Person:Sir Houghton Gastrell (1)

Sir Major Lieutenant-Colonel William Henry Houghton Gastrell:

Elected in 1910 to MP and active member of the London County Council (St Pancras South, progressive party)

Brittish history online :

Knightsbridge South Side: East of Sloane Street Wilton Place to William Street

The old houses were demolished in the late summer of 1902, and redevelopment (nearly all of it completed during 1903) was carried out by making building agreements with the occupiers. By these agreements, leading to 80-year leases for themselves or their nominees, occupiers undertook to rebuild on approved but evidently variable plans, 'adapting' the fronts to a master elevation (which included the flank wall of No. 55. in Wilton Place) prepared by the Commissioners' architect, W. D. Caröe. Nos 83–91 were rebuilt by (Sir) William Houghton-Gastrell, occupier of one of the old houses, on a similar agreement to the rest, but he was somehow able to secure a 999-year lease, which he apparently wanted because such a long lease from the Commissioners did not require assignments to be approved. The new buildings consisted of shops with flats or maisonettes above, Gastrell's section including Wilton House, No. 87 Knightsbridge, a group of private apartments. (ref. 85) Source : [1]