The Saturday Street is our weekly series in which we unlock the stories behind the names of London's famous thoroughfares. It's compiled by London Walks guide Karen – listed by Travel + Leisure magazine as The World's Greatest Tour Guide. You can find Karen on Saturdays guiding her Old Westminster and British Museum walks. If you've got a London street query or suggestion, email Karen at the usual address
Devereux Court
Location: WC2
Named for Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Essex whose mansion once stood here. A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, he fell from grace following an unsuccessful military campaign in Ireland. In 1601 he was beheaded at the Tower of London for leading an abortive coup d’état against the queen.
On 7th February 1601, Essex had sponsored a staging of Shakespeare’s King Richard II, a play that deals with the usurpation of a sitting monarch.
Essex is remembered in the street name and also in the Robert Devereux pub, a traditional English watering hole tucked away just off the beaten path.
