Somerset House

From LondonHotels.in

The Strand, London

Somerset House is on the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames. It is associated with notable architects such as William Chambers, Sir James Pennethorne, Sir Christopher Wren, Thomas Hardwick Junior and James Wyatt and dates back to the latter part of the 18th Century.

The famous civil engineer Thomas Telford was among those who worked on the construction of Somerset House - in the capacity of stone mason. Somerset House houses the head office of the Inland Revenue and has done since they were formed out of a merger between the Stamp & Taxes offices, in 1849. Other government agencies operate from the building too.

Perhaps the most famous government agency is the General Register Office, which houses copies of all Birth, Marriage & Death certificates from England & Wales.

In the past, Somerset House has been home to:

Courtauld Institute of Art Royal Academy Royal Society Society of Antiquaries Geological Society

Two centuries before Somerset House was built a row of noble men’s houses lined the strand. The Duke of Somerset, Edward Seymour, commissioned the original building in 1547. These houses were built using stones, which had been removed, from St Paul’s Cathedral, during the uprising against the Catholics, on the request of Somerset and other prominent Protestants.

Somerset was executed in 1552 for treason and the property fell into the hands of the Crown. Princess Elizabeth lived there before she was crowned Queen Elizabeth I in 1558.

The wife of King James I, Anne of Denmark, lived in Somerset House, (which was renamed Denmark House) as did Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria.