Hans Place
Encyclopedia
Hans Place, London
, England, is a residential garden square situated immediately south of Harrods
in Chelsea
. It is named after Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet, PRS (16 April 1660 - 11 January 1753), who was a physician and collector, notable for bequeathing his collection to the British nation which became the foundation of the British Museum
. President of the Royal Society
and of the Royal College of Physicians
of London, he also invented drinking chocolate and gave his name to Sloane Square
.
Hans Place dates from the 1770s, when the architect Henry Holland
leased 89 acres (360,170.5 m²) from Earl Cadogan
and funded the building of his house by laying out a square which he sub-let in building plots. (The octagonal shape of the square is thought to have been modelled on the Place Vendôme
in Paris
). Horwood’s Maps of 1799 and 1813 confirm that with the exception of Nos. 55-56, all of the lots had been developed by the first edition, and that the final two houses were complete by the second.
The houses were let on 99-year leases, and apart from assumed modernisation from time to time, appear to have remained unchanged during this period. The 1862 Ordnance Survey
, for example, shows that none of the houses had been extended over the gardens, and annual directories record good tenancies with no obvious gaps during which major works might have been undertaken.
Jane Austen
resided at 23 Hans Place when she stayed in London during the early 19th Century.
Most of the 18th-century houses in Hans Place were substantially rebuilt by Cadogan Estates
when new leases were arranged in the late 19th century; (adopting a style that became so closely associated with the district that Osbert Lancaster
dubbed it “Pont Street
Dutch”).
22 Hans Place formed the headquarters of the 1921 Irish Treaty delegation. The delegates were Arthur Griffith
, Robert Barton
, and Michael Collins
; Secretary to the delegation was Robert Erskine Childers
who was also Robert Barton's cousin and father of the Fourth President of Ireland Erskine Hamilton Childers
. Famously, it was at 22 Hans Place that, at 11.15 PM on December 5, 1921, the delegates made the historic decision to recommend the treaty to the Dáil Éireann; the negotiations finally closed with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
at 2.20am on December 6, 1921.
During World War II
, Hans Place received bomb damage
and substantial repairs were required to many buildings, and where buildings were not repairable new development took place, particularly on the Pavilion Road side.
Hans Place was the scene of a murder in 1983, when actor Peter Arne
was battered to death in his flat, apparently by an Italian vagrant who committed suicide shortly afterwards.
Hans Place now represents one of the most sought after residential addresses in Chelsea
. International business executives, and the Super-rich, are particularly attracted to Hans Place because it is the garden square with the closest proximity to Harrods
, and the best shopping in Sloane Street
, Chelsea, and Belgravia
.
Hans Place enjoys some of the highest levels of street security in London, being situated close to two police facilities serving nearby embassies, luxury hotels, and shopping in Knightsbridge
and Chelsea and all of the private security arrangements maintained by, and for, Harrods and its customers.
In the south-east corner at 17 Hans Place is the headmaster's office of Hill House School
where HRH Prince Charles and Lily Allen
were pupils.
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...
, England, is a residential garden square situated immediately south of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. It is named after Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet, PRS (16 April 1660 - 11 January 1753), who was a physician and collector, notable for bequeathing his collection to the British nation which became the foundation of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. President of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
of London, he also invented drinking chocolate and gave his name to Sloane Square
Sloane Square
Sloane Square is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the fashionable London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of Charing Cross, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The square is part of the Hans Town area designed in 1771 by Henry...
.
Hans Place dates from the 1770s, when the architect Henry Holland
Henry Holland (architect)
Henry Holland was an architect to the English nobility. Born in Fulham, London, his father also Henry ran a building firm and he built several of Capability Brown's buildings, although Henry would have learnt a lot from his father about the practicalities of construction it was under Brown that he...
leased 89 acres (360,170.5 m²) from Earl Cadogan
Earl Cadogan
Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The Cadogan family descends from Major William Cadogan, a cavalry officer in Oliver Cromwell's army. His son Henry Cadogan was a barrister in Dublin. His eldest son William Cadogan was a noted soldier, politician...
and funded the building of his house by laying out a square which he sub-let in building plots. (The octagonal shape of the square is thought to have been modelled on the Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. It is the starting point of the Rue de la Paix. Its regular architecture by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and pedimented screens canted across the...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
). Horwood’s Maps of 1799 and 1813 confirm that with the exception of Nos. 55-56, all of the lots had been developed by the first edition, and that the final two houses were complete by the second.
The houses were let on 99-year leases, and apart from assumed modernisation from time to time, appear to have remained unchanged during this period. The 1862 Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
, for example, shows that none of the houses had been extended over the gardens, and annual directories record good tenancies with no obvious gaps during which major works might have been undertaken.
Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
resided at 23 Hans Place when she stayed in London during the early 19th Century.
Most of the 18th-century houses in Hans Place were substantially rebuilt by Cadogan Estates
Cadogan Estates
Cadogan Estates Ltd is a property company owned by the Earl Cadogan, one of the richest families in the United Kingdom. It is the main landlord in the central London districts of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, and is now the second largest of the surviving aristocratic freehold estates in central...
when new leases were arranged in the late 19th century; (adopting a style that became so closely associated with the district that Osbert Lancaster
Osbert Lancaster
Sir Osbert Lancaster, CBE was an English cartoonist, author, art critic and stage designer, best known to the public at large for his cartoons published in the Daily Express.-Biography:Lancaster was born in London, England...
dubbed it “Pont Street
Pont Street
Pont Street is a fashionable street in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, central London, England, not far from the Knightsbridge department store Harrods to the north-west. The street crosses Sloane Street in the middle, with Beauchamp Place to the west and Cadogan Place, and Chesham Place, to the east,...
Dutch”).
22 Hans Place formed the headquarters of the 1921 Irish Treaty delegation. The delegates were Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
, Robert Barton
Robert Barton
Robert Childers Barton was an Irish lawyer, soldier, statesman and farmer who participated in the negotiations leading up to the signature of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. His father was Charles William Barton and his mother was Agnes Childers. His wife was Rachel Warren of Boston, daughter of Fiske...
, and Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
; Secretary to the delegation was Robert Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers DSC , universally known as Erskine Childers, was the author of the influential novel Riddle of the Sands and an Irish nationalist who smuggled guns to Ireland in his sailing yacht Asgard. He was executed by the authorities of the nascent Irish Free State during the Irish...
who was also Robert Barton's cousin and father of the Fourth President of Ireland Erskine Hamilton Childers
Erskine Hamilton Childers
Erskine Hamilton Childers served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974. He was a Teachta Dála from 1938 until 1973...
. Famously, it was at 22 Hans Place that, at 11.15 PM on December 5, 1921, the delegates made the historic decision to recommend the treaty to the Dáil Éireann; the negotiations finally closed with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
at 2.20am on December 6, 1921.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hans Place received bomb damage
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
and substantial repairs were required to many buildings, and where buildings were not repairable new development took place, particularly on the Pavilion Road side.
Hans Place was the scene of a murder in 1983, when actor Peter Arne
Peter Arne
Peter Arne was a British character actor best known for various performances in British film and television, including supporting roles in the television series The Avengers, Danger Man, as well as villains in Blake Edwards' Pink Panther series, in a career that spanned 40 years...
was battered to death in his flat, apparently by an Italian vagrant who committed suicide shortly afterwards.
Hans Place now represents one of the most sought after residential addresses in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. International business executives, and the Super-rich, are particularly attracted to Hans Place because it is the garden square with the closest proximity to Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, and the best shopping in Sloane Street
Sloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
, Chelsea, and Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
.
Hans Place enjoys some of the highest levels of street security in London, being situated close to two police facilities serving nearby embassies, luxury hotels, and shopping in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
and Chelsea and all of the private security arrangements maintained by, and for, Harrods and its customers.
In the south-east corner at 17 Hans Place is the headmaster's office of Hill House School
Hill House School
Of the many schools named Hill House School, there is one which is a preparatory day school based in Knightsbridge, London. It was founded in September 1951 by Lt-Col Stuart Townend and has several branches located in West London and in Switzerland...
where HRH Prince Charles and Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
were pupils.
External links
- http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/DT/D.P.A.140001.html
- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=28692