St James’s

Suburb, existing between 1660 and now.

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Suburb · * · SW1Y ·
MARCH
11
2022
St James’s is an exclusive area in the West End of London.

St James’s was once part of the same royal park as Green Park and St James’s Park. In the 1660s, Charles II gave the right to develop the area to Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans, who proceeded to develop it as a predominantly aristocratic residential area with a grid of streets centered on St James’s Square. Until the Second World War, St James’s remained one of the most exclusive residential enclaves in London. Famous residences in St James’s include St James’s Palace, Clarence House, Marlborough House, Lancaster House, Spencer House, Schomberg House and Bridgewater House.

St James’s is the home of many of the best known gentlemen’s clubs in London. The clubs found here are organisations of English high society. A variety of groups congregate here, such as royals, military officers, motoring enthusiasts and other groups.

It is now a predominantly commercial area with some of the highest rents in London and, consequently, the world. The auction house Christie’s is based in King Street, and the surrounding streets contain a great many upmarket art and antique dealers.

Office space to rent in St James’s is among the most expensive in the world, costing up to five times average rents in New York, Paris and Sydney.

The area is home to fine wine merchants including Berry Brothers and Rudd, at 3 St James’s Street. Adjoining St James’s Street is Jermyn Street, famous for its many tailors. St James’s is home to some of the most famous cigar retailers in London. At 35 St James’s Street is Davidoff of London, 19 St James’s Street is home to J.J. Fox and 50 Jermyn St has Dunhill.

The iconic English shoemaker Wildsmith - which designed the first ever loafer - was located at 41 Duke Street, St, James’s. It is now currently located at 13 Savile Row.

The area has a good number of art galleries, covering a spectrum of tastes. The White Cube gallery, which has represented Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, originally opened in Duke Street, St James’s, then moved to Hoxton Square. In September 2006, it opened a second gallery in St James’s at 25–26 Mason’s Yard, off Duke Street, on a plot previously occupied by an electricity sub-station. The gallery was the first free-standing building to be built in the St James’s area for more than 30 years.




Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Comment
Simon   
Added: 15 Jan 2024 15:44 GMT   

Simon De Charmes, clockmaker
De Charmes (or Des Charmes), Simon, of French Huguenot extraction. Recorded 1688 and Free of the Clockmakers’ Company 1691-1730. In London until 1704 at least at ’his House, the Sign of the Clock, the Corner of Warwick St, Charing Cross’. See Brian Loomes The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain, NAG Press, 1981, p.188

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TUM   
Added: 27 Aug 2022 10:22 GMT   

The Underground Map
Michael Faraday successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer at the Royal Institute, London.

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Comment
Jude Allen   
Added: 29 Jul 2021 07:53 GMT   

Bra top
I jave a jewelled item of clothong worn by a revie girl.
It is red with diamante straps. Inside it jas a label Bermans Revue 16 Orange Street but I cannot find any info online about the revue only that 16 Orange Street used to be a theatre. Does any one know about the revue. I would be intesrested to imagine the wearer of the article and her London life.

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LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

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Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

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NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

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Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

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Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

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Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

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NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Nelson’s Column Nelson’s Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square built to commemorate Horatio Nelson’s decisive victory at the Battle of Trafalgar during which he lost his life.
Royal Institution The Royal Institution of Great Britain (Royal Institution) is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the City of Westminster.
Royal Society The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering and medicine.
St James’s St James’s is an exclusive area in the West End of London.

NEARBY STREETS
Admiralty House, SW1A Admiralty House is a block on Whitehall (Westminster)
Air Street, SW1Y Air Street was the most westerly street in London when newly built in 1658 (Piccadilly Circus)
Albany Courtyard, SW1Y The courtyard is named after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, who in 1791 purchased Melbourne House which stood on this site (St James’s)
Albany, W1B The Albany is an apartment complex in Piccadilly, established in 1802
Albemarle Street, W1S Albemarle Street takes its name from the second Duke of Albermarle, son of General Monk
Ambassador’s Court, SW1A Ambassador’s Court is a block on Ambassador’s Court (St James’s)
Ambassador’s Court, SW1A Ambassador’s Court is part of the St James’s Palace complex (St James’s)
Angel Court, SW1Y Angel Court is named after a long demolished inn of this name (St James’s)
Apple Tree Yard, SW1Y Apple Tree Yard is thought named after the apple trees formerly to be found here (St James’s)
Arlington House, SW1A Arlington House is now part of an exclusive residential development (St James’s)
Arlington Street, SW1A Arlington Street is named after Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, 17th century statesman and local landowner (St James’s)
Babmaes Street, SW1Y Babmaes Street was originally called Wells Street (St James’s)
Bennet Street, SW1A Bennet Street lies off St James’s Street (St James’s)
Bennett House, SW1A Bennett House is located on Bennet Street (St James’s)
Birkett House, W1S Birkett House is a block on Albemarle Street
Blue Ball Yard, SW1A Blue Ball Yard is first mentioned in 1672 when its site was sold by King Charles II (St James’s)
Blue Bridge, SW1A Blue Bridge crosses St James’s Park lake (St James’s Park)
Bridgewater House, SW1A Bridgewater House is a block on Cleveland Row (St James’s)
Broughton House, W1S Broughton House is located on Sackville Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Burlington Arcade, SW1Y Burlington Arcade is a covered shopping arcade, 179 metres in length, that runs from Piccadilly to Burlington Gardens. (St James’s)
Burlington Gardens, W1J Burlington Gardens, with houses dating from 1725, was laid out on land that was once part of the Burlington Estate
Bury Street, SW1A Bury Street runs north-to-south from Jermyn Street to King Street, crossing Ryder Street (St James’s)
Canada House, SW1Y Canada House is located on Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross)
Carlton Gardens, SW1Y Carlton Gardens was developed before 1832 (St James’s)
Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y Carlton House Terrace consists of a pair of terraces - white stucco-faced houses on the south side of the street overlooking St James’s Park (St James’s)
Catherine Wheel Yard, SW1A Catherine Wheel Yard is named after an inn that stood on this site until it burnt down in 1895 (St James’s)
Charing Cross, SW1A Charing Cross, long regarded as London’s central point, as an address is an enigma (Charing Cross)
Charles II Street, SW1Y Charles II Street is named for the ’Merry Monarch’ (St James’s)
Chatham House, SW1Y Chatham House is a building on St James’s Square (St James’s)
Church Place, SW1Y Church Place was named after the adjacent St James’s Church, Piccadilly (St James’s)
Cleveland Row, SW1A Cleveland Row – after Cleveland House (now Bridgwater House), named for Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland who lived there in the late 17th century (St James’s)
Cleveland Yard, SW1Y Cleveland Yard is now the site of Cleveland Place (St James’s)
Clydesdale Bank House, W1J Clydesdale Bank House is a block on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Cockspur Court, SW1A Cockspur Court is a building on Cockspur Court (Charing Cross)
Cockspur Street, SW1A Cockspur Street is possibly after the cock fighting that formerly occurred here, cocks often having spurs attached to their feet during fights (Charing Cross)
Colette House, W1J Colette House is a block on Piccadilly (St James’s)
Crown Passage, SW1A Crown Passage is thought to be after a former tavern of the name (St James’s)
Dalmeny Court, SW1Y Dalmeny Court is a block on Duke Street (St James’s)
Denman House, W1J Denman House is a block on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Devonshire House, W1J Devonshire House is a block on Piccadilly (St James’s)
Dover Street, W1J Dover Street is notable for its Georgian architecture as well as the location of historic London clubs and hotels (Green Park)
Downing Street, SW1A Downing Street has been the home of British Prime Minsters since the eighteenth century (Westminster)
Dudley House, SW1A Dudley House is situated at 169 Piccadilly (St James’s)
Duke Of York Street, SW1Y Duke Of York Street runs between Jermyn Street and St James’s Square (St James’s)
Duke Street St James’s, SW1Y Duke Street St James’s is named after James II, Duke of York when the street was built and brother to Charles II, king at the time (St James’s)
Eagle Place, SW1Y Eagle Place lies off Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Egyptian House, W1J Egyptian House is a block on Piccadilly (St James’s)
Empire House, W1J Empire House is a block on Piccadilly (St James’s)
Fludyer Street, SW1A Fludyer Street used to be a street which lay parallel to, and south of, Downing Street (Westminster)
French Railway House, SW1Y French Railway House occupies 178-180 Piccadilly (St James’s)
Haymarket House, W1D Haymarket House is a block on Shaver’s Place
Haymarket, SW1Y Haymarket – site of a former market selling hay until the 1830s (St James’s)
Hobhouse Court, WC2H Hobhouse Court is named after Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Victorian MP and arts patron (Westminster)
Horse Guards Parade, SW1A Horse Guards Parade dates to the time of Henry VIII (Westminster)
Horse Guards Road, SW1A Horse Guards Road runs along the eastern edge of St James’s Park (Westminster)
Huguenot House, WC2H Huguenot House is a block on Panton Street (Westminster)
Irving Street, WC2H Irving Street is named after Henry Irving, the popular Victorian actor (Westminster)
Jermyn Street, SW1Y Jermyn Street is the main east-west road of St James’s (St James’s)
King Charles Street, SW1A King Charles Street is a street of government buildings, one block south of Downing Street (Westminster)
King Street, SW1Y King Street leads from St James’s Street to St James’s Square (St James’s)
Kinnaird House, SW1Y Kinnaird House is a block on Pall Mall (Westminster)
Kirkland House, SW1A Kirkland House is a block on Whitehall (Westminster)
Little St James’s Street, SW1A Little St James’s Street is a turning off of St James’s Street proper (St James’s)
Lower Regent Street, SW1Y Lower Regent Street is the name for the part of Regent Street which lies south of Piccadilly Circus (St James’s)
Malta House, W1J Malta House is a building on Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Marlborough Road, SW1Y Marlborough Road was named after the adjacent Marlborough House, built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough in 1711 (St James’s)
Masons Yard, SW1Y Mason’s Yard was named for the local 18th century victualler Henry Mason (St James’s)
New Street, SW1A New Street was made part of Spring Gardens in 1881 (Westminster)
New Zealand House, SW1Y New Zealand House is a block on Haymarket (St James’s)
Norris Street, SW1Y Norris Street – after Godfrye Norris, local leaseholder in the 17th century
Nuffield House, W1J Nuffield House is located on Piccadilly (St James’s)
Oceanic House, SW1Y Oceanic House is a block on Pall Mall East (Charing Cross)
Old Admiralty Building, SW1A Old Admiralty Building is a block on Spring Gardens (Westminster)
Old Bond Street, W1J Old Bond Street was named for Sir Thomas Bond, a property developer from Peckham who laid out a number of streets in this part of the West End (Westminster)
Old Burlington Street, W1J Old Burlington Street connects Burlington Gardens and Clifford Street
Orange Street, WC2H Orange Street gets its name from William III, Prince of Orange - the reigning king when the street was built. (Westminster)
Ormond Yard, SW1Y Ormond Yard was named after James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who owned a house next to this yard in the 17th century (St James’s)
OverSeas House, SW1A OverSeas House is a block on Park Place (St James’s)
Oxendon Street, W1D Oxendon Street, after Sir Henry Oxendon, husband of Mary Baker, daughter of Robert Baker who built the former Piccadilly House nearby (Westminster)
Pall Mall East, SW1A Pall Mall East is an eastern extension of Pall Mall towards Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross)
Pall Mall, SW1Y Pall Mall was laid out as grounds for playing pall mall in the 17th century (St James’s)
Panton Street, SW1Y Panton Street was named after Colonel Thomas Panton, local property dealer of the 17th century (Westminster)
Park Place, SW1A Park Place is named after nearby Green Park (St James’s)
Piccadilly Arcade, SW1Y Piccadilly Arcade runs between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street (St James’s)
Piccadilly Place, SW1Y Piccadilly Place is an alleyway leading to Vine Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Piccadilly, SW1Y Piccadilly is one of the main London streets (St James’s)
Pickering Place, SW1A Thought to be the smallest public open space in London, Pickering Place is perhaps most famous for being the location of the last public duel in England (St James’s)
Pickering Place, SW1Y Pickering Place is London’s smallest square (St James’s)
Princes Arcade, SW1Y Princes Arcade, built 1929–33, was named after the former Prince’s Hotel, which stood here (St James’s)
Rex House, SW1Y Rex House is a building on Regent Street (St James’s)
Rose and Crown Yard, SW1Y Rose and Crown Yard was probably named after a former inn of this name (St James’s)
Royal Arcade, W1S Royal Arcade is an alleyway of exclusive shops
Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y Royal Opera Arcade was originally part of an opera house theatre, built by John Nash (St James’s)
Royalty House, W1S Royalty House is a block on Sackville Street
Russell Court, SW1A Russell Court is named after the Russell family, who lived here in the 1600s (St James’s)
Ryder Street, SW1A Ryder Street was named after Richard Rider, Master Carpenter to Charles II (St James’s)
Ryger House, SW1A Ryger House is located on Arlington Street (St James’s)
Sabadell House, SW1Y Sabadell House is a block on Pall Mall (St James’s)
Sackville Street, W1B Sackville Street runs north from Piccadilly
Samuel House, SW1Y Samuel House is located on St Alban’s Street (St James’s)
Scandia House, W1S Scandia House is a building on Albemarle Street (Westminster)
Spencer House, SW1A Spencer House is a block on St James’s Place (St James’s)
Spring Gardens, WC2N Spring Gardens derives its name from the Spring Garden, formed in the 16th century (Charing Cross)
St Alban’s House, SW1 St Alban’s House is a block on Haymarket
St Alban’s House, SW1Y St Alban’s House can be found on Haymarket (St James’s)
St Albans Street, SW1Y St Albans Street was named after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, 17th century politician and local landowner
St James’s Market, SW1Y St James’s Market was part of the site of St James’s leper hospital in the Middle Ages, named after James, son of Zebedee (Piccadilly Circus)
St James’s Chambers, SW1Y St James’s Chambers is a block located at 9 Ryder Street (St James’s)
St James’s Place, SW1A St James’s Place runs west from St James’s Street (St James’s)
St James’s Square, SW1Y St James’s Square is the only square in the district of St James’s (St James’s)
St James’s Street, SW1A St James’s Street is a main road of the West End running from Pall Mall to Piccadilly (St James’s)
St Martins Place, WC2N St Martin’s Place is a short stretch connecting Trafalgar Square to the bottom of Charing Cross Road
St Martins Street, WC2H St Martins Street is one of the streets of London in the WC2H postal area (Westminster)
Stable Yard Road, SW1A Stable Yard Road leads from The Mall to Clarence House (St James’s)
Stafford House, W1S Stafford House is sited on Stafford Street
Stafford Street, W1S Stafford Street is named after Margaret Stafford, partner of developer Sir Thomas Bond who built on this site in the seventeenth century.
Standbrook House, W1S Standbrook House is a block on Old Bond Street (Westminster)
Suffolk Place, SW1Y The Earl of Suffolk (Thomas Howard) was the reason for the naming of Suffolk Place (Westminster)
Suffolk Street, SW1Y Suffolk Street was named after Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, who owned a stable yard attached to Northumberland House which lay on this site (Westminster)
Swallow Street, SW1Y Swallow Street honours Thomas Swallow, lessee in 1540 of the pastures on which the road was built (Piccadilly Circus)
Swan House, W1S Swan House can be found on Old Bond Street
The Bank Building, SW1A The Bank Building is located on St James’s Street (St James’s)
The Economist Building, SW1A The Economist Building can be found on St James’s Street (St James’s)
The Mall, SW1Y The Mall is the processional route between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace (St James’s)
The Ritz Arcade, SW1A The Ritz Arcade lies outside The Ritz Hotel (St James’s)
Trafalgar Square, WC2N Trafalgar Square commemorates Horatio Nelson’s 1805 victory at the Battle of Trafalgar (Charing Cross)
Victory House, W1B Victory House is a block on Regent Street (Piccadilly Circus)
Vine Street, SW1Y Vine Street is a short dead-end street running east from Swallow Street and is parallel to Piccadilly (Piccadilly Circus)
Warwick House Street, SW1A Warwick House Street formerly approached Warwick House, built in the 17th century for Sir Philip Warwick (Charing Cross)
Waterloo Place, SW1Y Waterloo Place, an extension of Regent Street, is awash with statues and monuments that honour heroes of the British Empire (St James’s)
Whitcomb Street, WC2H Whitcomb Street - named after William Whitcomb, 17th century brewer and property developer (Westminster)

NEARBY PUBS
The Clarence The Clarence is located diagonally opposite the Ritz.


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