CHELSEA, cherse, England, a metropoli tan and parliamentary borough in Middlesex and western suburb of London (area, 659 acres), on the north side of the Thames, chiefly distinguished for containing a royal military hospital. A building was originally commenced here by James I as a theological college, but was never finished. In the reign of Charles II the erection of the present hospital for sick, maimed and superannuated soldiers was be It was carried on during the reign of II and finished in that of William and Mary by Sir Christopher Wren, in 1692. The whole expense of this structure amounted to #150,000, and the extent of the grounds is now about 66 acres. The pensioners maintained here number about 550, and consist of soldiers maimed or disabled in the military service or who have served for 21 years. All pensions are granted by the commissioners of Chelsea Hos pital, but most of the recipients are known as out-pensioners. Their number amounts to
about 85,000. It is from them that the in-pension ers are selected. The Duke of York's school for the children of soldiers, formerly situated near the hospital, has been removed to Dover. There are great military barracks, but these are not within the boundaries of the borough. Chelsea is replete with literary associations — Swift, Steele, Smollett, Turner the painter, Leigh Hunt, Rossetti, Whistler and Carlyle all having resided here. Carlyle is known as "the Sage of Chelsea.° The borough returns one member to Parliament. Pop. (1911) 66,385. Consult Beaver, 'Memorials of Old Chelsea' (1892) ; Blunt, 'A Historical Handbook to Chelsea' (1900); Davies, 'Chelsea Old (1904); L'Estrange, 'The Village of Palaces: Chron icles of Chelsea' (1880); Martin, Chel sea' (1889).