London Guided Walks » Episode 160: Soho Square’s Untold Stories: From Charles II to Mary Seacole

Episode 160: Soho Square’s Untold Stories: From Charles II to Mary Seacole

Discover the history of Soho Square in this episode of the London History Podcast, from its origins as royal hunting grounds and 17th-century development under Charles II to its transformation into a vibrant London square. Explore the remarkable story of Mary Seacole and her pioneering work during the Crimean War, alongside Soho’s Huguenot refugee heritage, Georgian society, and Victorian perceptions of the area.

Host: Hazel Baker

Hazel is an active Londoner, a keen theatre-goer and qualified CIGA London tour guide.

She has won awards for tour guiding and is proud to be involved with some great organisations. She is a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors and am an honorary member of The Leaders Council.

Channel 4: The Orient Express: A Golden Era of Travel (Episode 1). Channel 5’s Walking Wartime Britain(Episode 3) and Yesterday Channel’s The Architecture the Railways Built (Series 3, Episode 7). Het Rampjaar 1672, Afl. 2: Vijand Engeland and Arte.fr Invitation au Voyage, À Chelsea, une femme qui trompe énormément. Yesterday Channel / UKTV Play: The Architecture the Railways Built (Series 3, Episode 7). Yesterday Channel / UKTV Play: Secrets of the London Underground (Series 3, Episode 2) and Secrets of the London Underground (Series 4, Episode 10). NPO (Netherlands): Het Rampjaar 1672 – Afl. 2: Vijand Engeland. Arte France: Invitation au Voyage – À Chelsea, une femme qui trompe énormément

Guest: Philip Scott

Philip Scott is a qualified City of Westminster Tour Guide.

Originally from Lancashire, Philip moved to London in 1981 and has since developed a deep love for the city and its fascinating history, culture, and diversity.

Before becoming a tour guide, Philip spent 33 years teaching politics, history, and other humanities subjects in East London. He brought the skills and experience gained in education into his guiding practice, qualifying as a City of Westminster guide in 2019.

Philip enjoys leading walks across London, not only covering the main historic landmarks but also exploring quieter streets and lesser-known areas of central London. His tours are delivered in an informative, friendly, and accessible style, enriched with quirky and lesser-known historical details that bring the city’s stories to life.

In this episode of the London History Podcast, Hazel Baker and City of Westminster tour guide Philip Scott explore Soho Square, uncovering its layered history from royal hunting grounds to one of London’s most culturally diverse and historically rich neighbourhoods.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Soho Square and Episode Overview

01:00 Why Soho? Origins of the Name and Royal Hunting Grounds

02:00 From Middlesex Countryside to 17th Century Development

03:00 King Square, Charles II, and Early Development of Soho Square

04:00 Mary Seacole Blue Plaque and Crimean War Connections

05:00 Florence Nightingale, Nursing, and Rejection from Service

06:00 Mary Seacole’s Jamaican Heritage and Doctress Training

07:00 Marriage, Widowhood, and Journey to London

08:00 Journey to Crimea and Spirit of Adventure

09:00 The British Hotel in Crimea and Battlefield Nursing

10:00 Return to London and Autobiography Publication

11:00 Benefit Concert, Financial Hardship, and Legacy

12:00 Forgotten Legacy and Revival in the 1980s

13:00 Mary Seacole Statue and Modern Recognition

14:00 Charles II Statue and Soho Square Controversy

15:00 Comparison of London Statues and Public Opinion

16:00 Removal and Relocation of Charles II Statue

17:00 Weathering of the Statue and Modern Condition

18:00 Huguenots in Soho and French Protestant Church

19:00 Huguenot Migration After the Edict of Nantes

20:00 Soho as a Refuge for Immigrants and Communities

21:00 Huguenot Churches and Religious Practice in London

22:00 Victorian Perceptions of Soho and Social Commentary

23:00 The Mock Tudor Hut and Electricity Substation Origins

24:00 WWII Air Raid Shelter and Urban Myths

25:00 Myth of Tunnel to Buckingham Palace

26:00 St Patrick’s Church and Carlisle House

27:00 Theresa Cornelis, Wealth, and Casanova

28:00 Danny La Rue, Entertainment History, and Church Connection

29:00 Mary Seacole Burial and Kensal Rise Cemetery

Soho Square’s Untold Stories: From Charles II to Mary Seacole

The discussion begins with the origins of the name “Soho,” linked to royal hunting calls in what was once Middlesex countryside. The area later developed in the 1680s as King Square under Charles II, marking the transformation from rural land to planned urban square.

Mary Seacole and Soho’s Hidden History

The episode highlights a blue plaque dedicated to Mary Seacole, the Jamaican-born doctress who became renowned for her work during the Crimean War.

Hazel and Phil discuss:

Her rejection from Florence Nightingale’s nursing group
Her mixed-race heritage and training in herbal medicine
The creation of the British Hotel in Crimea
Her work tending soldiers on the battlefield
Her autobiography The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands
Her later financial struggles and public benefit concert
Her long period of historical neglect and later revival in the 1980s

Her legacy is now recognised through a prominent statue opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Charles II, Soho Square, and Public Statues

The conversation moves to the statue of Charles II in Soho Square, described by Phil as one of the least attractive statues in Central London.

Key discussion points include:

The original naming of King Square
The statue’s weathered condition and symbolic oddities
Its removal and replacement in 1925 by a mock Tudor hut
Its return in the late 1930s
Changing public interpretations of royal monuments

Huguenots and Soho’s Immigrant Heritage

The episode explores Soho’s strong Huguenot heritage, centred around the Protestant church in Soho Square.

The Huguenot migration following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685
The arrival of thousands of French Protestant refugees in London
Soho as a centre of craftsmanship, trade, and community
The presence of multiple Huguenot churches in the area
Literary perceptions of Soho in Victorian fiction

The Mock Tudor Hut and Urban Myths

At the centre of Soho Square stands the famous mock Tudor hut, originally built in 1925 over an electricity substation.

The discussion covers:

Its use as an air raid shelter during WWII
Its survival as a quirky garden feature
The myth of a tunnel connecting it to Buckingham Palace (debunked)
London’s wider fascination with underground legends

St Patrick’s Church, Theresa Cornelis, and Soho’s Social History

The episode also explores St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and the former Carlisle House.

Highlights include:

Theresa Cornelis, a wealthy 18th-century impresario
Her extraordinary income and influence
Her relationship with Casanova
The social and cultural life of Georgian Soho

Extreme Trivia: Danny La Rue

A final piece of unusual history reveals that entertainer Danny La Rue, a major television star in the 1960s–80s, was once an altar boy at St Patrick’s Church.

He is also buried in the same cemetery as Mary Seacole in Kensal Green.