Downing Street were built by Sir George Downing, a cunning spy who switched sides from Oliver Cromwell to Charles II and acquired the land after the restoration.
The last non-political resident of 10 Downing Street was a Mr Chicken.
In 1732 King George II offered Robert Walpole 10 Downing Street as a personal gift, but Walpole accepted it only as the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury (later called Prime Minister).
On September 22, 1735, Sir Robert Walpole moved in to 10 Downing Street, becoming the first Prime Minister to use the house as an official residence.
Walpole's immediate successors did not always reside in Number 10 (preferring their larger private residences), but the home has nevertheless become established as the official residence of the Prime Minister.
In the early 19th Century 10 Downing Street was guarded by two men who would sit outside the building in leather chairs, armed with a pistol. Each chair featured a drawer filled with hot coals to keep the guards warm, and a sphere-shaped hood to protect from the weather and improve acoustics.
In 1828 11 Downing Street became the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The last non-political resident of 10 Downing Street was a Mr Chicken.
In 1732 King George II offered Robert Walpole 10 Downing Street as a personal gift, but Walpole accepted it only as the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury (later called Prime Minister).
On September 22, 1735, Sir Robert Walpole moved in to 10 Downing Street, becoming the first Prime Minister to use the house as an official residence.
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| By Photo: Sergeant Tom Robinson Wikipedia Commons |
Walpole's immediate successors did not always reside in Number 10 (preferring their larger private residences), but the home has nevertheless become established as the official residence of the Prime Minister.
In the early 19th Century 10 Downing Street was guarded by two men who would sit outside the building in leather chairs, armed with a pistol. Each chair featured a drawer filled with hot coals to keep the guards warm, and a sphere-shaped hood to protect from the weather and improve acoustics.
In 1828 11 Downing Street became the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Herbert Asquith’s second wife, Margot, had the door of 10 Downing Street repainted. She thought it made that Prime minister’s residence look more upper class.
The postcode for 10 Downing Street is SW1A 2AA.
The postcode for 10 Downing Street is SW1A 2AA.
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