Editing Mayfair (section)

==History==

===Early history===
Following analysis of the alignment of Roman roads, it has been speculated that the Romans settled in the area before establishing [[Londinium]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=494}} ''[[Whitaker's Almanack]]'' suggested that [[Aulus Plautius]] built a fort here during the [[Roman conquest of Britain]] in AD 43 while waiting for [[Claudius]].<ref name=Almanack>{{cite book |title=Whitaker's Almanack |publisher=Joseph Whitaker |date=1994 |chapter=Roman Mayfair |page=1118 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htTu86RbfhsC&q=mayfair}}</ref> The theory was developed in 1993, with a proposal that a town grew outside the fort but was later abandoned as it was too far from the River Thames.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sole |first=Bill |title=Metropolis in Mayfair? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIZnAAAAMAAJ&q=Mayfair |journal=The London Archaeologist |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=122–126 |date=1992}}</ref> The proposal has been disputed because of lack of archaeological evidence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=John |last2=Sheldon |first2=Harvey |title=Londinium and Beyond: Essays on Roman London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3UgAQAAI1AJ&q=mayfair |publisher=David Brown Book Company |date=30 November 2008 |pages=104 |isbn=978-1-902771-72-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fuentes |first=Nicholas |title=The Plautian invasion base |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIZnAAAAMAAJ&q=Metropolis+in+Mayfair%3F |journal=The London Archaeologist |volume=7 |pages=238 |date=1992}}</ref> If there was a fort, it is believed the perimeter would have been where the modern [[Green Street, Mayfair|Green Street]], North Audley Street, [[Upper Grosvenor Street]] and Park Lane now are, and that Park Street would have been the main road through the centre.<ref name=Almanack /> This area was the manor of [[Eia]] in the [[Domesday Book]], and owned by [[Geoffrey de Mandeville (11th century)|Geoffrey de Mandeville]] after the [[Norman Conquest]]. It was subsequently given to the Abbey of Westminster, who owned it until 1536 when it was taken over by King [[Henry VIII]] during the [[dissolution of the monasteries]].<ref name=sol39_1 />

Mayfair consisted mainly of open fields until development began in the [[Shepherd Market]] area around 1686–88 to accommodate the May Fair, which had moved from [[Haymarket, London|Haymarket]] in [[St James's]] because of overcrowding.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} There were some buildings before 1686. A cottage in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, was destroyed in [[the Blitz]] in late 1940.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/leisureandculture/greenplaques/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716210428/http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/leisureandculture/greenplaques/ |url-status=dead |title=City of Westminster green plaques |archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> A 17th-century [[English Civil War]] fortification established in what is now [[Mount Street, London|Mount Street]] was known as Oliver's Mount by the 18th century.<ref name=sol39_12-13 />

===The May Fair <span class="anchor" id="The May Fair"></span>===
The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part of [[Curzon Street]] and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} It was established during the reign of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] in open fields beyond St. James. The fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. It was postponed in 1603 because of [[1603 London plague|plague]], but otherwise continued throughout the 17th century.<ref name=onl /> In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions.<ref name="onl">{{cite book |last=Walford |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp345-359 |title=Mayfair |work= |year=1878 |series=Old and New London |volume=4 |location=London |pages=345–359 |access-date=23 March 2017}}</ref> Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting, [[semolina]]-eating contests and women's [[Pedestrianism|foot racing]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|pp=284–85}}

By the reign of [[George I of Great Britain|George I]], the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry|6th Earl of Coventry]], who lived on Piccadilly, considered the fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}}<ref name=onl /> One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=285}}

===Grosvenor family and estates===
[[File:Grosvenor Square.JPG|thumb|left|[[Grosvenor Square]] is the centrepiece of Mayfair, and named after the family name of the [[Dukes of Westminster]].|alt=Historic portrait of Grosvenor Square in Mayfair]]
Building on Mayfair began in the 1660s on the corner of Piccadilly, and progressed along the north side of that street.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} [[Burlington House]] was started between 1664 and 1665 by [[John Denham (poet)|John Denham]] and sold two years later to [[Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington]], who asked Hugh May to complete it. The house was extensively modified through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive into the 21st century.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=116}}

The origins of major development began when [[Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet]], married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor of [[Eia|Ebury]], in 1677.{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=14}} The Grosvenor family gained {{cvt|500|acre}} of land, of which around {{cvt|100|acre}} lay south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane.{{efn|The remainder was subsequently developed into [[Pimlico]] and [[Belgravia]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}}}} The land was referred to as "The Hundred Acres" in early deeds.<ref name="sol39_1">{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp1-5 |title=The Acquisition of the Estate |work= |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=1–5 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1721, the ''[[London Journal]]'' reported "the ground upon which the May Fair formerly was held is marked out for a large square, and several fine streets and houses are to be built upon it".<ref name=onl/> [[Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet]], asked the surveyor Thomas Barlow to design the street layout, which has survived mostly intact to the present day despite most of the properties being rebuilt.{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=14}}<ref name="mayfair, london (an insider’s guide)">{{cite web |last1=Residence |first1=Hyde Park |title=mayfair, london (an insider's guide) |url=https://hpr.co.uk/mayfair-london-insiders-guide/ |website=Hyde Park Residence |date=12 July 2022 |publisher=Cultureshock |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> Barlow proposed a grid of wide, straight streets, with a large park (now Grosvenor Square) as a centrepiece.<ref name="sol39_12-13">{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp12-13 |title=The Development of the Estate 1720–1785: Layout |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=12–13 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

Buildings were constructed in quick succession, and by the mid-18th century the area was covered in houses. Much of the land was owned by seven estates: [[Burlington Estate|Burlington]], Millfield, [[Conduit Mead Estate|Conduit Mead]], Albemarle Ground, the Berkeley, the Curzon and, most importantly, the Grosvenor. Of the original properties constructed in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor estate survives intact and owned by the same family,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} who became the [[Dukes of Westminster]] in 1874.<ref name=sol39_1/> [[Chesterfield Street]] is one of the few streets that has 18th-century properties on both sides, with a single exception, and is probably the least altered road in the area.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=161}}

[[File:Statue of Pitt the Younger, Hanover Square W1.JPG|thumb|upright|Statue of [[William Pitt the Younger]] in [[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]]|alt=Statue of William Pitt, The Younger in Hanover Square, Mayfair]]
[[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]] was the first of three great squares to be constructed. It was named after King George I, the Elector of Hanover, soon after his ascension to the throne in 1714. The original houses were inhabited by "persons of distinction" such as retired generals. Although most have been demolished, a small number have survived to the present day. The [[Hanover Square Rooms]] became a popular place for [[classical music]] concerts, including [[Johann Christian Bach]], [[Joseph Haydn]], [[Niccolò Paganini]] and [[Franz Liszt]]. A large statue of [[William Pitt the Younger]] is sited at the southern end of the square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=381–382}}

[[File:St George's Hanover Square by T Malton. 1787.jpg|thumb|left|Looking towards [[St George Hanover Square]] from St George Street, 1787|alt=Historic picture of the church of St George's Hanover Square]]
In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish of [[St George Hanover Square]],<ref name=sol39_29-30>{{cite journal |title=The Development of the Estate 1720–1785: Other Features of the Development |journal=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |editor=F H W Sheppard |location=London |year=1977 |pages=29–30 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp29-30 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> which stretched as far east as [[Bond Street]] and to Regent Street north of [[Conduit Street]]. It ran as far north as Oxford Street and south near to Piccadilly. The parish continued into Hyde Park to the west and extended southwest to [[St George's Hospital]].<ref>{{cite map |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/other/zoomify88656.html |title=St Georges parish, Hanover Square. With the views of the church and chapels of ease from the original survey of the late Mr Morris. |publisher=[[British Library]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803191936/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/other/zoomify88656.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Most of the area belonged to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, though the [[fee simple|freehold]] of some parts belongs to the [[Crown Estate]].{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=6}}

A water supply to the area was built by the [[Chelsea Waterworks Company|Chelsea Water Works]], and a royal warrant was issued in 1725 for a reservoir in Hyde Park that could supply water at what is now Grosvenor Gate. In 1835, the reservoir was decorated with an ornamental basin and a fountain in its centre.<ref name=sol39_29-30/> In 1963, following the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do/memorials,-fountains-and-statues/joy-of-life-fountain |title=Joy of Life Fountain |publisher=Royal Parks |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>

Grosvenor Square was planned as the centrepiece of the Mayfair estate. It was laid out from 1725–31 with 51 individual plots for development. It is the second-largest square in London (after [[Lincoln's Inn Fields]]) and housed numerous members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=359}} By the end of the 19th century, the Grosvenor family were described as "the wealthiest family in Europe" and annual rents for their Mayfair properties reached around £135,000 ({{Inflation|index=UK-GDP|value=135,000|start_year=1891|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}).{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}} The square has never declined in popularity and continues to be a prestigious London address into the 21st century. Only two original houses have survived; No.&nbsp;9, once the home of [[John Adams]], and No.&nbsp;38 which is now the [[Embassy of Indonesia, London|Indonesian Embassy]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=359}}

[[File:Sophie Snyder Berkeley Square.jpg|thumb|Sculpture ''Hares'' by Sophie Snyder, [[Berkeley Square]]|alt=Photograph of Berkeley Square]]
Berkeley House on Piccadilly was named after [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton]], who had purchased its land, and that surrounding it, shortly after the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration of the Monarchy]] in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and grounds to [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire|William Cavendish]], 1st [[Duke of Devonshire]] (who renamed it [[Devonshire House]]), on condition that the view from the rear of the house should not be spoiled. Berkeley Square was laid out to the rear of the house in the 1730s; because of the conditions of sale, houses were only built on the east and west sides. The west side still has various mid-18th-century buildings, and the east side now contains offices including Berkeley Square House.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=59}}

The expansion of Mayfair moved [[upper-class]] Londoners away from areas such as [[Covent Garden]] and Soho, which were already in decline by the 18th century. Part of its success was its proximity to the [[Court of St James]] and the parks, and the well-designed layout. This led to it sustaining its popularity into the 21st century. The requirements of the aristocracy led to stables, coach houses and servants' accommodation being established along the mews running parallel to the streets. Some of the stables have since been converted into garages and offices.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}}

The [[Rothschild family]] owned several Mayfair properties in the 19th century. [[Alfred de Rothschild]] lived at No.&nbsp;1 Seamore Place and held numerous "adoration dinners" where the only guest was a female companion. The marriage of his brother [[Leopold de Rothschild|Leopold]] to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. The house was demolished after the [[First World War]] when Curzon Street was extended through the site to meet Park Lane.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://family.rothschildarchive.org/estates/46-1-seamore-place |title=1, Seamore Place, London, England |publisher=Rothschild Archive |access-date=27 March 2017}}</ref> The future Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery]], was born in [[Charles Street, Mayfair|Charles Street]] in 1847, and grew up in the area.<ref>{{cite book |last=James |first=Robert Rhodes |year=1963 |title=Rosebery |publisher=[[Weidenfeld and Nicolson]] |page=9 |isbn=978-1-857-99219-9}}</ref>

Mayfair has had a long association with the United States. [[Pocahontas]] is believed to have visited in the early 17th century. In 1786, John Adams established the [[Embassy of the United States, London|US Embassy]] on Grosvenor Square. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] was married in Hanover Square, and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] honeymooned in Berkeley Square.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=288}} A small memorial park in [[Mount Street Gardens]] has benches engraved with the names of former American residents in and visitors to Mayfair.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=289}}

===Modern history===
[[File:Aldford House, 26 Park Lane, London.jpg|thumb|left|Aldford House in 1918]]
[[File:LondonderryHouse.jpg|thumb|Londonderry House, {{Circa|1900}}]]
[[File:ChesterfieldHouse1760.jpg|thumb|left|Chesterfield House in 1760, published in Walford's ''Old & New London'' (1878)]]
[[File:US_Embassy_London_view_from_SE.jpg|thumb|right|The former [[Eero Saarinen]] designed American embassy building (1960–2018) on the western side of Grosvenor Square is now a hotel]]

[[File:HC of Canada, London 3.jpg|thumb|250px|Macdonald House in 2013]]

[[File:Embassy of Italy, London.jpg|thumb|250px|The London [[Embassy of Italy, London|Italian Embassy]] is in Mayfair.|alt=Photograph of the front of the Italian Embassy, London]]
The death of [[Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster]] in 1899 was a pivotal point in the development of Mayfair, following which all redevelopment schemes not already in operation were cancelled. In the following years, Government budget proposals such as [[David Lloyd George]]'s establishment of the [[welfare state]] in 1909 greatly reduced the power of the Lords. Land value fell around Mayfair, and some leases were not renewed.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp67-82 |title=The Estate in the Twentieth Century |work= |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=67–82 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

Following [[World War I]], the British upper class was in decline, for the reduced workforce meant servants were less readily available and demanded higher salaries. The grandest houses in Mayfair became more expensive to service; consequently, many were converted into foreign embassies. The [[Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster|2nd Duke of Westminster]] decided to demolish Grosvenor House and move his residence to [[Bourdon House]]. Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of the [[City of London]] was destroyed during the Blitz, and many corporate headquarters were established in the area.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} Several historically important houses were demolished, including [[Aldford House]], [[Londonderry House]] and [[Chesterfield House, Westminster|Chesterfield House]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/investment/10836954/How-did-Mayfair-become-Londons-most-desirable-area.html |title=How did Mayfair become London's most desirable area? |first=Christopher |last=Middleton |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 May 2014 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1961, the old US embassy at No.&nbsp;1 Grosvenor Square became the [[High Commission of Canada, London|Canadian High Commission]], and the building was named [[Macdonald House, London|Macdonald House]], after the first Canadian Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]]. The [[Embassy of Italy, London|Italian Embassy]] is at No.&nbsp;4 Grosvenor Square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=360}}

The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, though the trend has been reversed in places.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} The [[Embassy of the United States, London|United States embassy]] announced in 2008 it would move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square to [[Nine Elms]], [[Wandsworth]], owing to security concerns, despite constructing an £8m security upgrading after the [[September 11 attacks]] including {{cvt|6|ft|adj=on}} high blast walls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3123915/US-embassy-to-move-from-Grosvenor-Square-to-industrial-estate.html |title=US embassy to move from Grosvenor Square to industrial estate |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=2 October 2008 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> Since the 1990s residential properties have become available again, though the rents are among the highest in London.<ref name=middleton>{{cite web |url=http://www.manors.co.uk/about-us/area-guide/mayfair?start=1/a-potted-history-of-Mayfair |title=A Potted History of Mayfair |publisher=Manors |access-date=29 March 2017 |archive-date=20 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620222838/http://www.manors.co.uk/about-us/area-guide/mayfair?start=1%2Fa-potted-history-of-Mayfair |url-status=dead}}</ref> Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to live in London and the world,<ref name=ft/> and it possesses some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxury [[Hotels in London|hotels]] and many restaurants, particularly around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}}

The [[Al-Thani]] family, the ruling family of [[Qatar]], and their relatives and associates owned a quarter of the 279 acres of Mayfair by 2006.<ref name=Ind06>{{cite news |last=Rodionova |first=Zlata |title=London property crisis: Qatari investors now own £1bn in Mayfair real estate |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/london-property-qatari-investors-now-own-ps1bn-in-mayfair-real-estate-a6961151.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=31 March 2006 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref> The north-western part of Mayfair has subsequently been nicknamed "[[Little Doha]]".<ref name=ES05>{{cite news |last=Prynn |first=Jonathan |title=World's most expensive mews house: former garage in Mayfair sold to Qatari for £24m |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/world-s-most-expensive-mews-house-former-garage-in-mayfair-sold-to-qatari-for-ps24m-a2925496.html |work=[[Evening Standard]] |date=2 September 2015 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=Ind06/><ref name=FT06>{{cite news |last=Townsend |first=Sarah |title=Foreign investors seek new London property sites |url=https://www.ft.com/content/826ec146-45c6-11e5-af2f-4d6e0e5eda22 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |work=Financial Times |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/826ec146-45c6-11e5-af2f-4d6e0e5eda22 |archive-date=10 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=GuardNov05>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Rob |last2=Smith |first2=Joseph |title=How Qatar bought up Britain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2022/nov/05/how-qatar-bought-up-britain |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 November 2022 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref> The area has also been called a "Qatari quarter" and 'Qataropolis'.<ref name=ES05/> Prominent properties owned in Mayfair by Qataris include [[Dudley House, London|Dudley House]] on [[Park Lane]] and Lombard House on Curzon Street.<ref name=VF05>{{cite news |title=Sheikh Shack |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/01/dudley-house-london |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=February 2015 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Leppard |first=David |title=Designer 'paid Pounds 2m bribe' for contract |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A92553652/AONE?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=8898d5b5 |work=The Times |date=6 October 2002 |page=9 |access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> Family members also own [[The Connaught (hotel)|The Connaught]] and [[Claridge's]] hotels in Mayfair through the [[Maybourne Hotel Group]].<ref name=GuardOct10>{{cite news |title=The billion-pound battle over Claridge's hotel from Belfast to Qatar |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/10/the-billion-pound-battle-over-claridges-hotel-from-belfast-to-qatar |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=10 October 2022 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref>