Street names of Clerkenwell and Finsbury

• Acton Street – after Acton Meadow which formerly occupied this site[1][2]
• Agdon Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, who owned a property called Agdon in Warwickshire[3][4]
• Albemarle Way – after Elizabeth, Dowager Duchess of Albemarle, who lived at Newcastle House nearby in the 18th century[5]
• Ampton Place and Ampton Street – after its builder the 3rd Lord Calthorpe, who owned land at Ampton, Suffolk[6][2]
• Amwell Street – after the nearby New River, which starts at Great Amwell, Hertfordshire[7][8]
• Archery Fields House, Wharton Street - after the historic use of the land[9]
• Arlington Way – unknown; before 1936 called Arlington Street[10][11]
• Ashby Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, who had a seat at Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire[12][4]
• Attneave Street – thought to be named after A Attneave, local builder in the 1890s[13][14]
• Aylesbury Street – after the earl of Aylesbury, who owned a house near here in the 17th century[13][15]
• Back Hill – as it lies off (or to the 'back') of a main road[15]
• Baker’s Row and Baker’s Yard – after Richard Baker, a local 18th century carpenter[16][17]
• Bath Yard
• Berry Place and Berry Street – after Thomas Berry, local early 19th century landowner[18][19]
• Bevin House and Bevin Way – after prominent Labour politician Ernest Bevin[20][21][22]
• Bowling Green Lane – after the former Bowling Green House on this site, demolished 1933. The house had been built over an old bowling green which dated back to the 18th century[23][24]
• Brewhouse Yard – after a former brewery on this site[25][26]
• Britannia Street – built in the 1760s and named to suggest patriotism[27][28]
• Cable House, Great Percy Street - after the Cable family, agents to the Lloyd Baker estate[9]
• Calthorpe Street – after Henry Gough-Calthorpe, 1st Baron Calthorpe, local 18th century landowner, and his descendants who developed the local street plan[29][2][30]
• Catherine Griffiths Court – after Catherine Griffiths (1885-1988), a suffragette, founder of the Finsbury Women's Committee in the 1920s, and mayor of Finsbury in 1960[31]
• Chadwell Street – after Chadwell Spring in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, source of the nearby New River, or possibly William Chadwell Mylne[32][8]
• Charles Rowan House, Margery Street - originally built as police housing, named after Commissioner Sir Charles Rowan[33]
• Claremont Close and Claremont Square – after the nearby Claremont Chapel on Pentonville Road (now the Crafts Council), which was named after Claremont, Surrey, the country house of the then-recently deceased Princess Charlotte of Wales[34][35]
• Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell Green and Clerkenwell Road – from a local well (‘the clerk’s well), which gave its name to the area[36][37]
• Coldbath Square – after a former cold spring on this site that was used for medicinal purposes in the 17th – 18th centuries[38][39]
• Coley Street - after Henry Coley, 17th century mathematician, who lived on Grays Inn Road
• Compton Passage and Compton Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton[40][4]
• Corporation Row – after the former New Corporation Work House, built here in the 1660s; prior to this it was known as Cut Throat Lane[41][42]
• Crawford Passage – after Peter Crawford, landlord of a former pub here called the Pickled Egg; the passage was formerly Pickled Egg Walk[43][44]
• Cruickshank Street – after George Cruikshank, 19th century illustrator who lived on nearby Amwell Street[45][46]
• Cubitt Street – after the prominent 19th century builder Thomas Cubitt, who built this street; it was formerly called Arthur Street[45][47]
• Cumberland Gardens – probably in honour of the Duke of Cumberland; prior to 1929 this was Cumberland Terrace[48][49]
• Cyrus Street – possibly after the Persian King of this name; prior to 1880 it was called King Street[50][51]
• Dabbs Lane
• Dallington Street – after Robert Dallington, master of the Charterhouse in the 1620s[52][53]
• Earlom House, Fernsbury Street - named after the artist Richard Earlom[33]
• Earlstoke Street – corruption of Erlestoke: local landowner Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton married in 1787 Maria Smith, daughter of Joshua Smith MP, of Erlestoke Park, Wiltshire[54][55][4]
• Easton Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, who owned property in Easton Maudit, Northamptonshire[56][4]
• Edward Rudolf House - named after Edward Rudolf, founder of the Children's Society, whose head office was formerly here[33][57]
• Elm Street – possibly for the former elm trees located here[58]
• Exmouth Market – after Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, prominent 18th – 19th century naval officer[59][60]
• Eyre Street Hill – unknown; formerly called Little Bath Street[61][60]
• Farringdon Lane and Farringdon Road – from Sir William or Nicholas de Farnedon/Faringdon, local sheriffs or aldermen in the 13th century[62][63][64]
• Fernsbury Street – named in 1912 after an early variant of ‘Finsbury’, former name for this area[62][65]
• Field Street – built over Battle Bridge Field,[66] or possibly after Peter Field, early 19th century builder[67]
• Fleet Square – presumably as the river Fleet flowed near here
• Frederick Street – after local landowners the Barons Calthorpe, the 4th and 5th of whom were called Frederick[68][2]
• Friend Street – after George Friend, local scarlet-dyer who founded a free clinic nearby in 1780[69][70]

• Garnault Mews and Garnault Street – after Samuel Garnault, 18th century treasurer of the New River Company[71][8]
• Gloucester Way – after Thomas Lloyd Baker, local landowner, who also owned Hardwicke Court in Gloucester[72][73]
• Goswell Place and Goswell Road – there is dispute over the origins of the name, with some sources claiming the road was named after a nearby garden called 'Goswelle' or 'Goderell' which belonged to Robert de Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk,[74] whilst others state it derives from "God's Well", and the traditional pagan practice of well-worship.[75] or else a former 'Gode Well' located here[2]
• Gough Street – after Richard Gough, wool merchant and local landowner in the early 18th century[76][2]
• Granville Square and Granville Street – after Granville Sharp, notable opponent of the slave trade; he was the uncle of Mary Sharp, who married local landowner Thomas Lloyd Baker[77][73]
• Gray's Inn Road – from Lord Gray of Wilton, owner of a local inn or town house which was later leased to lawyers in the 16th century[77][78]
• Great Sutton Street and Sutton Lane – after Thomas Sutton, who founded the nearby Charterhouse School in 1611[77][53]
• Green Terrace and Green Yard – possibly after the adjacent Spa Green, or instead John Grene, Clerk to the New River Company in the late 1600s[79]
• Greenaway House, Fernsbury Street - after the illustrator Kate Greenaway who studied at Finsbury School of Art[33]
• Gwynne Place and Gwynne House, Margery Street – after Nell Gwynne, mistress of Charles II, who lived near here[80][81]
• Hardwick Mews and Hardwick Street – after Thomas Lloyd Baker, local landowner, who also owned Hardwicke Court in Gloucester[72][73]
• Hayward’s Place – after James Hayward, local 19th century landowner and ironmonger[82][83]
• Herbal Hill and Herbal Place – after a former herb garden near here belonging to the Bishops of Ely, former local landowners[84][85]
• Hermit Street – after a hermitage established here in 1511 by the Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem[86][87]
• Holford Mews, Holdford Place and Holford Street – after the Holford family, who worked on the New River) scheme in the 18th century[88][8]
• Holsworthy Square –
• Ingle Mews and Inglebert Street – after William Inglebert, 17th century engineer who worked on the New River scheme[89][8]
• Jerusalem Passage – after the Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem[90][91]
• Joseph Trotter House - after a former Mayor of Finsbury
• King’s Cross Bridge and Kings Cross Road – after a former statue of George IV that formerly stood near where the train station is now; the Road was formerly called Bagnigge Wells, after a tea garden of that name near here[92][93]
• Langton Close – after the Arthur Langton Nurses Home formerly located here[94]
• Laystall Street – after a former nearby laystall, a term for a refuse heap[95][96]
• Leeke Street
• Leo Yard – from the Latin for lion, as it was formerly Red Lion Yard[97]
• Lloyd’s Row, Lloyd Square, Lloyd Street and Lloyd Baker Street – after the Lloyd Baker family, local 19th century landowners[98][73]
• Lorenzo Street – unknown; formerly York Street[99][100]

• Malta Street – unknown, though probably by association with the nearby Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem (also Knights of Malta); formerly Queen Street[101][102]
• Manningford Close
• Margery Street – after a family member of local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton; it was formerly Margaret Street[103][4]
• Meredith Street – after John Meredith, local landowner and member of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, who owned much of the surrounding land[104][105]
• Merlin Street – after a former local pub, the New Merlin’s Cave after a local landowner of this name[104][106]
• Michael Cliffe House, Skinner Street - after a former Mayor of Finsbury
• Mount Pleasant – ironically named after a former nearby refuse tip[107][108]
• Myddelton Passage, Myddelton Square and Myddelton Street – after Hugh Myddleton, who devised the New River scheme in the early 17th century[109][8]
• Mylne Street – after Robert Mylne, who did much engineering work for the New River Company, as did his son William Chadwell Mylne[104][8]
• Naoroji Street – after Dadabhai Naoroji, who was active in local politics in the late 19th century[110]
• Newcastle Row – after Newcastle House, which formerly stood here; the house was named after its 17th century owner William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle[111]
• Northampton Road, Northampton Row and Northampton Square – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton[40][4]
• Northburgh Street – after Michael de Northburgh, a bishop who founded the nearby Charterhouse monastery in 1371[40][53]
• Owen Street and Owen’s Row – after Dame Alice Owen, who founded almshouses near here in 1609[112][87]
• Paget Street – after Sir James Paget, 19th century surgeon, who had a clinic on nearby Friend Street[6][70]
• Pakenham Street – after its builder the 3rd Lord Calthorpe, who owned land at Pakenham, Suffolk[6][2]
• Pardon Street – after the Pardon Chapel which stood near here in the Middle Ages[113][114]
• Pear Tree Court – thought to be from a local pear tree[115][116]
• Penton Rise and Pentonville Road – after Henry Penton, who developed this area in the late 18th century[117][118]
• Percival Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, one of whom was a cousin of Spencer Perceval[117][4]
• Percy Circus, Percy Yard and Great Percy Street – after Robert Percy Smith, 19th century MP who was a director of the New River Company[117][8]
• Peter Benenson House, Easton Street - named after Peter Benenson, the founder of Amnesty International who have their International Secretariat there: formerly the Coates printing ink factory[33]
• Phoenix Place and Phoenix Yard – after the former Phoenix Iron Foundry near here[119][120]
• Pine Street – Wood Street prior to 1877, probably both names after an avenue of tree that formerly stood here, or possibly after Thomas Wood, 18th century leaseholder[121][122]
• Poole’s Buildings
• Prideaux Place – after Arthur R Prideaux, 19th century director of the New River Company[117][8]
• Rawstorne Place and Rawstorne Street – after local 18th century bricklayer Thomas Rawstorne[123][87]
• Ray Street and Ray Street Bridge – corruption of ‘Rag’, after the former local rag trade here; the streets was formerly two different streets – Hockley in the Hole and Town’s End Lane[123][124]
• Riceyman House, Fernsbury Street - named after the novel Riceyman Steps set nearby[33]
• River Passage, River Street and River Street Mews – after the nearby New River[125][8]
• Robert's Place – probably after Richard Roberts, who built much of the local area in the 1800s[126]
• Rosebery Avenue and Rosebery Square – after Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 19th century Prime Minister; he was chairman of the London County Council when this street was built in 1889[127][128]
• Rosoman Place – after Thomas Rosoman, first manager of the nearby Sadler’s Wells Theatre in the 18th century[127][129]

• Sage Way
• St Chad’s Place – after the nearby St Chad’s well, reputed to be a medieval holy well; St Chad was a 7th-century bishop[130][131]
• St Helena Street – believed to be named after St Helena, in commemoration of Napoleon’s exile there in 1815[132][133]
• St James’s Walk – after the adjacent St James's Church, Clerkenwell[37]
• St John Street and St John’s Square – after the Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, who set up their English headquarters here in the 12th century[134][91]
• St Philip's House, Margery Street - named after St Philip's Church, Granville Square[33]
• Sanders House, Great Percy Street - named after C S Sanders, surveyor of the New River Company[22]
• Sans Walk – after Edward Sans, named in 1893 as he was then oldest member of the local parish vestry[135][136]
• Scotswood Street
• Sebastian Street – after Lewis Sebastian, former Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners and chairman of the governors of Northampton Polytechnic (now City University)[137][105]
• Seddon Street – after the Seddon brothers, local merchants and landowners[30]
• Sekforde Street – after Thomas Seckford, Elizabethan court official, who left land nearby in his will for the building of an almshouse[137][138]
• Sherston Court
• Skinner Street – after the Worshipful Company of Skinners, who owned much of the surrounding land when the street was built in the 1810s[139][140]
• Soley Mews
• Spafield Street and the Spa Fields estate – after a former spa on this site which closed in 1776[141][142][33]
• Spencer Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, one of whom was cousins with Spencer Perceval[117][4]
• Summers Street
• Swinton Place and Swinton Street – after local 18th century landowner James Swinton[143][2]
• Tompion Street – after 17th century clockmaker Thomas Tompion; formerly called Smith Street[144]
• Topham Street – after local strongman Topham the Strong Man, who performed feats of strength here in the 18th century[145][146]
• Tysoe Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, who owned land at Tysoe in Northamptonshire[147][33]
• Vernon Rise and Vernon Square – after Robert Vernon, 1st Baron Lyveden, 19th century director of the New River Company[117][8]
• Vine Hill and Vine Street Bridge – after the vineyards owned by the Bishops of Ely formerly located here[148]
• Vineyard Walk – after a former 18th century vineyard on this site[149][148]
• Warner Street and Warner Yard – after Robert Warner, local 18th century landowner[150][17]
• Wells Square - after the former Wells Street which led to Bagnigge Wells spa[30]
• Weston Rise – after John Weston, who built this road in the 1790s[151][152]
• Wharton Street – after Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton, who had a home in Clerkenwell Close in the mid 17th century[153]
• Whiskin Way – after John Whiskin, local landowner/builder in the 19th century[140][104]
• White Bear Yard - possibly after a former inn
• Wicklow Street – possibly from Wicklow in Ireland[94]
• William Martin Court - named after a local Alderman[33]
• Wilmington Square and Wilmington Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquesses of Northampton, who also had the title Baron Wilmington[154][33]
• Woodbridge Street – after Thomas Seckford, Elizabethan court official, who left land nearby in his will for the building of an almshouse; Sekford was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk[137][138]
• Wren Street – after prominent architect Sir Christopher Wren[155][156]
• Wyclif Street – after John Wycliffe, noted 14th century religious reformer; by association with the former nearby Smithfield Martyrs’ Memorial Church[155][157]
• Wynyatt Street – corruption of ‘Wynyates’; after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, who owned land at Compton Wynyates in Northamptonshire[155][4]
• Yardley Street – after local landowners (dating back to the 17th century) the Compton family, earls and later marquises of Northampton, one of whom was born at Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire[158][33]

Sources