Chelsea

Map

The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:

Open location in Google Maps: 51.482092, -0.165241

6 Annotations

First Reading

Pedro.  •  Link

Chelsea.
L&M Companion says..

A village on the Middlesex bank of the Thames, 2 miles upstream from London. A stretch of marshland effectively divided it from Westminster, but its proximity and ease of access by road and river ensured that it was well tenanted. Its gardens and reputation for good air added to its popularity. According to one estimate, it had under 40 houses in 1664, but the hearth tax of that year shows 12 with another 36 too small to be taxed.
Little Chelsea was a hamlet upstream from the main village and in the parish of Kensington.

What a difference nowadays...Kensington & Chelsea is the most expensive borough in London with an average house price of £636,914.

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

Was Sandwich staying at Sand End or at Earls Court, or even at Worlds End, allin the stones throw of the high street, just a thought.

http://www.motco.com/map/81001/Se…

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

Chelsea, a manor and village on the banks of the Thames. In a Saxon charter of Edward the Confessor it is written "Cealchylle," in Doomsday Book "Cercehede" and "Chelched," and in documents of a later though an early date, "Chelcheth" or "Chelcith." In the City Books a John de Chelse is entered in 1283. Sir Thomas More, writing to King Henry VIII., subscribes his letter "at my pore howse in Chelcith," and in his indictment he is described as "Thomas More, nuper de Chelchithe, in comitatu Midd., Miles." Norden's etymology is supported by Lysons. "It is so called," he says, "of the nature of the place, whose strand is like the chesel [ceosel or cesol] which the sea casteth up of sand and pebble stones, thereof called Cheselsey, briefly Chelsey, as is Chelsey [Selsey] in Sussex."
---London, Past and Present. H.B. Wheatley, 1891.

Third Reading

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