Ebrington Street

Laid out in the first half of the nineteenth century, the street was named after the much-respected Earl Fortescue - Viscount or Lord Ebrington. One of a handful of zealous political reformers, including his friend and neighbour Lord John Russell, Ebrington first won a Devon seat for Reform in 1818 and a dinner was given in his honour by local freeholders. Although he lost his seat in 1820, he later sat for Tavistock and gradually the Reform movement gathered momentum. When Ebrington won a Devon seat again in 1830 he was met on the city's eastern extremity and his carriage was triumphantly carried along this then new road to the Royal Hotel where there was a victory dinner.
The Reform Bill was past soon afterwards.

In 1841 the 3rd Lord Ebrington was elected MP for Plymouth, a seat which he held until 1852 by which time No.4 Ebrington Street had become known as the "Lord Ebrington" public house - it stood until 1895 when No.s 3 to 29 were rebuilt as part of a road widening scheme, in order to accomodate the new municipal tram service.

EH 16 March 1996