St. Mary-le-Strand burial ground, Strand East

This watercolour depicts an area described by Dickens as Nemo's Resting Place, Russell Court, Drury Lane, 'A hemmed-in churchyard, pestiferous and obscene...with houses looking on, on every side, save where a reeking little tunnel of a court gives access to the iron gate'.

This imaginary scene was based on St Mary le Strand burial ground which was closed in 1853 and in 1886 acquired by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association.

Very little is known about James Lawson Stewart who exhibited watercolours in various London galleries between 1883-89. He died in c. 1918 and towards the end of life was employed to copy prints of London; the accuracy of some of the locations should therefore be questioned.

The Museum was gifted a large selection of watercolours featuring locations which appeared in Dickens's works in 1934 and a set of cigarette cards was issued by R and J Hill Ltd in 1926 and 1934 entitled Historic Places from Dickens Classics which featured watercolours by Stewart.