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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

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...

Read More

Other Subjects

Sir Nikolaus Pevsner

Sir Nikolaus Pevsner

Architectural historian and author of "The Buildings of England". Born in Leipzig, Germany. Hitler's rise to power caused him to move to London in 1935. Buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's a...

Person, Architecture, History, Germany

2 memorials
Maurice Everett Webb

Maurice Everett Webb

Architect. Son of Sir Aston Webb and worked with his father as Sir Aston Webb and Son from 1914.

Person, Architecture

1 memorial
Edward Middleton Barry

Edward Middleton Barry

Third son of Sir Charles Barry. Born 27 Foley Place. Work in London: St. Saviour's Church Hampstead, Charing Cross Hotel, new chambers at Inner Temple and at Middle Temple, the colonnade at Borough...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial
Charles Robert Ashbee

Charles Robert Ashbee

Designer, architect, conservationist, entrepreneur and social reformer, important in the Arts and Crafts movement. Born Spring Grove, Isleworth but brought up at 46 Upper Bedford Place, in a well-o...

Person, Architecture, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Raising the tower - Wandsworth All Saints

Raising the tower - Wandsworth All Saints

The upper storey of the west tower was added in 1841 to enable a peal of eight bells to be installed.  The picture shows the tower in 1810, pre-works.

Event, Architecture, Religion

1 memorial