Fauconberg House was a house in
Soho Square
Soho Square is a garden square in Soho, London, hosting since 1954 a ''de facto'' public park let by the Soho Square Garden Committee to Westminster City Council. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, and a much weathered ...
in the
City of Westminster, London.
It was demolished in 1924.
The house was occupied from 1683 to 1700 by
Thomas Belasyse, 1st Earl Fauconberg
Thomas Belasyse, 1st Earl Fauconberg PC (c. 1627 – 31 December 1700) was an English peer. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War, becoming close to Oliver Cromwell and marrying Cromwell's third daughter, Mary. After ...
. The last member of the Fauconberg family to live at the house was
Mary Cromwell; she was the third daughter of
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...
and the wife of the 1st Earl Fauconberg.
Subsequently it was occupied by
Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow (1 October 169117 February 1768) was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.
Early life and educat ...
, then
Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings.
Systems that have such a position include:
* Speaker of ...
.
The lease was sold by Onslow to
John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll
General John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll KT PC (c. 1693 – 9 November 1770), was a British Army officer and Scottish Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1713 and 1761. From 1729 to 1761 he was known as John Campbell of ...
.
The Duke of Argyll lived at Fauconberg House until his death in 1770; following his death, it was sold to John Grant, a Scottish lawyer and owner of
sugar plantations in the West Indies.
The
neo-classical architect
Robert Adam
Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his ...
was commissioned by Grant to improve the house.
After Grant's death, Fauconberg House became Wright's Hotel and Coffee House.
The house belonged to a company of musical instrument makers at the start of the 19th century, and was owned by
Crosse & Blackwell
Crosse & Blackwell is a British food brand. The original company was established in London in 1706, then was acquired by Edmund Crosse and Thomas Blackwell in 1830. It became independent until it was acquired by Swiss conglomerate Nestlé in 1960. ...
from 1858.
Fauconberg House was demolished by Crosse & Blackwell in 1924, and their new headquarters was built on the site.
References
{{coord, 51.5156, -0.1315, display=title
Buildings and structures demolished in 1924
Former houses in the City of Westminster
Robert Adam buildings
Soho Square