James Gunter

James Gunter (25 July 1731 – 19 September 1819)^[1] was an English confectioner, market gardener and property developer who created what became one of the great residential estates in West London.

Gunter was taken into partnership in 1777 by Domenico Negri who had opened a confectioner's shop in Berkeley Square in 1757 under the sign of the Pot & Pine Apple.^[2] In 1797 Gunter was living in New Bond Street when an incident occurred which showed his nature. A servant of his had stolen and pawned a silver ladle and other goods and was found guilty at the Old Bailey. Her defence was "Mr. Gunter has been a worthy master to me, I hope he will be favourable; he always behaved well to me" resulted in her receiving a fine of one shilling and six months in the House of Correction, while others convicted of similar crimes were sentenced to seven years transportation.^[3]

Gunter decided to develop his own farms and market gardens to grow fruit and first became involved in the Earl's Court area - then a prime market garden area - when he took a sub-lease of part of Home Field and Great Court Field from a local farmer in 1797. He bought the freehold of these properties in 1799. He also bought Earls Court Lodge which became the Gunters’ family home for 60 years.^[4] By 1799 he had also become sole proprietor of Gunter's Tea Shop which became one of the most fashionable Mayfair meeting places. Earls Court Lodge became nicknamed "Currant-Jelly Hall".^[2]

In 1805 Gunter purchased some land where Coleherne Road and Redcliffe Square are now situated. By 1807 Gunter had also bought from speculative builder Thomas Smith some land in Great Court Field and the Home Field land. He also bought a large plot where The Boltons now stands. He was unsuccessful in his bid to buy some land that would have connected his other plots to The Boltons area but carried on acquiring land on a piecemeal basis with more land at Redcliffe Square and the Boltons and in 1812 bought land between the Boltons and Fulham Road. He started building villas on his property between 1808 and 1810 around Earls Court Road and Old Brompton Road, although these were subsequently demolished in later developments.^[4][5]

Gunter died at Worthing, Sussex in 1819, following a fit of apoplexy, and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Abbots, Kensington.^[1]

Gunter had a son Robert, who was left the land in trust for his then unborn son. Robert however also purchased land and left this to his second son James Gunter while the elder son Robert Gunter inherited from his grandfather. These grandchildren Robert and James, who both fought in the Crimean War, shared all the land between them fairly^[6] and developed the property extensively particularly after the arrival of the District Railway.^[7]

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