Abstract
The entire Harley Street area, complete with royal hunting lodge, was sold to John Holles, the Duke of Newcastle, in 1710 for £17,500 and passed to his only daughter Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles. In 1713 she married the second Earl of Oxford who brought with him several names which we now recognize as familiar street names. He was Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, Baron Harley of Wigmore Cottage, Herefordshire. His wife Lady Henrietta owned Wimpole Hall, a great country house about eight miles west of Cambridge, adding yet another street name to the area.
The whole estate passed to Harley's daughter, Peggy, who married William Bentinck, second Duke of Portland at Marylebone Church; and their daughter supplied the remaining street name when she married Lord Weymouth. These famous names were in the news in 1950 when Lady Margaret Cavendish-Bentinck was given away by her father, the Duke of Portland, at the small private chapel at Welbeck Abbey.
The area became populated from the beginning of the 19th century onwards with colleges, hospitals and an increasing number of individuals. Queen's College was established for the higher education of women. It educated Miss Beale who went on to start Cheltenham Ladies’ College. In 1854 Florence Nightingale transferred a hospital for invalid gentlewomen into Harley Street from which nurses were recruited for Constantinople. The Duke of Wellington left for the Peninsular war from 11 Harley Street and Gladstone had broken windows at number 73 from a protesting mob. Early residents were man-midwife William Rowley, throat specialist Sir Morrell Mackenzie, and Arthur Conan Doyle became an ophthalmologist at nearby 2 Devonshire Place. Dean Swift, Sir Philip Frances, Dr John Latham and the younger Pitt were residents, and Lady Nelson died there. Count Woronzow, the Russian Ambassador, resided at number 74 as early as 1792. Royal physician Sir William Jenner lived there in 1871 when looking after the Prince Consort and the Prince of Wales.
A veritable biographical neighbourhood!