Blake (1887)

Whitehouse Rookery

Alric D'Fleur - Warrior of the 7th Circle

Tania Caboche - Child of Celestine, her eyes in London.

Luc Ribone - Child of Tania, apprentice.

Ocean Estates Chantry

Edward Bainbridge - Regent, 5th circle scholar

Rebecca Grey - Solitary Wiccan Practitioner & Herbalist

Sri Sansa - The Indian Guru

Dr. Alastair Barneby - The Warlock Necromancer

Lone Warlocks

Anton Wellig --

The Gargoyles of Clan Tremere

Grimlock - Gargoyle Chantry Guardian, St. James House

Lockjaw - Gargoyle Chantry Guardian, Whitehouse Rookery

---

---

Clan Ventrue

Mithras - God-Prince of London

Coterie of Mithras Children

Lady Anne Bowesley - Seneschal of London

Victoria Lancaster - Wary Servant of Mithras

Lady Anne's Childer

• -- Odo D'Ochai -- Lord of the Media
• -- Michel du Baine (7) [1742]
• -- Thomas Carlyle (7) [~1699] {1860}
  • -- Dorian Adams (8) [1701 AD]
• -- Lord Jacque Pareau (7) [1753]
• -- Quincy Cullen (7) [1764] {1832}
• -- Sir William Pennington (7) [1792]
• -- Elizabeth Winton (7) [1904]

The Deposed

Valerius- Deposed Would-be Prince

Masters & Forsyth

Cyril Masters - An ancilla with a tarnished reputation. (Banished to Glasgow by Victoria).

Peter Forsyth - Fledgling childe of Cyril Masters.

Camarilla Archon and Watchdog for the Ventrue

Rory McAndrew -- Agent Plenipotentiary of the Camarilla

Primogen of Blue-Bloods

D'Arielle Cotentin - Guardian of Avalon

The Mancunians

Janet Latimer - Childe of Baron Shawlands of Manchester, and long-time "Ambassador to London"

Jeyen Smythe - Childe of Janet Latimer (embraced during her exile in Manchester).

The Knights of St.James

Geoffrey St. James - "The Cavalier." An elder who has been absent from London society for more than a century.

Niles St. James - Mortal descendent and childe of Geoffrey. Known as "The Blue-blood."

Ventrue of Other Lines

Harold Michael Danvers - Pharmaceutical kingpin.

Eldred Morce -- Chile of Kyle Strathcona, also known as the Canadian Hostage. (1863)

Frank Allen Simon -- "Who is this Keith?"

---

---

The Other Camarilla

Stephen Lenoir - Guide to London's Lost

Lorna Dingwall - Toreador Ambassador from Edinburgh

Janet Latimer - Ventrue Ambassador from Manchester

Moira Rose -- Kiasyd Scholar

---

---

The Independent Clans of London

Constance Gardenar -- French Daughter of Cacophony that fled Paris after the murder of her Sire.

Collissa Montpellier -- Recently arrived French Daughter of Cacophony

---

Esmail Ahmed -- Orientalist Broker

• • Christopher Baylon --

Halim Bey - The Merchant from Alexandria (After 1880)

• • Shya Martina Randall - Priestess of Set
  • Lennie Neville - Priest of Set, runs several disreputable clubs.
    • Marissa Jed Ray - Childe of Lennie Neville

---

---

Remus Dunsirn - Giovanni Agent

Thomas Fountaindike- Giovanni Agent

Janos Handoval - Giovanni Ghoul

---

---

Dhita Choudhair - Ravnos Envoy from New Delhi

---

---

Isa Mac Aba - Oneiros Follower of Lilith

---

100px Artemius Anastasius Tzimisce member of the Tal Meh Roh

---

100px Faramund Magnus

---

---

The Sabbat of London

Fawks Boys

Fishermen

The Irregulars

---

---

---

---

Elysium of London

• Army and Navy Club - {Dedicated by Valerius}
• Merritt House - {Dedicated by Valerius}
• National Gallery - {Dedicated by Valerius}
• Palace of Westminster - {Dedicated by Mithras}
• Rules (restaurant) - {Dedicated by Valerius}

---

---

Wraiths & The Shadowlands of London

---

---

---

---

Character Creation

Victorian Mortal Prototype

Edwardian Mortal Prototype

Great War Mortal Prototype

---

---

Stories

Family Matters -- Henry returned to Coalbrookdale (1863)

Forty Feet Down -- Henry Stern explores the Underground (1864)

Modern Art Masterpiece -- Henry Stern discovers a murder scene that resembles an infamous painting

The Matter of the Indian Necklace -- Henry Stern the Toreador vampire and Ostanes the Order of Hermes mage attend the British arm of 1900 Universal Exposition at Kensington Gardens.

The Quest for the Cintamani Stone -- After surviving an encounter with the Rakshasa the Toreador Henry Stern and Ostanes the Mage discover another Outsider stalking the streets of London.

---

---

---

---

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUdOXhYwrgU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Britannica

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/History_of_London

---

---