 Arundel House was originally the town house of the Bishops of Bath and Wells . It was owned by William FitzWilliam , 1st Earl of Southampton between 1539 and his death in 1542 , with ownership passing to Thomas Seymour in 1545 . After Seymour was executed in 1549 , the property was sold to Henry FitzAlan , Earl of Arundel , and was owned by the Earldom for much of the 16th and 17th century . In 1666 , it became the meeting place of the Royal Society following the destruction of the previous venue due to the Great Fire of London . The house was demolished in 1678 and Arundel Street , adjoining the Strand , was built on the site . 
