Place Name
This road was laid out in 1956 on the grounds that previously belonged to Chester House. How it got its name is uncertain, but the most likely suggestion is that it came from the Grosvenor family (the dukes of Westminster). The house was built sometime around 1690 and was likely included in the sale, when MP for Chester Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet, bought the Old Park estate, which included the nearby Cannizaro Park, in 1748. As was the wont of the family, they named many of the capital’s streets and possessions after themselves and their estates, the family’s country home was – and remains – Eaton Hall in Cheshire. Between 1792 and 1812, Chester House was the home of John Horne Tooke, a radical politician and reformist. The household included a large Tom-cat, which Tooke fussed and hand-fed titbits each day after dinner. Tooke’s reformist policies and sympathy with the French Revolution aroused government suspicions and in 1794, he was arrested and sent to the Tower, charged with treason. Throughout his imprisonment the cat failed to appear for its customary feed, however following Tooke’s release, the animal quickly re-emerged. Having sighted Tooke in his usual place at the head of the table, it immediately climbed on to his shoulder and purred happily throughout the rest of the meal. In recent years the property has been converted to commercial use. It now has Grade II listed status.
