The Streets of Charlottetown - Fitzroy, Grafton & Euston

Montagu, Brudenell, and Cardigan were all named for George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, (1712-1790), who was born George Brudenell at Cardigan House, and prior to attaining the Dukedom, was Earl of Cardigan

In the case of Fitzroy, Grafton and Euston Streets all run east to west within four blocks of each others, and clearly appear to have been named for Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, (1735 –1811), who was styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, and lived at Euston Hall in Suffolk, England.

Politically the Duke of Grafton was a Whig, and one of a handful of dukes who served as British prime ministers, his term being, 1768–1770. Samuel Holland's pattern of naming geographic locations on PEI after the family names of prominent individuals in England, in a commemorative manner was generally accepted. While some have suggested that the practice had the benefit of assisting with personal career advancement, the naming of muddy streets of pioneer outposts after prominent titles and families had a benefit of association with wealth and prestige. As long as individuals in the named family did not fall into disrepute the method ensured that positive official names were established before potential slang terms like Mud Hollow could take root.

Eventually Cheap Side, Sunny Side, Dizzy Block and even Rum Row have been recorded for sections of town - yet official names served as valuable a purpose then, as they do now for 911 dispatchers.

Grafton did not become a prime minister without political ancestors on both sides of the family - and both sides of the Atlantic. His maternal grandfather had served at one time as a colonial governor of New York. His paternal ancestors include both the 1st Duke of Grafton and the Marquess of Worcester, and notably he was a fourth-generation descendant of King Charles II and the 1st Duchess of Cleveland.

Grafton's illustrious ancestor, King Charles II remains an interesting part of British history as he died with no legitimate heir, yet he managed to father a dozen children by seven of his documented mistresses, five of those children were born to Barbara Villiers Palmer, a buxom courtesan for whom the Dukedom of Cleveland was created. Beside Grafton, other descendants of Charles II through his affair with the Duchess include, Diana, the late Princess of Wales as well as Camilla, the current Duchess of Cornwall. Genealogists have noted that should either Prince William or Prince Harry accede to the throne in time, they will be the first direct descendants of King Charles II to be crowned.

The acquisition of Euston Hall by the Graftons united the ambitions of two families. At the age of nine, in 1672, Henry Fitzroy (the illegitimate son of Charles II) was married to Isabella Bennet, daughter and heir of the Earl of Arlington. While Isabella was only five at the time her father was Secretary of State to the newly-restored King Charles II and was owner of Euston Hall. Isabella's youthful union to Henry, ensured that Euston Hall and estate would became the seat of the future Dukes of Grafton. In 1679, when the young couple had reached a slightly more mature age of sixteen and twelve, they went through a second marriage ceremony to validate their previous ceremony.

Although the union, by modern standards, might seem more of a business merger for the parents and an unlikely beginning to marriage for a young couple, their family continued to call the estate home and currently Euston Hall in Suffock home to Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton, and thus the names Grafton, Euston and FitzRoy remain integral parts of both their family tradition as well as enduring names of the streets of Charlottetown.