Curzon Street - History

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 Chesterfield, 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 Arabian 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 famously 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.