Doughty Street
Encyclopedia
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
district of the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
. The southern part is a continuation of the short John Street, which comes off Theobalds Road. The northern part crosses Guilford Street
Guilford Street
Guilford Street is a road in Bloomsbury in central London, England. From Russell Square it extends east-northeast to Gray's Inn Road. Note that it is not spelt the same way as Guildford in Surrey.It has an entrance to Coram's Fields....
and ends at Mecklenburgh Square
Mecklenburgh Square
Mecklenburgh Square is a Grade II listed public square located in the King's Cross area of central London. It is notable for the number of historic terraced houses that face directly onto the square....
.
The street contains mainly grade II listed Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
houses built between 1790 and the 1840s. Many of the houses have been converted into offices and are popular with companies in the legal profession and the media. In the last few years, many of these have been converted back to family homes.
In the nineteenth century, it was an exclusive residential street and had gates at either end to restrict entry and these were manned by porters.
"It was a broad, airy, wholesome street - none of your common thoroughfares, to be rattled through by vulgar cabs and earth-shaking Pickford's vans; but a self-included property, with a gate at each end, and a lodge with a porter in a gold-laced hat and the Doughty arms on the buttons of his mulberry coat, to prevent any one, except with a mission to one of the houses, from, intruding on the exclusive territory."
A notable resident of Doughty Street was Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
. On March 25, 1837, Dickens moved with his family
Dickens family
The Dickens family are the descendants of John Dickens, the father of the English novelist Charles Dickens. The descendants of Charles Dickens include the novelist Monica Dickens, the writer Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and the actors Harry Lloyd and Brian Forster....
into No. 48 (on which he had a three year lease at £80 a year) where he would remain until December 1839.
The Charles Dickens Museum
Charles Dickens Museum, London
The Charles Dickens Museum is at 48 Doughty Street in Holborn, London Borough of Camden, England. It occupies a typical Georgian terraced house which was Charles Dickens' home from March 25, 1837 to December 1839...
(a grade I listed building) is located at No. 48.
The London Post Office Railway
London Post Office Railway
The Post Office Railway, also known as Mail Rail, was a narrow-gauge driverless private underground railway in London built by the Post Office with assistance from the Underground Electric Railways Company of London to move mail between sorting offices...
passes underneath the street, but is now disused.
Notable occupants
- Charles Dickens MuseumCharles Dickens Museum, LondonThe Charles Dickens Museum is at 48 Doughty Street in Holborn, London Borough of Camden, England. It occupies a typical Georgian terraced house which was Charles Dickens' home from March 25, 1837 to December 1839...
(No. 48) - Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
lived here between 1837 and 1839 and wrote Oliver TwistOliver TwistOliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
in the house. His sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth died here. It has been a museum since 1925.
- Novelist and dramatist, and friend of Charles Dickens, Edmund YatesEdmund YatesEdmund Hodgson Yates was a British novelist and dramatist. He was born in Edinburgh to the actor and theatre manager Frederick Henry Yates and held an appointment for a period of time in the General Post Office as an adult...
lived at No. 43 in the 1850s and recorded memories of the house and street in his memoirs.
- Authors Vera BrittainVera BrittainVera Mary Brittain was a British writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.-Life:Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brittain was the...
and Winifred HoltbyWinifred HoltbyWinifred Holtby was an English novelist and journalist, best known for her novel South Riding.-Life and writings:...
shared a flat at No. 52 in the 1920s and earlier Sydney SmithSydney SmithSydney Smith was an English writer and Anglican cleric. -Life:Born in Woodford, Essex, England, Smith was the son of merchant Robert Smith and Maria Olier , who suffered from epilepsy...
lived at No. 14.
- Doughty Street ChambersDoughty Street ChambersDoughty Street Chambers is a UK set of barristers' chambers situated in London's Doughty Street undertaking criminal justice, public law, immigration, employment, human rights and civil liberties work. Doughty Street Chambers was set up in 1990 by thirty independent-minded barristers, aiming to...
(No.10-11 & 53-54). This prominent Human Rights Chambers have occupied property on the street since opening its doors for business for the first time in 1990. Starting with only 30 members, they now have 100 barristers.
- The SpectatorThe SpectatorThe Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, a conservative magazine was based at No. 55 for many years until moving to new premises.
- 18 Doughty Street18 Doughty Street18 Doughty Street was a British political internet-based broadcaster that hosted a webcast as its chief product. It began broadcasting at 18:55 on 10 October 2006, from its studio at 18 Doughty Street in the Bloomsbury area of London, and ceased broadcasting at 23:00 on Thursday 8 November 2007...
(Doughty Media Ltd.), a conservative internet site.
- Sir Travers HumphreysTravers HumphreysThe Rt. Hon. Sir Travers Humphreys PC was a noted British barrister and judge who, during a sixty year legal career, was involved in the cases of Oscar Wilde, Hawley Harvey Crippen, George Joseph Smith, the 'Brides in the Bath' murderer, and John George Haigh, the 'Acid Bath Murderer'.-Legal...
, the eminent judge, was born here in 1867. - The British Thoracic SocietyBritish Thoracic SocietyThe British Thoracic Society was formed in 1982 by the amalgamation of the British Thoracic Association and the Thoracic Society. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.-Function:...
, a medical professional body are at No. 17.
- The UK office of the US educational charity the Fulbright Commission are based at No. 62.