One of the earliest leases relating to the area was granted on 23rd April 1842 by James Twigg to John Jones of Marlborough Street. He was the lessee of two building plots, each with ‘a frontage of 100 feet along the new road made by the said James Twigg’[i] later known as Kensington Terrace, subsequently Castlewood Avenue, before finally becoming Belgrave Square north. These were the first houses on what was to become Belgrave Square. They were originally numbered 1 to 10 Kensington Terrace but are now Numbers 51 to 60 Belgrave Square. Five houses were built on each of the plots – nos. 51 to 55 on one and nos. 56 to 60 Belgrave Square on the other; numbers 38 to 46 Upper Mount Pleasant Avenue were also built on this plot. John Jones died on 6th August 1879. By then he had disposed of his interest in all of these properties except for nos. 53 to 58 Belgrave Square. He had married a widow, Mary Church, who had three daughters. She inherited the properties on his death and lived with her three daughters in no. 57 Belgrave Square. The family drew rents from the other four houses until the death of John Jones’ last step-daughter in 1940. The five houses then passed to North American heirs who sold them in 1941.[ii] More...
[i] Lease dated 23rd April 1842 between James Twigg and John Jones in the possession of Mr K Ferguson, 57 Belgrave Square
[ii] From information supplied by Mr. K. Ferguson, 57 Belgrave Square on April 4th 2009