Rathbone Street

XXXIX—RATHBONE STREET

(Formerly Upper Rathbone Place, and (earlier) Glanville Street, also incorporating Bennett Street or Court)

The eastern frontage of the northern extension of Rathbone Street, known until recently as Upper Rathbone Place, was formerly within the parish of St. Pancras, the boundary passing between the east and west sides of the street in an oblique line. The alteration of the bounds in 1900 has now put the whole street into St. Marylebone.

Both Rathbone Place and Upper Rathbone Place were at first known as Glanville Street and in 1765 William Franks had already built Percy Chapel which filled the central space between the northern part of the street and Charlotte Street. At the same time the land north and south of the chapel was let on building leases (1766), and the corner house at the junction of Percy Street with Glanville Street (Upper Rathbone Place) was leased by William Franks to Joseph Francis in 1765 and assigned by Edmund Pepys and Joseph Francis to Bartholomew Hammond on 16th July, 1767. (fn. 27) This house is now a public house known as the Marquis of Granby and its south-west corner touches the old parish boundary. It still shows an oval metal plate with the initials S.P.P. 1791. (fn. n1) The building is of simple Georgian type three storeys high with parapet and dormer windows to a mansard roof. The walls above the ground floor are rendered in cement and the windows have external moulded architraves. The remaining houses in the street have been rebuilt.

Just south of Percy Street (though now outside the parish) was the residence of the Rev. Anthony Stephen Matthew, the first incumbent of Percy Chapel. In the lease of 1764 he is described as of Cecil Street, St. Martin-in-the-Fields. His house (then No. 27) was on the east side of the way, the second north of the archway to Percy Mews which was constructed at this time.

The northern section of Rathbone Street incorporates Bennett Court (formerly Bennett Street) which turns west from Charlotte Street and connects it with the top of what was formerly Upper Rathbone Place. At its north west corner stands the Duke of York public house to which is affixed one of the parish boundary plates, with the date 1791. The building is now rendered externally in cement. On the eastern side of the Duke of York Charlotte Place (formerly Little Charlotte Street) runs northwards to Goodge Street. There is one original house on the north side of Bennett Court (No. 53 Rathbone Street), of four storeys with good entrance doorway, circular-headed, with pedimental hood on brackets. The houses on the south side have mostly been refronted or rendered in cement but Nos. 44 and 46 retain their old wrought iron railings with cast iron urns on the standards. The building leases of these houses (granted by William Franks) date chiefly from 1766.