The present Nos. 55 and 56 represent one half of what must have been the largest of the houses.[[215]] This was the mansion of which one of the earliest occupiers was the Earl of St. Albans (Marquess of Clanricarde).

The house may be identified in two ways. (1) The frontages of the house of the Earl of St. Albans, and of the three houses to the east, are stated to be 88[[216]], 44, 44 and 88 feet respectively, and the last mentioned house is said to be bounded on the east by a gateway, which, from the description, was obviously Middle Yard. The western boundary of the four houses in question may thus be shown to correspond with the western side of New Yard, i.e., the western boundary of No. 55. (2) On 23rd January and 8th February, 1639–40, Newton sold certain plots of ground, containing frontages of 41 and 45½ feet, having a depth of 190 feet, and after 120 feet diminishing in width from 83 to 60 feet. These plots are stated to be bounded on the east by the dwelling house and garden of the Earl of St. Albans. From the shape of the property disclosed by the above figures, and the actual frontages given, there can be no doubt that the houses afterwards erected thereon occupied the sites of the present Nos. 51 to 54.[[217]] The house of the Earl of St. Albans was therefore No. 55 and upwards.

The house was already in existence in January, 1637–8,[[218]] and as the licence for building had only been obtained in May, 1636, the erection of the house may, with practical certainty, be assigned to the year 1637.

In the 1638 deed it is described as “all that one new erected double messuage or tenement with appurtenances, scituate in Queenes Streete ... contayninge in front towardes Queenes Streete aforesaid 88 feet ... and sydinge eastwards upon the house in the tenure of the Lord Leiger Embassador of Spayne, together with a gardyn plott lyinge on the back side of the said messuage and adjoyninge thereunto.”

The original mansion therefore occupied the site of the present Nos. 55 and 56, and adjoining property in New Yard, together with that of the western block of the present Freemasons’ Buildings.

The first division of the house took place in, or shortly after, 1684. In that year Lord Belasyse purchased the property, and at the date of his will, five years later, the house had for some time been in double occupation.

The division had, however, not been carried out in a very thorough fashion. In 1718 it was stated that “there are severall roomes, chambers and other apartments ... which interfere or mix within each other very inconvenient for separate familyes to inhabit therein severally and apart from each other.” In that year, therefore, an arrangement[[219]] was made whereby “the kitchen under a roome heretofore called ... Mr. Stonor’s dressing-roome,[[220]] the larder backwardes next the garden under part of a room ... called Mr. Stonor’s bedchamber ... which were then both used and enjoyed with the house in possession of ... Henry Browne ... were to be added to the inheritance of the house of the said Thos. Stonor in exchange” for “the cellar under the foreparlour next Queen Street, and the uppermost room or garrett over the said parlour, the lesser cellar adjoyning to that last before mentioned cellar and the room backwards next the garden up two pair of stairs over the back parlour, and upper with drawing roome,” structurally part of Browne’s house, but occupied as part of Stonor’s.

Other alterations took place in 1732–3, when the western half was divided, and probably portions of the present party wall, to the east of No. 56, date from this and the earlier period.

During the last century many further alterations and partial rebuildings were carried out. Shortly before 1816, the extensive grounds in the rear were utilised for buildings, for in a deed[[221]] of that year reference is made to “all those stables, coach houses and workshops and premises erected ... in New Yard ... and which before the erecting of the said ... stables, coach houses, shops and other premises, was a garden ground.”

Subsequently the external west wall was rebuilt, and the south-western premises, extending over the entrance to the yard (see Plate 17) were erected.