Knightsbridge Living
Yeoman's Row history
The first speculative building on the Smith's Charity estate was carried out by Michael Novosielski in the 1780s. Novosielski built terraces of houses in new streets named (after himself) Michael’s Place and Michael’s Grove as well as in Brompton Crescent. He built himself a large house with grounds called Brompton Grange, which included land in Yeoman’s Row.
In the mid 1880s the Smith’s Charity Trustees decided not to renew the leases of the houses Novosielski had built in Michael’s Place, Michael’s Grove and Brompton Crescent, but instead to demolish the houses to make way for a more modern development. Most of the land was granted to Harold Malet, a retired colonel. Malet seemed to have been involved in various development companies in Central London. He was a close friend of the architect, Mervin Macartney and together they formed a company called The Estate’s Improvement Company Ltd in 1891. Other backers were also involved. The company had control of the Egerton Gardens and Egerton Place developments, which also included land in Yeomans Row. They constructed numbers 6-10 (even) which were originally a set of stables.
But in 1896 they decided to sell the rights for the rest of the development in Yeomans Row. It was taken over by William Henry Collbran, who was not entirely an outsider, since he had taken over from Malet as secretary of the company.
Collbran put up one more stable and coach house next to the others (now numbered 12). But it was becoming clear that there was no real future demand for stabling in the area, so he got permission from the Trustees to build studios or houses on the site. The only limitation the Trustees imposed was that they could be no higher than 33 feet and that any rear windows (that is, looking out over the posh houses) must have opaque glass. The reception rooms alone were allowed to have clear glass. Obviously, the occupants of Egerton Place would not want to have to see the poorer inhabitants of these Yeomans Row properties.
The Trustees granted Collbran leases of the main group of studios numbered 14-28 (even) Yeomans Row, in 1898. He sublet Nos. 14-22 to Charles Brassington, a builder from Camberwell, who constructed the buildings. Collbran sublet the remaining premises, numbers 24, 26 and 28, to three female artists. Collbran’s final act was to have number 4 Yeomans Row built at the corner of Egerton Gardens Mews. It was built for him in 1900 by W Mitchell and Son of Dulwich and was initially used as a bicycle warehouse on the ground floor with studios above.
All these premises have subsequently been converted to normal residential use.
