LSE - Small Logo
LSE - Small Logo

Mhairi Gowans

October 2nd, 2024

The rise and fall of the House of Clare: the birth of Clare Market

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Mhairi Gowans

October 2nd, 2024

The rise and fall of the House of Clare: the birth of Clare Market

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

In the second of a series exploring the history behind the names of the London streets that LSE’s campus occupies today, Mhairi Gowans turns to Clare Market. She introduces the next members of the Holles family, the first and second Earls of Clare, and tells the story of the events leading to the foundation of the market in the 1650s.

And so his (William Holles) descendants continued, amorous, hot-headed, violent, concerning themselves with county business, county feuds, the improvement of their estates and the care of their tenants.
– John Saltmarsh, The Economic History Review Vol 10, No 1 1940

We now know Houghton Street is named in honour of the Holles family’s country seat in Nottinghamshire. But what are the origins of the name Clare Market? Here we explore the next stage of Holles family history as they advanced into higher echelons of society and developed their lands in St Clement Danes.

At the end of our last blog, the Holles legacy was bequeathed by William Holles to his grandson John. Where William had been content with his life and estate, John was ambitious, talented and intelligent. John was disdainful of his generous grandfather, who he said, “sent all his revenues down the privy-house”.

John Holles, first Earl of Clare
John Holles, first Earl of Clare. By Thomas Bailey, 1852 – The Annals of Nottinghamshire, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23587508

John was a promising child who was sent up to Christ’s College Cambridge at the age of 13. From there he went to Gray’s Inn before being called by Queen Elizabeth I to be a gentleman pensioner – one of her personal bodyguards. John then became engaged in active duty including fighting against the Spanish Armada and joining the Islands Voyage to the Azores in 1597. He received his knighthood whilst serving in Ireland. Yet, John had his eyes set on higher things. During the reign of King James I, he spent £15,000 on two titles – the Baron of Haughton and the Earl of Clare. With these titles, he moved himself and his family firmly into the ranks of the aristocracy.

John Holles, the first Earl of Clare, walked all his life upon the verge of greatness without ever crossing the magic line.
– Alexander Thomson, The Holles Family, The Journal of Modern History, Vol 8, No 2 (Jun, 1936), pp. 145-172

Described by family historian Gervase Holles as tall, strong, and nimble, John was equally talented at climbing ships as he was at dancing. However, between his intelligence and his ambition, John could be “quarrelsome”. One peer stated that John could never get on with “those whose hawks and dogs ran as well as his own, and those who were able to speak as much reason as himself.” It was probably this personality trait, as well as his tendency to make poor choices of political alliance, that resulted in John never attaining the favour and position he sought with King James I.

His son, also named John, inherited his ambition, but was far more careful. John Holles, the second Earl of Clare, was at the helm of the estate during the turbulent Civil War era. He survived by placating both sides while committing no practical support to either. This was quite an achievement as his brother was one of the key figures in starting the war. John was more concerned with securing and expanding his estate than achieving high political office, and it was he who fully developed the Clare Market estate.

John Holles, 2nd Earl of Clare. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
John Holles, second Earl of Clare. Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Behind Lincolns Inne Westward, is a spacious field, where many fair Houses, or rather Palaces, are taken up by the Gentry. Then is there towards Drewry Lane, a new Market, called Clare Market; then is there a street, and Palace of the same name, built by the Earl of Clare, who lives there in a princely manner, having a House, a street, and a Market, both for flesh and fish, all bearing his Name.
– James Howell, Londinopolis, 1657

In 1640 John was given permission by Charles I to erect as many buildings as thought proper from Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Drury Lane. Just a few years later a fellow Holles relative received permission to build 15 houses and to make several new streets. In the 1650s this culminated with the building of Clare Market itself and its licence to operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

It was also in Clare Market that the Holles family set up their London home. At the time, lands between the cities of London and Westminster provided ample space for aristocratic families seeking luxurious London living quarters. Neighbouring the Clare family during the 17th century were the Dukes of Somerset, the Earls of Craven and the Duchess of Portsmouth. Sadly, other than their convention of naming their streets after the family, there is no physical trace of John’s Clare Market. We know little of their London palace. The only image we have from that time is a map by Dutch cartographer Wenceslaus Hollar, showing a view of London from Covent Garden to Lincolns Inn, depicting both dense housing and several large estates.

Clare Market map. Trustees of the British Museum
Clare Market map. Trustees of the British Museum

No remains are left, nor is the precise site of it known. It was a large and stately mansion, shut in with a high wall, and its grounds joined on to the eastern side of those of Craven House.
– Edward Walford, Old and New London, Vol III, 1890

And so, 100 years on from the foundation of their wealth, the family found themselves members of the gentry with well-developed lands in London. When John, the second Earl of Clare, died in 1666 his descendants would find themselves rising again in society with new titles and lands added to their now established name.

Please read our comments policy before commenting

About the author

Mhairi Gowans

Mhairi Gowans

Mhairi Gowans is the Online Engagement Officer for LSE’s Philanthropy and Global Engagement Division. Prior to working in digital communications, Mhairi worked in the museums sector where she developed an interest in local history.

Posted In: Campus history | Local London history

1 Comments

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.