Place name
Originally called Offord Terrace. Takes its name from the twin villages of Offord Cluny and Offord D’Arcy, which were part of the Thornhill family’s Huntingdonshire estate. The name Offord featured in the Domesday Book as Upeforde, which is thought to be derived from the Old English words uppe, up (stream), and ford, meaning river crossing. George Thornhill was a landowner, lawyer and Conservative Member of Parliament who first proposed developing the fields around Islington for housing. He was the only son of another George Thornhill, of Diddington Hall, Huntingdonshire, (since demolished). The family owned vast tracts of land in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire as well as in Islington. In 1808 George Thornhill senior proposed developing the family’s fields which had been previously used for dairy cattle. But was thwarted in his plans after a disagreement with a neighbouring landowner and negotiations with other developments, including the future Caledonian Road and Regents Canal, no buildings were completed. Work eventually got underway in 1813 when he appointed Joseph Kay as surveyor, who had perviously developed the Foundling Estate in Bloomsbury. When his father died in 1827, George junior continued the work choosing street names after family connections. Thornhill Square was begun sometime around 1847 with a Mr GSS Williams building 33 houses on the west, the central gardens having railings dating from about 1852. Thornhill Crescent was begun by Samuel Pocock in 1849. In 1836 Thornhill became High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire and the following year he was elected to Parliament for the Huntingdonshire constituency, holding the seat until his death.
