The History of Nicholas Estate Agents
For over 140 years, Nicholas Estate Agents has matched people with properties across Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Our first office was opened in 1882 by William Richard Nicholas, making Nicholas one of the oldest established names in the UK residential property market.
Today we remain a family owned and run market leading independent estate and letting agent, selling and letting residential property from our large offices over three floors in the heart of Caversham.
Our Founder
William Richard Nicholas, an architect from Southampton, founded Nicholas Estate agents when he was just 17 years old. He was born in Hackney London in 1865 and moved to Southampton following the death of his father, whose name he shared. In 1882 the family relocated again to join William’s uncle who was residing in Caversham and opened our inaugral offices at 85 Broad Street Reading. In 1888 the office moved to 1 Blagrave Street, opposite the Town Hall in a building since demolished and is currently the site of O’Neil’s pub.
William ran a very successful business, which enabled him to open a second office in 1899 in West London at 60 and then 43 Pall Mall, Kensington. By 1901 William and his family were living at 20 Phillimore Gardens in Kensington, running a household with 2 servants. His occupation is recorded in the 1901 census as ‘Auctioneer, Valuer & Land Agent’ and he is listed as an employer.
Sadly William, like his father before him, passed away in his thirties on the 4th November 1901. There were several notices of his death in newspapers, with the Reading Mercury reporting that he was “…the founder of a very large and successful business and was known and respected by a very large and successful business and was known to and respected by a very large circle, combining as he did rare business talents with most upright and genial personal characteristics.”
All of this hard work had made William Richard Nicholas a small fortune. His estate was worth £10,180 and 8 shillings and 9 pence which in today’s money is approximately £1.1 million.
From 1906 Nicholas Estate Agents were owned by Mr Ricard Watkin Denyer, and auctioneer from Tunbridge Wells, and traded under both names as Messrs. Nicholas, Denyer & Co. Nicholas, Denyer & Co. also operated from the London Office at 43 Pall Mall, and at Tunbridge Wells and by 1909 in Newbury.
By 1955 Nicholas Estate Agents can still be found at 1 Station Road Reading and there is also an office at 4 Albany Court Yard, Piccadilly, West London.
Since 2014 Nicholas has been owned and run by Mark and Sara Peto, another local family, with its offices based back in central Caversham. The company is known as Nicholas Estate Agents and NEA Lettings and is one of the last truly independent estate and letting agents in Caversham.
Notable developments
In 1888 William worked with Edwin John Springbett Jesse a local builder, developer and town councillor on the purchase and development of the Elm Lodge estate which runs between Oxford Road and Tilehurst Road. This site includes the original Reading football ground, Elm Park stadium (the home of Reading FC from 1896 to 1998) and Huntley and Palmer biscuit factory who gave Reading football club their first nickname of ‘Biscuit Men’.
In 1955 Nicholas, Denyer & Co. advertise for sale or auction the 833 acre Hook End Estate near Checkendon in Oxfordshire. Hook End manor has a prominent history in the music industry as the world-famous Hook End recording studios previously owned by the musicians David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Trevor Horn.
Read more about our history in our blog:
The life and death of William Richard Nicholas - Founder of Nicholas Estate Agents
