BRIEF HISTORY DURING THE SNOW ERA (1813-58)

"Frith Street, Soho-square, No. 54, was the house at which Mr. Snow, to use his own works, 'first nailed up his colors.'  He removed there from Bateman's Buildings in September 1838." 

- Richardson BW, 1887

"...at the beginning of September 1838, he moved from his student lodgings to a rented house in Frith Street, Soho, less than a quarter mile away."

- Snow S, 2000

The street that John Snow moved to in 1838 was named for Richard Frith, the main developer in 1678 when building first got underway.  The pace of development increased in the eighteenth century, including Snow's rental home, with a combination of residents and businesses.  Shop fronts were a common sight on the street.  In late 1852 when Snow moved to his third London address at 18 Sackville Street, few of the Frith Street buildings he left behind were solely personal residences.  Instead, most were mixtures of rentals and small businesses, such as tailors or dressmakers, goldsmiths, jewelers and watchmakers. 

John Snow

Shortly after moving to 54 Frith Street, Snow in October 1838 took and passed the examination of the Society of Apothocaries.  Earlier in May he had passed the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons.  With these two licenses Snow was fully qualified to serve as a medical practitioner.  Unfortunately, his private practice was at first not very profitable and he lived a very frugal life, including payment for his rental home at 54 Frith Street.  He did not become established in his profession until the late 1840s, owing to his growing reputation in the specialty, anesthesiology.  Starting in 1839, he had also become an active member of the Westminster Medical Society, joining medical and public health discussions held at Westminster Hospital.  This, along with his early publications and specialization, helped develop his fame.  During these early years he also returned to school, obtaining his MD degree from the University of London in 1844.  Finally in 1850 at age 37 he took and passed the licensing examination of the Royal College of Physicians, placing him among the most qualified in his profession. Late in 1852, having become successful and much wealthier, Dr. John Snow moved to a more fashionable home at 18 Sackville Street, where he remained until his death.  

Where was Snow's Frith Street Home?

While John Snow's address between 1838 and 1852 was 54 Frith Street, there is confusion about the exact location.  In 1819, years before Snow moved to the neighborhood, 54 Frith Street was located in the middle of the first block south of Soho Square, but north of the Greek Street (later Bateman Street) intersection (see below).  By 1962, the street addresses had been renumbered, placing 54 Frith Street in the second block south of Soho Square, just beyond Greek Street (see below).  A commemorative plaque, provided by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, appears above the doorway of the current 54 Frith Street stating that Snow lived here (see to the right).  Yet perhaps he lived at the nineteenth century address for 54 Frith Street, now renumbered as 61 Frith Street.  

Adding to the confusion is an otherwise excellent map of the Soho Fields plan based on the Ordnance Survey of 1869-74 that was published for the Greater London Council, the group that issued Snow's plaque (see below).  While the map uses the correct geographic boundaries of 1869-74, the authors (i.e., Survey of London) superimposed current street numbers so that they would have a reference point for describing the properties in the voluminous text.  Possibly this map influenced the location of Snow's plaque -- perhaps a case of the right address at the wrong time.  A photo of Snow's possible home is shown below. 

Snow's possible rental house at 54 Frith Street (now 61 Frith Street) was built in the late seventeenth century by the carpenter, Richard Campion.  The house has a basement and four stories, with a front of stucco that is three windows wide (see 1943 photo below). 

The more conventional view of Snow's 54 Frith Street home of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, as presented by Richard Ellis, is included below.  Ellis provides strong justification for his view that the current location of 54 Frith Street is where Dr. Snow lived.

Frith Street is shown in cell K 14 of Reynold's 1859 map, flowing south from Soho Square.  Snow's address at 54 Frith Street was possibly in the first block on the west side between Soho Square and Queen Street (later changed to Bateman Street).  The commemorative plaque is on the west side in the second block below Soho Square between Queen Street and Old Compton Street. 

Sources: 

Ellis RH. The Case Books of Dr. John Snow, Medical History, Suppl. 14,  1994

Richardson BW. The Asclepiad 4, 274-300, 1887.

Snow S. J Medical Biography 8, 71-77, 2000.

Sheppard FHW (ed).Survey of London, Vol. 33, 1966.

Sheppard FHW (ed).Survey of London, Vol. 34, 1966.

Weinreb B, Hibbert C (eds). The London Encyclopaedia, 1993.