Delve into research highlighting how the historic land endowments of Thomas Sutton’s charity quietly shaped the urban evolution of its neighbourhood over 400 years.

In 1611, the last year of his life, Thomas Sutton bought the Charterhouse estate on the edge of London and transformed it for his new charity – an almshouse and a school.  Sutton owned land and property across England, and much of it passed to the charity on his death. His intention was that the rental income would fund the charity into the future.

Today the Charterhouse, which still operates as an almshouse, is no longer on the edge of London but surrounded by urban development.  What might not be apparent is that the charity, over more than 400 years old, has influenced the way London has developed around it.  The estate has provided a home to its resident community but also contributed to industrial and commercial development outside its walls.  This research project aimed to find examples of land belonging to the Charterhouse and highlight how it has developed since the charity was founded in 1611.

Sutton Place, Hackney

Thomas Sutton purchased Tan House, a large residence in Homerton, in April 1605. He also maintained rooms in Fleet Street because Hackney was relatively far from the City.  When Sutton died in Tan House, it became one of the charity’s endowments in London. Tan House was later demolished in 1805 for the creation of Sutton Place, a decision that seems to have been made by the Charterhouse governors. They built on the 1¼ acres of land a terrace of 16 houses under an 1809 lease to William Collins. The range of three-storey terraced houses were possibly designed by the Charterhouse surveyor William Pilkington.  Today, the property next to the site of Tan House is run by the National Trust and is known as Sutton House.  Thomas Sutton did not live there, but his name has been associated with it since the 1950s.

Charterhouse Square

The area to the south of the Charterhouse – today’s Charterhouse Square – was originally an emergency cemetery for victims of the plague, and was later incorporated into the Carthusian monastery.  After the monastery was dissolved and redeveloped in the 16^th century it became known as Charterhouse Yard, and it was aa fashionable address.  The main mansion was owned by Lord North and then Thomas Howard, 4^th Duke of Norfolk, and around the yard were houses belonging to courtiers and aristocrats.  After the charity was founded in 1611 the Governors asserted their right to “soile & Grounde of the Charterhouse Church yard commonly called Charterhouse yard.”  They did this by claiming a nominal rent from the houses that faced the square.

The Governors owned the freehold for houses on the north and west sides of the square and developed property there for their own purposes.  Number 17 was built in 1716, replacing the old house above the gateway.  The new house was designed and partly paid for by Henry Levitt, the charity’s physician, who made it his home.  The square also provided accommodation for Charterhouse School, with number 13 used as a boarding house.

In 1864-5 the Metropolitan Railway Co. bought the south side of the square to extend the railway from Farringdon to Moorgate, building the new Aldersgate station – today known as Barbican. In 1899 four houses on the north side were redeveloped into a single large building – the Charterhouse Hotel.  This later became accommodation for nurses at St Bartholomew’s Hospital before being sold and reverting to a hotel: Malmaison London.

Great Sutton Street

As with Charterhouse Square to the south, the area to the north of the Charterhouse also had origins in the medieval monastery, and similarly contained an emergency cemetery for victims of the plague – the Pardon Churchyard.

The area around Great Sutton Street was part of the charity’s London estate from 1611 until 1995, and it was let out to residential tenants and businesses. In the late 17^th century, the Governors secured an Act of Parliament to enable them to grant 99-year leases exclusively for their properties in London and Middlesex, effectively confirming their ability to develop this part of the estate.  One of the leases was given to John Pullin, a long-standing tenant who promised to rebuild the entire estate. Pullin struggled financially to complete the rebuilding, and as such by 1850 the Charterhouse took direct management of the estate, refusing to renew the lease with Pullin’s heirs.

The area became overpopulated in the 19^th century, and the buildings were noted as being unsuitable for living.  The Royal Commission on the Housing of the Working Classes in 1885 cited Sutton Street for its poor conditions, noting overcrowding, bad construction and ventilation, as well as the illegal occupation of basements. This prompted an extensive redevelopment of the estate by the Charterhouse. Towards the end of the 19^th century many of the houses disappeared and the Charterhouse focused on leasing to businesses, with the estate being developed into factories and warehouses.

Many of the streets in the area now have names associated with the Charterhouse, including – naturally – Great Sutton Street, as well as Berry Street, named after a 17th-century tenant, Northburgh Street, named after the Bishop of London who helped establish the medieval monastery, and Dallington Street, named after a 17^th-century Master.  Pardon Street commemorates the church and plague cemetery, which was redeveloped and eventually demolished.

Little Hallingbury, Essex

Finally, we come to an example of one of the properties outside of London, which has a very different relationship with today’s charity.  Hallingbury in Essex was the site Thomas Sutton originally intended for his ‘hospital’ – the almshouse and school.  His plan changed in 1611 with the acquisition of the Charterhouse, and Hallingbury became instead one of the estates under the control of the Governors.  In 1839 the estate was recorded as totalling 646 acres with two farms and four houses.

Amongst many properties associated with the Charterhouse, Little Hallingbury’s relationship with the charity is unique and enduring.  Sutton himself appointed a rector to the church of St Mary the Virgin there.  Today the churchyard acts as a place of burial for residents of the Charterhouse, and the church hosts an annual visit for the community.

This post is a summary of research undertaken by Lara Carroll Price and Aphra Muthurajah

The Charterhouse hosts week-long student placements in partnership with the Oxford University Careers Service Micro-internship programme and the Crankstart Scholarship programme, helping students gain experience of curatorial research in heritage.

Each term, we set a group of students a series of research questions relating to the Charterhouse and support them in identifying historical sources and interpreting their findings.  In return, we get a set of research reports from the students, uncovering fascinating stories from history.