John Spicer

John Spicer was Robert Gunter II’s favoured builder. Spicer was probably the most significant of the Gunter estate builders, apart from Corbett and McClymont.

His work began on the estate south Old Brompton Road in 1856 when he was allocated the western crescent of The Boltons and adjoining land for development. He completed the houses in The Boltons between 1857 and 1860.

Spicer went on to construct The Little Boltons in 1862 and 1864. Between 1859 and 1866 he constructed Bolton Garden Mews.  In 1863-4 he was granted leases of building sites on which 1-8 Bolton Gardens were built.

Spicer’s first work on the part of the estate north of Old Brompton Road was the continuation of his Bolton Gardens project. He was also allocated development land north of the Old Brompton Road frontage. He completed many of the new houses but died in 1883 before the project was complete.

His son, J Spicer, a solicitor who was apparently friendly with the Gunters’ solicitor, J L Tomlin, took over his father’s building agreements. He sub-contracted the building work and was granted leases of many of the houses built after his father’s death.