Who lived in these houses on Hertford Street, Mayfair?

If, like me, you wonder who lived in some of London’s Georgian houses, then today’s post takes a look at one specific London street in the affluent area of Mayfair, or to be more specific, Hertford Street.

Horwood’s Map of London Hertford Street 1792

John Roque’s 1746 Map shows the area before Hertford Street was built (between Brick Street and Curzon Street)

This is a street which Etienne Daly told me about in connection with Sir John Lindsay, the father of Dido Elizabeth Belle as he felt sure Sir John must have lived there at some time.

When Sir John wrote his will he made specific reference to his house on this street and being ever curious, I wanted to know exactly where he lived, when he lived there and who else of interest may have also lived in this street.

Very difficult to read, but if you look closely you should be able to make out ‘my house in Hertford Street’

Needless to say, the rates returns came to the rescue, if producing slightly confusing information in parts.

In some exhibition material of 2007, produced by Cathy Power, of  English Heritage, she noted a payment made by Kenwood House to Sir John, for some £3,000 which Cathy felt was, in all likelihood for the purchase of a marital home especially as he had just married Mary Milner in 1768.

Sir John’s marriage to Mary Milner 17 September 1768, St George’s Hanover Square

Judging by the rates returns for Hertford Street, this would definitely tie in with that assumption. The properties along this stretch of the road were designed and built in 1768-69  by Henry Holland (1746-1806), the son of a builder, and therefore Sir John would have bought the property from new.

Rates Return 1769 for Hertford Street

We now, of course, know that Sir John was posted overseas around that time, so what a lovely new London residence for his bride to live in whilst her husband was away. As to whether Dido Elizabeth Belle ever visited Sir John and Lady Mary during their time there, we will probably never know, but it’s lovely to think that perhaps she did.

Sir John and Lady Mary remained there until around 1782, after which time it was occupied by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, but it was still owned by Sir John as indicated by his will. Sir John and Lady Mary moved  to what is now No 11, Mansfield Street, London according to the land tax from 1782 which showed their new residence.

Land Tax Record 1782. No 11 (formerly No 8) Mansfield Street, St Marylebone

It is well known that the Earl of Sandwich had a long-term relationship with the singer, Martha Ray and that he established a home for her in Westminster. However, it’s unlikely to have been this one as Martha was murdered in 1779, so, prior to the Earl of Sandwich taking over occupancy.

Residents of Hertford Street in 1782. Sir John Lindsay still owned the property, but the 4th Earl of Sandwich was living there at the time of the rates return.

Zoffany, Johann; John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich; National Portrait Gallery, London.

Many of the houses on this street were designed by the architect Henry Holland, who, according to the 1769 return, still owned both properties, whether he was living in either of them remains unclear though. It was in 1773, once again at St George’s, Hanover Square that Henry Holland junior married Bridget Brown, the daughter of Capability Brown, the landscape architect.

Henry Holland. NPG

Number 9 didn’t appear to have an occupant until 1780 when it was eventually purchased by Nathaniel Bayly, a plantation owner and M.P.

We know that number 10 was owned by General Burgoyne and now has a Blue Plaque outside it. Burgoyne commissioned his friend Robert Adam to design the interior.

No. 10 Hertford Street.

General John Burgoyne. Frick Museum

General Burgoyne’s next-door neighbour at number 11, was Sir John Lindsay. It is well documented that Robert Adam also worked on Kenwood House, so it would seem quite  feasible that Adam had some involvement in the interior design of Sir John’s home too.

Captain Sir John Lindsay (1737-1788 by Allan Ramsay); Glasgow Museums

Properties number 12 was occupied by Lady Harriett Conyers

Number 13, simply says it was occupied by a Mrs Grey. However, with a little research it would appears to have been the home of Charles, 1st Earl Grey and his wife Elizabeth. Their son being Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, Prime Minister, famed for his scandalous relationship with Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, their relationship resulting in their illegitimate daughter, Eliza Courtney(1792-1859). Although raised in Northumberland, it would be interesting to know whether Eliza ever visited her grandparents at their town house on Hertford Street. It is known that Georgiana met her daughter in secret in London, could these secret meetings have taken place here?

Number 14, was owned by George Pitt, Lord Rivers, a diplomat and politician, along with his wife, Lady Penelope where he remained for a good number of years after the couple separated in 1771, with Lady Penelope living mostly in France and Italy until her death on 1 January 1795 in Milan.

Thomas Gainsborough – Portrait of George Pitt, First Lord Rivers – Cleveland Museum of Art

At number 15, was the fabulously named, Sir Gregory Page-Turner, MP for Thirsk, who was unmarried whilst living there (he married in 1785). As well as inheriting substantial properties from his uncle, he had this townhouse, which he retained until March 1780, when it was sold by Messrs Christie and Ansell. The Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser carried the following description of the property:

An Elegant Leasehold house with suitable offices etc, desirably situated on the south side of Hertford Street, Mayfair, late in the possession of Sir Gregory Page-Turner, Bart.

The premises contain two good rooms on each floor, a spacious hall and stone staircase, detached kitchen etc. are held on lease for upwards of eighty years unexpired.

Pompeo Batoni – Sir Gregory Page-Turner

At number 16 was John Hume, the relatively newly appointed Bishop of Salisbury

At number 17 we have Thomas Dundas Esq, Scottish-British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1763 to 1794, after which he was raised to the peerage as Baron Dundas.

Dundas being another long-standing resident. His wife, who he married, again at St George, Hanover Square in 1764, being Charlotte Fitzwilliam. Given that the couple had some fourteen children it seems far more likely that this was their town house and that the children lived at the ancestral home, Aske Hall, North Yorkshire – it would have been an extremely cosy fit to have them all living in the Hertford Street house.

Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas. NPG

Number 18 was owned by the Honourable Topham Beauclerk, who was a close friend of Dr Johnson and the well-known man of letters, aka gossip, Horace Walpole.

His wife being Diana, née Spencer, often referred to as ‘Lady Di’, former Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. The couple were married in March 1768, at St George’s, Hanover Square, just a few months before Sir John and Lady Mary. Like Sir John and Lady Mary, could this have also been their townhouse when they first married? The couple married just two days after Diana was divorced. Whilst Topham retained the house, the couple did not appear to have lived there for long. Unlike Sir John’s marriage, theirs was not to be a happy one and according to the artist Joseph Farrington:

They slept in separate beds. Beauclerc was remarkably filthy in his person which generated vermin. He took laudanum regularly in vast quantities. He seldom rose before one or two o’clock.

XZL151113 Topham Beauclerk (1739-80) (pastel on paper) by Cotes, Francis (1726-70), pastel on paper. Private Collection. English

At Number 19 Sir Francis Molineux,  who was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in 1765 a post he held until his death in 1812.

Sir Francis Molineux. NPG

And finally at Number 20  – The Earl of Morton. It remains unclear as to whether this was James Douglas, 14^th Earl of Morton who died 1768, or his son who occupied this property. However, from the following year, the occupants were Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness and his wife Mary, who features in our latest book for her misdemeanours, as she became known as ‘The Queen of Smugglers’.

Needless to say, occupancy was not static, but this post hopefully gives you a snapshot of some of the people living there from 1768. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have some more ‘Blue plaques’ added to the street for some of these people?

Sir John Lindsay. Copyright Etienne Daly

Sources used:

Westminster Rate Books 1634-1900 Folio 28 (1769)

English Heritage 

The Architecture of Robert and James Adam

History, Directory & Gazeteer, of the County of York: With Select …, Volume 2

The Royal Kalendar, Or, Complete and Correct Annual Register for England  1780

Nelson, Paul David. Sir Charles Grey, First Earl Grey: Royal Soldier, Family Patriarch

Aske Hall, North Yorkshire