Basutoland was a colony that is now present-day Lesotho, the country in which Thomas Mofolo was born in 1876.  From 1884 to 1966, Basutoland was a British colony, and therefore, Mofolo was educated by Evangelical Christian Missionaries, which provides context to his work.  Many of his earlier pieces were influenced by Christian beliefs, but his novel, Chaka, is not, which may explain why it took a significant amount of time before the work was widely published (Thomas Mofolo). 

16 Lawrence Street was the home of the Chelsea China factory from 1745 to 1784, until the business was sold off and moved elsewhere. At the time, the area was a highly fashionable suburb to live in, so the factory had plenty of customers to purchase their fine goods. This fashionable air to the area continues until today, and the wealth of the area is still felt. The creation of this factory is due in part to the large French population in the area, which is an aspect of the borough that is still noted today.