Old Pimlico Map

£1,151.75 – I don’t think it’d buy you enough real estate to sit down on in modern Pimlico, but in 1623 it was King James I’s asking price for the freehold of the entire Manor of Ebury – the area of London that became modern day Pimlico.

By 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London, Ebury was owned by one-year old heiress Mary Davies. Her estate was collectively known as The Five Fields, and included not only Pimlico, but most of what is now Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair. Mary was married at the age of twelve to Sir Thomas Grosvenor. At that time, the Grosvenors were a rather obscure Cheshire family, but their management of Mary’s property brought them enormous wealth. In 1874 Queen Victoria made Hugh Grosvenor, Sir Thomas’ great-great-great-grandson, a Duke, and his great-grandson, the current Duke of Westminster, is one of the richest men in Britain. All thanks to Pimlico.

The origin of the name Pimlico is a bit more obscure. Most writers are agreed that Pimlico was originally a person, most likely a publican famed for his nut-brown ale. Some cite his first name as Ben, but not much more seems to be known about him, except that he probably gave his name to the Pimlico Pleasure Gardens, which were situated in what is now Bacchus Walk. Hoxton Street itself was at one time known as Pimlico Path, and there is still a Pimlico Walk in the area.

In the late 1600s and early 1700s, Ebury was also “a district of public gardens much frequented on holidays” at that time, and it seems to have borrowed the name Pimlico from the Hoxton gardens. Perhaps the word became a general one for pleasure gardens, just as Hoover’s name has become used for any vacuum cleaner or Biro’s name for any ballpoint pen today.

There are Australian Pimlicos in Queensland and New South Wales, and American Pimlicos in South Carolina and Baltimore, Maryland. County Laois in Ireland has a Pimlico and so does South Africa.

James Davis - Upad

A guest post by James Davis, the CEO of Upad.co.uk, the UK’s leading online lettings agent. Upad lists your rental property on 100+ sites and portals – including Rightmove – for just £59: tenant guaranteed. Follow the Upad blog and on Twitter for rental industry news and tips for landlords on making the most of your properties