Chatham Street was named after Pitt the Elder (1st Earl of Chatham).
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Oxford Street, on the North side of the Square, isn't named after the town either, but named after Oxford Street in London, as at the time the Corporation were trying to emulate the capital ( hence also Whitechapel, Pall Mall and Islington). On a side note it was particularly important to re-christen Whitechapel as it had previously been known as Frogg Lane. Which sounds less eminent.
Cambridge Street, bordering the South side of the Square, isn't named after the University as many people think, but after Prince Adolphus, eldest son of George III, who was better known as the 1st Duke of Cambridge.
Following the Whisters ( I may post more of those) I thought I'd add another collector and highly speculative possibility. Charles Langton, insurance broker and shipowner lived at Number 25 Abercromby square, and was a great contributor to the art collections at the Walker Art Gallery. Above is one painting ( though his most famous donation was Poynter's Faithful Unto Death) owned by Langton and subsequently donated to the gallery. Unlike the Whistlers, I have no proof this Turner ever adorned the walls of his house, but likewise I have no proof it didn't. He certainly owned it while living in the Square so this one stays in the purely speculative category, unless I ever get round to researching Art in the square seriously. Though that looks like a different book. Go on, write it yourself, you know you want to...
The Langton's by the way, are a swine to research, as Manchester has a rival financial philanthropist of the same name, and we have two branches of the family living here too, at numbers 25 and 12 ( William the banker and Charles the insurance man, probably brothers according to others, and part of the Earle dynasty of the Square, but I haven't research that tree myself properly yet so also in speculative till I prove it myself). Damn this is a big job! |
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