Place Name
John King (1559 – March 30, 1621) was the Bishop of London from 1611 until his death. In his final years he presided over a campaign for the restoration of the old St Paul’s Cathedral where he was eventually interred. When he died he gave generously to the poor of Fulham in 1620, Fulham Palace being the summer residence of the bishops of London. The street’s name itself came very much later, being first recorded in 1813. Up until then it had simply been known as The Highway, as part of the Great West Road. After Oxford, King took holy orders and in short order was appointed chaplain to the Archbishop of York, to the Keeper of the Great Seal and, in 1601, to Queen Elizabeth. He preached before James I when he was in London and remained one of the royal chaplains until he was installed as Bishop of London. He was one of the most popular court preachers of James’s reign and was held in high regard by Queen Anne.
