Builder and economist, a key figure in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. Laid out Essex Street in 1675. Also redeveloped Red Lion Fields and the Temple. It seems he was an extrovert rogue, dishonest and manipulative. Died, probably at his home in Osterley House, Middlesex, heavily in debt. Good write up at London Historians.
His father, a preacher and politician, had the unusual first name: "Praisegod". That we believe is true since the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has an entry for Praisegod. Wikipedia's entry for Nicholas has his middle name as "Unless-Jesus-Christ-Had-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned". This is not mentioned in the ODNB so we wonder if it is one of those ho-ho-ho jokes for which Wikipedia's less-than-serious contributors are famed.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Nicholas Barbon
Commemorated ati
Essex Street & Essex Hall
This plaque was first erected at 7 Essex Street in 1962 and then re-erected h...
Other Subjects
Builder / Building
Architectural journal created by Joseph Hansom as 'The Builder', renamed 'Building' in 1966 and still going strong. Edited by Hansom and then Alfred Bartholomew, it became successful and well-respe...
Rodney Gordon
Architect. Graduated from the Architectural Association School in 1957. His first job at the London County Council Architects department was to design this London Underground substation, dedicated...
Blackheath Preservation Trust
One of the oldest building preservation trusts in the United Kingdom. It was founded by members of the newly-formed Blackheath Society as an independent and separate property company. Its original ...
Henry Poston
Architect. Worked out of Lombard Street. Also built, in 1898, the Pigeons Hotel, Romford Road in Stratford, now converted to residential.
James Knowles
Two architects, father (1806–1884) and son (1831-1908), with the same name, James Thomas Knowles, either could have been the architect for the Shakespeare plinth.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them