A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume XII: Chelsea (Victoria County History)

Chelsea was a desirable riverside residence for wealthy merchants, lawyers, and courtiers from the fifteenth century, and a pleasure resort for all ranks of society from the eighteenth. It is now one of the most expensive and desirable places to live in London, the capital, but it has a mixed history given fresh insights by the VCH's account. This includes a re-examination of the location of Sir Thomas More's house, a reassessment of Henry VIII's relationship with the manor house, the history of a major estate not previously identified, and a survey of the farm-gardening which gave prosperity to some local inhabitants. Facets of Chelsea's more recent history covered include the rebuilding of eastern Chelsea, which removed a large lower middle- and working-class population and replaced their accommodation with houses for the well-off; the artistic community which grew up in the late nineteenth century from which Chelsea derived its bohemian reputation; and the major role played by Chelsea in the cultural and commercial changes of the Swinging Sixties.