Curzon Street
Encyclopedia
Curzon Street is located within the exclusive Mayfair
district of London
. The street is located entirely within the W1J postcode district and is 400 yards to the north west of Green Park tube station
. It is within the City of Westminster
, running from Park Lane
(past Shepherd Market
) to Berkeley Square
.
The street is thought to be named after George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe
; however it is not until after his death that the title of Earl Howe
was taken by someone with the last name Curzon. Before this time it was called Mayfair Row.
, called Chesterfield House. The house was demolished in 1937 and the site was redeveloped as an apartment block. Adjacent to Chesterfield House were smaller dwellings, which have served as the London residences for a number of members of the peerage, including Lord Hothfield
, the Duke of Grafton
, Lord Leconfield
, Lady Blessington
, Alfred de Rothschild
, Lord Blythswood
and the Earl of Inchcape
. Also to the east was Wharncliffe House, rebuilt in 1750 and renamed for the Countess of Wharncliffe
in the late 19th century. It is now part of the Saudi Arabia
n Embassy.
On the opposite side of the street, until 1894 stood Curzon Chapel, formerly Mayfair Chapel, first erected in 1730. Near to it was the smaller Keith's Chapel
, the location before the Marriage Act 1753
of various clandestine marriages, including the marriages of the Duke of Chandos
and Mrs Anne Jeffrey in 1744, Lord Strange
and Mrs Lucy Smith in 1746, Lord Kensington
and Rachel Hill in 1749, Sewellis Shirley and Margaret Rolle, widow of the second Earl of Oxford
in 1751, the Duke of Hamilton
and Miss Gunning in 1752 and of Lord George Bentinck
and Mary Davies in 1753.
Other inhabitants of Curzon Street have included the art collector Edward Solly
(at no. 7, 1821-44), Benjamin Disraeli until his death in 1881, Lord Macartney until his death in 1806, Member of Parliament George Selwyn in 1776, Prince Pierre Soltykoff and Earl Percy.
In 1966/7, the foremost off-shore, 'pirate' broadcaster, Radio London was based in 17 Curzon Street. With over 12 million listeners It was infamously closed down by the Marine Offences Act on 15 August 1967.
In the 1970s, American songwriter Harry Nilsson
owned a two-bedroomed apartment (#12) at 9 Curzon Street. Both Mama Cass of The Mamas & the Papas
and Keith Moon
of The Who
died in the flat within 4 years of each other.
. The fifth floor was home to AIG Financial Products, the division that "nearly destroyed" the US insurance company and which has been described by reporter Peter Koenig as the "epicenter" of the global financial crisis of 2008.
G. Heywood Hill Ltd, of The Bookshop at 10 Curzon Street: Letters between Nancy Mitford
and Heywood Hill 1952-73, remains open for trading.
21 Curzon Street is one of the largest houses in Mayfair, at 26000 sq ft (2,415.5 m²). It come with a full size squash court and nightclub and was a wedding present from Lakshmi Mittal
to his daughter.
mentions Curzon Street in two of his works: in The Picture of Dorian Gray
, Lord Henry Wotton lives on Curzon Street, and in Lady Windermere's Fan
, the notorious Mrs. Erlynne lives at 84A Curzon Street. In Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
, Rawdon and Rebecca Crawley live in a very small comfortable house in Curzon Street, Mayfair. Curzon Street is also the location of the Junior Ganymede Club
in PG Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster
series of books. (Code of the Woosters)
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
district of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The street is located entirely within the W1J postcode district and is 400 yards to the north west of Green Park tube station
Green Park tube station
Green Park tube station is a London Underground station located on the north side of Green Park, close to the intersection of Piccadilly and the pedestrian Queen's Walk...
. It is within the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, running from Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
(past Shepherd Market
Shepherd Market
Shepherd Market is a small square in the Mayfair area of central London, England. It is located between Piccadilly and Curzon Street and has a village-like atmosphere.- History :...
) to Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
.
The street is thought to be named after George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe
George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe
George Augustus Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe was a career officer and a Brigadier General in the British Army. He was described by James Wolfe as "the best officer in the British Army"...
; however it is not until after his death that the title of Earl Howe
Earl Howe
Earl Howe is a title that has been created twice in British history, for members of the Howe and Curzon-Howe family respectively.The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was in 1788 for Richard Howe, but became extinct on his death in 1799....
was taken by someone with the last name Curzon. Before this time it was called Mayfair Row.
History
Curzon Street has been home to various notable members of the peerage. In 1748, a house was built in Curzon Street for the 4th Earl of ChesterfieldPhilip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield PC KG was a British statesman and man of letters.A Whig, Lord Stanhope, as he was known until his father's death in 1726, was born in London. After being educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he went on the Grand Tour of the continent...
, called Chesterfield House. The house was demolished in 1937 and the site was redeveloped as an apartment block. Adjacent to Chesterfield House were smaller dwellings, which have served as the London residences for a number of members of the peerage, including Lord Hothfield
Henry Tufton, 1st Baron Hothfield
Henry James Tufton, 1st Baron Hothfield , known as Sir Henry James Tufton, 2nd Baronet, from 1871 to 1881, was a British peer, Liberal politician and owner and breeder of racehorses....
, the Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
, Lord Leconfield
Baron Leconfield
Baron Leconfield, of Leconfield in the East Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1859 for George Wyndham. He was the eldest natural son and adopted heir of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont...
, Lady Blessington
Earl of Blessington
The title of Earl of Blessington was created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1745 and 1816. Both creations became extinct, in 1769 and 1829 respectively....
, Alfred de Rothschild
Alfred de Rothschild
Alfred Charles de Rothschild was the second son of Lionel de Rothschild and Baroness Charlotte von Rothschild of the prominent Rothschild family....
, Lord Blythswood
Baron Blythswood
Baron Blythswood, in the County of Renfrew, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 24 August 1892 for Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet, the former Member of Parliament for Renfrew, with remainder failing heirs male of his own to five of his younger brothers and the...
and the Earl of Inchcape
James Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape
James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape, GCSI, GCMG, KCIE was a British colonial administrator in India.Mackay was the second son of James Mackay of Arbroath and his wife, Deborah Lyle...
. Also to the east was Wharncliffe House, rebuilt in 1750 and renamed for the Countess of Wharncliffe
Earl of Wharncliffe
Earl of Wharncliffe, in the West Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 3rd Baron Wharncliffe. He was a descendant of Edward Wortley Montagu and his wife, the authoress Lady Mary Wortley...
in the late 19th century. It is now part of the Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n Embassy.
On the opposite side of the street, until 1894 stood Curzon Chapel, formerly Mayfair Chapel, first erected in 1730. Near to it was the smaller Keith's Chapel
Keith's Chapel
Keith's Chapel also known as Mr Keith's Chapel and the May Fair Chapel, was a private chapel in Curzon Street, Mayfair, London, operated by the 18th century Church of England clergyman Alexander Keith....
, the location before the Marriage Act 1753
Marriage Act 1753
The Marriage Act 1753, full title "An Act for the Better Preventing of Clandestine Marriage", popularly known as Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act , was the first statutory legislation in England and Wales to require a formal ceremony of marriage. It came into force on 25 March 1754...
of various clandestine marriages, including the marriages of the Duke of Chandos
Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos
Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos, MP , known from 1727 to 1744 by his courtesy title Marquess of Carnarvon, was the second son of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos PC and his first wife Mary Lake...
and Mrs Anne Jeffrey in 1744, Lord Strange
James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl
James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl KT PC , styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1715 and 1746, was a Scottish peer.-Background:...
and Mrs Lucy Smith in 1746, Lord Kensington
William Edwardes, 1st Baron Kensington
William Edwardes, 1st Baron Kensington , was a long-standing British Member of Parliament.Kensington was the son of Francis Edwardes, Member of Parliament for Haverfordwest, and Lady Elizabeth Rich, only daughter and heiress of Robert Rich, 5th Earl of Warwick. The Edwardes family owned extensive...
and Rachel Hill in 1749, Sewellis Shirley and Margaret Rolle, widow of the second Earl of Oxford
Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , styled Lord Harley between 1711 and 1724, was a British politician, bibliophile, collector and patron of the arts.-Background:...
in 1751, the Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton
James Douglas-Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Duke of Brandon, KT was a Scottish peer.-Early years and Education:...
and Miss Gunning in 1752 and of Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck , better known as simply Lord George Bentinck, was an English Conservative politician and racehorse owner, best known for his role in unseating Sir Robert Peel over the Corn Laws.Bentinck was a younger son of the 4th Duke of Portland, and elected a...
and Mary Davies in 1753.
Other inhabitants of Curzon Street have included the art collector Edward Solly
Edward Solly
Edward Walter Solly was an English cricketer who played eight first-class games for Worcestershire as a professional between 1903 and 1907....
(at no. 7, 1821-44), Benjamin Disraeli until his death in 1881, Lord Macartney until his death in 1806, Member of Parliament George Selwyn in 1776, Prince Pierre Soltykoff and Earl Percy.
In 1966/7, the foremost off-shore, 'pirate' broadcaster, Radio London was based in 17 Curzon Street. With over 12 million listeners It was infamously closed down by the Marine Offences Act on 15 August 1967.
In the 1970s, American songwriter Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
owned a two-bedroomed apartment (#12) at 9 Curzon Street. Both Mama Cass of The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
and Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
died in the flat within 4 years of each other.
Modern times
1 Curzon Street is a modern office building overlooking Berkeley SquareBerkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
. The fifth floor was home to AIG Financial Products, the division that "nearly destroyed" the US insurance company and which has been described by reporter Peter Koenig as the "epicenter" of the global financial crisis of 2008.
G. Heywood Hill Ltd, of The Bookshop at 10 Curzon Street: Letters between Nancy Mitford
Nancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
and Heywood Hill 1952-73, remains open for trading.
21 Curzon Street is one of the largest houses in Mayfair, at 26000 sq ft (2,415.5 m²). It come with a full size squash court and nightclub and was a wedding present from Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Narayan Mittal is an Indian steel magnate. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company....
to his daughter.
In literature
Oscar WildeOscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
mentions Curzon Street in two of his works: in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...
, Lord Henry Wotton lives on Curzon Street, and in Lady Windermere's Fan
Lady Windermere's Fan
Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman is a four act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first produced 22 February 1892 at the St James's Theatre in London. The play was first published in 1893...
, the notorious Mrs. Erlynne lives at 84A Curzon Street. In Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
, Rawdon and Rebecca Crawley live in a very small comfortable house in Curzon Street, Mayfair. Curzon Street is also the location of the Junior Ganymede Club
Junior Ganymede Club
The Junior Ganymede Club is a recurring fictional location in the Jeeves stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a London club for "gentlemen's gentlemen", i.e. valets, especially for those whose employers are members of the Drones Club. Bertie Wooster's valet Jeeves is a member of...
in PG Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster
Jeeves and Wooster
-External links:*—An episode guide to the series, including information about which episodes were adapted from which Wodehouse stories.*—Episode guides, screenshots and quotes from the four series....
series of books. (Code of the Woosters)
In popular culture
- In the British sitcom As Time Goes ByAs Time Goes By (TV series)As Time Goes By is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1992 to 2005. Starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, it follows the relationship between two former lovers who meet unexpectedly after not having been in contact for 38 years....
, Lionel broke the ice with Jean when he first saw her in Hyde park by asking if she knew the way to Curzon Street. It was just a ruse, as he didn't want to go there, he just wanted to meet her. - The Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
song He Ain't Give You None on the Bang MastersBang MastersBang Masters is a compilation album by Van Morrison released by Columbia's Legacy Records imprint in 1991. The tracks were remixed from the original multi-tracks and were given a wider stereo spread with less compression...
album contains the lines, Don't you ever go down/Down on Curzon Street/That's where old John/Flogs his daily meat.
Elsewhere
- There is a street of the same name in central BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
that is probably named after the London street, a common practice at the time (for example Cannon StreetCannon StreetCannon Street is a road in the south of the City of London. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, and about 250 metres north of it. It is the site of the ancient London Stone.-Etymology:...
).