In the 16th century, the Carnaby area was open fields used by the Court as a hunting ground. The huntsman used the cry “Soho” rather like Tally o and the area became known as Soho Fields. The main features were Oxford Street, running east/west and Swallow Street, running north/south roughly on the line of Regent Street. There was also a small lane to the east, which became King Street and later, Kingly Street.
Maps of 1647 show a few buildings along Swallow Street, a windmill and a gaming house. An area known as Six Acre Close was owned by Sir William Poultney. Following the plaques of the mid 17th century and the Great Fire of 1666, the pressure to build increased, land to the east was used as Pest Houses and plaque pits.
Despite the building leases were granted to Richard Tyler and William Lowndes. The former built a large house in 1683 on the east side of what is now Carnaby Street, and for reasons unknown called it Karnaby House. The street adopted the name. Development continued after Sir William Poultney’s death in 1691 and the freehold passed to William Lowndes. He continued the development of the area and built Lowndes, later Karnaby Market on the area currently occupied by Newburgh Street. Meanwhile, Major Foubert, a Huguenot émigré, established Fouberts Academy on the south side of Tyler Street, now Fouberts Place.
The original houses built in the 17th century were rebuilt about 1720s and some of these buildings will remain at 17 Newburgh Street, 10/12 Ganton Street and 7/8 Kingly Street. The market was developed in the 1820s to provide the present Newburgh Street, Marshall Street and 2/8 Ganton Street block.
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