Person    | Male  Born 1638  Died 1698

Nicholas Barbon

Nicholas Barbon

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.

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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...

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1 memorial
Wills & Anderson

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Sir John Summerson

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1 memorial
Edward Blakeway I'Anson

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Decimus Burton

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Dr. Flora Murray

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Rebecca Hawkins
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Queen Charlotte

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Thomas Beasley

Thomas Beasley

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The two memorial stones are on the wall to the left of our photo, hidden by the foliage. They are in very good (as new) condition and we ...

1 subject commemorated
York Watergate

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The streets laid out on the site of York House were named: Villiers Street, Duke Street, Buckingham Street, George Court and Of Alley (no...

4 subjects commemorated, 1 creator