This is raw OCR output. Please download the
PDF if you wish to
verify the text below.
MP& cailRIISICOIPIEIEE. lSO¥E
This Portrait of M11 BROWN then -worthy Secretary
' ' tf
(7 </
r<>EA3TN£S ECK^TEn,
TAVERN ANECDOTES,
AND
REMINISCENCES
OF
THE 01UG1N Or
SIGNS, CLUBS, COITEE-HOUSES, STREETS,
CITY COMPANIES, WARDS, &c.
INTENDED AS
A lOUTJ-GE-BO OK.
FOR LONDONERS AND THEIR COUN1RY COU&INi)
.-------_».-----—
BY ONE OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
" Wliot t_r In*, travell\l life's dull round,
\V hete'er his various tour
has been
May sigh, to think how oft he totmrt
His warmest welcome—at an
urn "
Shensione
LONDON
PRINTED I OR WILLI VM COLL,
JO, NEW GAIL V1REL1
PRINTBD BYG. H. DAVIDSON,
1KELAND YARD, DOCTOKS' COMMONS,.
PREFACE.
Just as we were thinking of writing a preface,
one of the luckiest of our
literary " reminiscences'''
came pat to our purpose. '' Prefaces to
books
(says a learned author) are like srGKS to public-
houses ! thpy are
intended to give one an idea of
Ihe kind of entertainment to be found
within;" but
whether this very appropriate quotation be founded
in truth,
or not, we leave to the superior sagacity of
those who may take the trouble
to peruse the fol-
lowing sheets.
In our humble opinion the preface apologetic is,
of all the prefaces that
are penned, the most irk-
some to an author, and the least satisfactory to
his
readers ; but as there are few which do not contain
more or less
matter of an excusatory character,
that amiable weakness of our nature (by
cynics
miscalled vanity), with which authors are so pre-
eminently gifted,
will not receive a shock quite so
iV
PREF.lt'fc.
(errible as it otherwise might, and the confession to
which we are coming-
will consequently be rendered
in some measure endurable.
Ye good-natured souls, then,-—" the liberal and
discerning public" we
mean, of course,—whose
breasts overflow with the milk of human
kindness,
we throw ourselves at your feet, and ask forgive-
ness for
having ushered into the world a production
which our modesty compels us to
admit is imper-
fect. That we have sms of commission to answer
for before
your august tribunal there can be little
doubt, but our sins of omission are
far more nu-
merous still. We have ostentatiously presumed to
call this
volume " Tavfkn Anecdotes," and yet
where is there one among you wiio could
not fur-
nish us with some anecdote equally rare and inte-
resting as the
best which we have collected ? We
have pompously professed to give the "
Origin of
Signs;" yet how barren our resources were, your
prolific brains
and retentive memories will too
clearly testify ! We have descanted on "
Clubs,"
and yet how many good things have we passed by
unnoticed, that in
all those right merry societies
have from time immemorial " set the table in
a
roar!" We have talked of streets and buildings,
as though we knew the
ichnography of London to
an inch; yet how miserably w e have fallen short
in
PREF.-tC*..
**
relating all the wonderful things that have hap-
pened on their respective
sites, must be too fevident
to every one who knows any thing about
metropo-
litan localities ! But, generous patrons, while we
acknowledge
our faults, let it not be supposed that
we are prompted to the act by any
abject motive.
No; humble as we are, we verily believe that in
this
melange, perhaps too hastily thrown together,
there will be found many
matters worthy of your
attention ; and we hesitate not in declaring, that
our
object in coming to your confessional is for tlitf
public good.
In one word, then, as pro bono publico is our
motto,we. earnestly
entreatyour assistance. Having
acknowledged the incompleteness of our first
at-
tempt, our highest aim will he to render future
editions of " Tavern
Anecdotes" worthy of the en-
couragement you may kindly show to this; and
we
therefore invite you, most respectfully, to favour us
with whatever
communications of interest may oc-
cur to you as likely to enrich the work,
and make
it the depository of stray notices on the various sub-
jects
which it professes to treat of. We are not
such niggards as to ask you to pay
the postage:
let your communications be but gratuitous, and we
shall be
thankful; while you will experience the
gratification of knowing that your
services will en-
Vi
PREFACE.
lighten the public—mark that !—and you will have
the satisfaction of
seeing your labours in print—a
point of no trifling importance to the
aspiring minJ
of a young writer, and by no means to be sneered
at even by
an old one, troubled with the cacoethes
scribendi.
Communications to be addressed to the " Edi-
tor of Tavern Anecdotes, at
the Publisher's, 10,
Newgate-street."
N. B. Our Readers will not fail to observe, that we have
already availed
ourselves of the friendly offices of one Cor-
respondent, who supplied us
with the supplementary matter,
inserted under the head " Addenda."
Nov. 1, 182J.
INTRODUCTION.
—♦—
I'm amused at the signs,
As I pass through the town,
To see the odd
mixture—
A Magpye and Crown;
The Whale and the Crow,
The Razor and Hen
;
The Leg and Seven Stars,
The Axe and the Bottle;
The Tun and the Lute
;
The Eagle and Child;
The Shovel and Boot.
British Apollo, 1710.
The absurdities which Tavern Signs present are
often curious enough, but
may in general be traced
to that inveterate propensity which the vulgar of
all
countries have, to make havoc with every thing in
the shape of a
proper name.
What a Magpie could have to do with a Crown,
or a Whale with a Crow, or a
Hen with a Razor, is
as difficult to conjecture, as to trace the
corruption
B
ii
INTRODUCTION1.
of language, in which the connexion more probably
originated. The sign of
the Leg and the Seven Stars
was merely an orthographical deviation from
the
League and the Seven Stars, or Seven United Pro-
vinces ; and the Axe
and Bottle was, doubtless, a
transposition of the Battle-axe, a very
appropriate
and significant sign in warlike times. The Tun
and Lute seem
quite emblematical of the pleasures
arising from the association of Wine and
Music.
The Eagle and Child had some meaning, but no
application ; but, when we
approach the Shovel and
Boot, nonsense again triumphs, and we labour
in
vain to come at any rational definition of the
affinity.
The Swan with two Nechs has long been an object
of mystery to the curious;
but this mystery has
been explained by the alteration of a single
letter.
The sign was originally written, the Swan with two
Nicks; the
meaning of which we find to be thus
fully explained in a communication to the
Anti-
quarian Society, by the late Sir Joseph Banks.
At a meeting of the Antiquarian Society, held in
the year 1810, Sir Joseph
Banks presented a curious
roll of parchment, exhibiting the marks or
nichs
made on the beaks of the swans and cygnets in the
rivers and lakes
in Lincolnshire; accompanied with
an account of the privileges of certain
persons for
keeping swans in these waters, and the duties of
the king's
swanherd in guarding these fowls against
INTRODUCTION.
"»
depredators; also for regulating their marks, and for
preventing any two
persons from adopting the same
figures and marks on the bills of their
swans.
The number of marks contained in the parchment
roll amounted to two
hundred and nineteen, every
one of which were distinct, although confined to
the
small extent of the bill of the swan. The outline
was an oblong
square, circular at one end, and
containing dots, notches, arrows, or such
like
figures, in order ta constitute a difl'erence in the
marks of the
swans belonging to different indi-
viduals.—So late as the 12th of Queen
Elizabeth,
laws were enacted for the preservation of the swans
in
Lincolnshire.
The sign of the Goat and Compasses has been
supposed to have arisen from
the resemblance be-
tween the bounding of a goat, and the expansion of
a
pair of compasses; but this is more fanciful than
appropriate.
This sign is of the days of the Commonwealth,
when it was the fashion of
the enthusiasts of that
period to append scriptural quotations to the
names
given them by their parents, or to adopt them en-
tirely instead.
This rage for sacred titles induced
them to coin new names also for places
and things.
The corruption from " God encompasseth us," to
Goat and
Compasses, is obvious, and seems quite
natural; and it is not unlikely that
Praise God
Barebones preferred drinking his tankard of ale at
b2
}v
INTRODUCTION.
the " God encompasseth us," rather than frequent a
house retaining its old
and heathenish title.
Richard Flecknoe, in his " Enigmatical Cha-
racter," published in 1665,
speaking of the " fanatic
reformers," observes, " As for the signs, they
have
pretty well begun their reformation already, chang-
ing the sign of
the Salutation of the Angel and our
Lady into the Soldier and Citizen, and
the Katherine
Wheel into the Cat and Wheel; so as there only
wants their
making the Dragon to kill St. George,
and the Devil to tweak St. Dunstan by
the nose, to
make the reformation complete. Such ridiculous
work they make
of their reformation, and so zealous
are they against all mirth and jollity,
that they would
pluck down the sign of the Cat and Fiddle too, if it
durst
but play so loud as they might hear it."
The Bag of Nails, at Chelsea, is claimed by the
smiths and carpenters in
its neighbourhood, as a
house originally intended for their peculiar
accom-
modation ; but, had it not been for the corruption of
the times, it
still would have belonged to the Bac-
chanals, who, in the days of the rare
Ben Jonson,
were accustomed to make a holiday excursion to
that pleasant
part of the environs of London. One
age has contrived to convert Bacchanals
into Bag-
o'-Nails; may not a future age take the liberty of
converting
the term Bacchanalians into that of
Bag-o' -nmlians ?
The very common sign of the Chequers, which
INTRODUCTION.
Ik
■we see either on the door-posts or window-shutters
of most public-houses,
has given rise to much con-
jecture and discussion among the learned, as to
its
origin. One writer supposes that they were meant
to signify that the
game of draughts was allowed to
be played within; another has been informed,
and
that by •' a high and noble personage," that in the
reign of Philip
and Mary, the Earl of Arundel of
that time had a grant for the licensing of
public-
houses, and that the chequer-board, being a part of
the armorial
bearings of that nobleman, this mark
was attached to his sign by the
publican, in order to
shew that he possessed a licence.
Unfortunately for both of these solutions, and
also for the honours of the
" Howards," the Anti-
quarian Society were lately presented by Sir
W.
Hamilton with a view of a street in Pompeii, in
which we find that
shops with the sign of the chequers
were common among the Romans. The true
origin
of this emblem, therefore, still remains involved in
uncertainty,
if not obscurity.
The most witty, though assuredly not the most
genuine explanation, was
that given by the late
George Selwyn, who frequently expressed his
asto-
nishment how antiquarians could be at any loss to
discover why
draughts were an appropriate emblem
for drinking houses.
In the year 1807, an annotator on Beloe's Ancc-
VI
INTRODUCTION.
dotes of Literature says, " I remember many years
ago passing through a
court in ^Rosemary-lane,
where I observed an ancient sign over the door
of
an alehouse, which was called the Four Alls. There
was the figure of a
King, and on a label " I rule
all;" the figure of a Priest, motto, "I pray
for all;"
a Soldier, " I fight for all;" and a Yeoman, " I pay
all." About
two years ago I passed through the
same thoroughfare, and looking up for my
curious
sign, I was amazed to see a painted board occupy
its place, with
these words inscribed, " The Four
Awls."
In Whitechapel-road there is a public-house,
which has a written sign, "
The Grave Morris." A
painter was commissioned to embody the inscrip-
tion
; but this knight of the brush was not possessed
of a poet's eye, and
therefore could not depict the
form of things unknown or imaginary. In
this
dilemma he had recourse to a friend, who had
studied more
particularly " the signs of the times,"
who immediately extricated him out of
his difficulty,
and the painter forthwith delineated, in his best
manner,
'' The Graaf Maurice" which is frequently
mentioned in the " Epistolm
Ho-elianm."
Curiositus fur the Ingenious.
TAVERN ANECDOTES,
------♦------
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
BULL AND MOUTH, Bull axd Mouth-Street.
This sign, like those noticed in the " Introduction,"
exhibits an instance
of the corruption and perversion
of language. Every body knows that a bull
has a
mouth, but every one does not know that there is
such a place as
Boulogne, where there is a harbour,
which necessarily must have an entrance,
commonly
called a mouth.
The original name of this was Boulogne Mouth,
in allusion to the town and
harbour of Boulogne;
but the gne being generally pronounced by the
Lon-
doners on, it gradually became an, and it only re-
quired the small
addition of d to make and of it;
the first part being before this made a bull
of, it was
ultimately converted into the Bull and Mouth,—the
unmeaning
title which it now bears. This is a house
of much business, from whence
several of the mails,
and various other coaches, to all parts of the
king-
dom, take their departure. The late proprietor,
8
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
Mr. Willan, who conducted this respectable concern
for many years,
realised a considerable property,
and died at a good old age ; since which it
has been
disposed of, and being a large concern, several gen-
tlemen
became joint purchasers.
JOHN 0' GROAT'S HOUSE, Windmill-Street.
James the Fourth, of Scotland, sent Malcolm
Gavin and John de Groat, two
brothers, into Caith-
ness, with a letter written in Latin,
recommending
them to the kind regards of the people of that coun-
ty. They
became possessed of lands in the parish
of Anisley, on the banks of the
Pentland firth, which
was equally divided between them. In course of
time
there were eight families of the same name,
who shared alike, and lived
comfortably and in
peace for many years. These were accustomed to
meet, to
celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of
their progenitors. At one of
these meetings it be-
came a matter of dispute which of them was
entitled
to enter first, and take the head of the table; which
had likely
to have terminated fatally, but for the
presence of mind of John de Groat,
proprietor of
the ferry, who remonstrated with them; pointed out
the
necessity of unanimity, as regarded their own
happiness, their respectability
among their neigh-
bours, and general safety from the inroads of
those
clans, who might envy them, and take advan-
tage of their
dissensions. He then proposed the
building of a house, to which they should
contribute
equally pand he promised that at their next meeting
ORIGIN OF SIGNS*
$
he should so order matters, as to prevent any dis-
pute about
precedency.
Having gained their assent, he proceeded to build
a house, with a distinct
room, of an octagonal form,
having eight doors and eight windows, in which
he
placed a table of oak, with eight sides. At the
next annual meeting he
desired each to enter singly
at different doors, and take the head of the
table,
himself entering the last, and taking the remaining
unoccupied
seat. By this ingenious manoeuvre they
were all placed on an equal footing,
and good hu-
mour and harmony were restored and established.
THE COCK,
The ancient emblem of France, but now adopted
in England as a sign, in
allusion to the origin of
cock-fighting.—When Themistocles led an army
of
his countrymen against their barbarian neighbours,
he saw two cocks in
furious combat. This spectacle
was not lost upon the general, who made his
forces
halt, and thus addrsssed them:—" These cocks, my
gallant soldiers,
are not fighting for their country,
or their paternal gods ; neither do they
endure thus
for the monuments of their ancestors, for their off-
spring,
or for glory, in defence of liberty. The only
motive is, the one is
heroically resolved not to yield
to the other."—This opportune harangue made
a
strong impression, rekindled their ardour, and led
them on to conquest.
After their successive victo-
ries over the Persians, the Athenians decreed
that
one day should be set apart in every succeeding
10
T.tVEKN ANECDOTES.
year for the public exhibition of cock-fighting-, the
expenses of which
were to be defrayed by the state.
On the 4th of April, 1789, died, in a most
awful
manner, John Ardesoif, Esq. a young man of large
fortune. He had won
much upon a favourite cock,
but the loss of the last bet so enraged him, that
he
had the poor fowl tied to a spit, and roasted alive
before a large
fire. Its cries were so affecting, that
some gentlemen present interfered,
which so exas-
perated him, that he seized a poker, and declared
that he
would kill the first who touched it; but, in
the height of his passion, he
suddenly dropt down
and died!—If such inhuman feelings are cherished
by
this sport, how can it be encouraged or de-
fended 1
THE GREYHOUND.
The sign of the Greyhound is very common
throughout England, and seems a
very appropriate
one in a sporting country, such as Great
Britain
anciently was, and still continues to be. The grey-
hound, under
the ancient name of the gazehound,
was one of the earliest dogs of the chase,
and from
the nature of his first appellation, was originally
intended to
run by sight. He was the companion
of royalty in field sports. King John
received grey-
hounds in lieu of fines and forfeitures ; but it is
not
certain whether he received them only because he
could obtain nothing
better. The dog of that day
was long haired, and resembling, but
probably
larger than the one used by warreners ; and in the
oldest
pictures now extant, the spaniel, and some-
ORIGIN OF SIGffS.
tt
times the pointer, accompanied the sportsman in
what was then termed
coursing.
The greyhound forms part of the armorial bear-
ings of some noble
families. The talbot forms that
of the Earl of Shrewsbury, in which town
there is
a large and respectable inn, long established, bear-
ing this
latter sign.
THE HORSE.
The sign of the Horse, under various colours,
black, grey, sorrel, pied,
and white, is very general
in London, and other towns. This noble
animal
has always been justly held in high estimation, pos-
sessing so
many qualities, that render him valuable
to man, either for his amusement,
for domestic
purposes, or for carrying him through the field of
danger.
His utility, and the attachment he shews
to a kind master, one would think,
should ensure
him kind treatment, and render parliamentary in-
terference
unnecessary between a horse and his
owner. Numerous works abound with
interesting-
anecdotes of the horse and the dog, which are fami-
liar to
every one. Some, like Caligula, have treated
the horse not only with
kindness, but with venera-
tion ; and it is with feelings of no very
agreeable
nature that we hear of men inheriting high notions
of honour,
&c. shewing themselves destitute of the
amiable feelings, in their
conduct toward this noble
animal.
Dr. Hawkesworth, iu the thirty-seventh number
of " The Adventurer," has
immortalized Tregouville
12
T4VJS.RN .4NEC]J0TES.
Frampto.i, who was keeper of the running horses to
William the Third,
Queen Anne, George the First,
and George the Second, who died at the age
of
eighty-six, on the 12th of March, 1727. The allu-
sion is to the
treatment of his horse Dragon, whom
the doctor feelingly represents as
speaking from the
- elysiutn of beasts and birds. " It is true/'
replied
the steed, " I was a favourite; but what avails it to
be the
favourite of caprice, avarice, and barbarity ?
My tyrant was a man who had
gained a considera-
ble fortune by play, particularly by racing. I had
won
him many large sums ; but being at length ex-
cepted out of every match, as
having no equal, he
regarded even my excellence with malignity, when
it
was no longer subservient to his interest. Yet
still I lived in ease and
plenty; and as he was able
to sell even my pleasure, though my labour
was
become useless, I had a seraglio, in which there was
a perpetual
succession of new beauties. At last,
however, another competitor appeared; I
enjoyed
a new triumph by anticipation; I rushed into the
field, panting
for the conquest, and the first heat I
put my master in possession of the
stakes, which
amounted to one thousand guineas. Mr.------, the
proprietor of the mare that I had distanced, not-
withstanding this
disgrace, declared, with great
zeal, that she should run the next day against
any
gelding in the world for double the sum. My
master immediately
accepted the challenge, and
told him that he would the next day produce a
geld-
ing that should beat her; but what was my asto-
nishment and
indignation when I discovered that he
most cruelly and fraudulently intended
to qualify
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
J3
me for the match upon the spot, and to sacrifice my
life at the very
moment in winch every nerve should
be strained in his service. As I knew it
would be
in vain to resist, I suffered myself to be bound:
the operation
was performed, and I was instantly
mounted, and spurred on to the goal.
Injured as I
was, the love of glory was still superior to the de-
sire of
revenge ; I determined to die as I had lived,
without an equal; and having
again won the race,
I sunk down at the post in an agony, which soon
after
put an end to my life."
" When I had heard this horrid narrative, which
indeed I remembered to be
true, I turned about in
honest confusion, and blushed that I was a man I"
MUNDAY'S COFFEE-HOUSE,
Late of Round-Col bt, Strand, now in Maiden-Lane,
Was formerly kept by John, familiarly styled
Jack Munday, where the
sporting and betting gen-
tlemen might be met with every evening;
where
Dick, alias Captain England, Dennis O'Kelly, Hull,
the Clarkes,
Tetherington, and others of turf noto-
riety resorted, and were ready to lay
bets to any
amount, or to favour those who required it with a
bet on
either side of the question. The company
were also amused by the general fund
of sporting
anecdotes of old Medley; here the big Butcher
challenged Dick
England as being a thief, and al-
luded sarcastically to his origin, which
compelled
the " captain" to have recourse to the argumentwm
fisticvm
instanter; and the renowned knight of the
14
T.iVKRN .4NECD0TES.
cleaver *eeling convinced, by many knock-down
arguments, which softened
him much, at last ac-
knowledged that he had spoken falsely; but in
this
lie lied again.
GOLDEN CROSS, Charing-Cross,
An inn of very considerable business, where many
coaches arrive, and from
whence as many depart to
all parts of the country. Here Dick England,
the
noted gambler and black-leg, was accustomed to
resort, and was
constantly on the watch for raw
Irishmen coming to town by the coaches, whom
he
invariably contrived to pluck. His rapid success
soon enabled him to
repair to an elegant house in
St. Alban's-stieet, where he engaged various
mas-
ters to teach him the polite arts, and he gained a slight
knowledge
of the French language. In the years
1779 and 1783, he was, probably, at the
height of
his prosperity, for he then kept a good house and
table, sported
his vis-a-vis, and was remarkably
choice in the hackney3 he rode, giving
eighty or
ninety guineas for a horse, a price supposed equal
to 200
guineas at the present time. He also fre-
quented Munday's coffee-house, as
before noticed,
where there was an ordinary on certain days at
four
o'clock, when he generally presided. On these oc-
casions his manner
was polite, and his conversation
shrewd, evincing the industry he used to
supply the
defects of education, of which he affected at times to
make a
shew, by introducing classical terms in his
conversation. Being at times the
hero of his own
story, he unguardedly exposed some of his own cha-
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
15
racteristic traits, wliicli his acquired self-posesssion,
in general,
enabled him to conceal. His conduct
among men of rank and family, with whom
he hap-
pened to associate in the way of his profession, was
so polite and
guarded, that he gained general re-
spect ; but he was resolute in enforcing
payment of
sums he had won. One evening he met a young
tradesman at a
house in Leicester-fields, to have an
hour's diversion at rattling the bones,
when he con-
trived to lose a few score pounds, for which he gave
a draft
upon Haulrey's; but requested to have his
revenge, in a few more throws, when
he soon re-
gained what he had lost, and as much in addition.
Upon which,
being late, he proposed for both to
retire, being past three in the morning;
but the
tradesman, conceiving himself tricked, refused pay-
ment of what
he had lost. England then tripped
up his heels, rolled him in the carpet,
took a case-
knife from the sideboard, which he flourished over
him, and
using menacing language, at last cut off
the young citizen's long hair, close
to the scalp.
Dreading worse proceedings, the youth, on being
allowed to
gain an erect posture, gave a check for
the amount, wished the captain a good
morning
civilly, and although he frequently saw England
afterward, never
spoke of the circumstance.
England bad at one time a fat cook, whom he,
after a little acquaintance
with her, elevated from
the kitchen to the head of his table. George
Mahon,
one of his competitors, was a frequent visitor at his
table; and
she proved so unfaithful, as to tamper her
affections, and in a few weeks she
eloped witli
Mahon; which England soon discovered, but con-
16
TAVERN ANKCDOTES.
cealed his knowledge of the affair, until he had an
opportunity of taking
some revenge on the ena-
moured swain. He persuaded Mahon to meet him
at
an inn at Barnett, on a pretended trotting match,
when he threw him on the
floor, and with a sharp
knife he had provided bereft him of his queue,
and
kicked him into the street. England afterwards re-
marked, " Had it
been my wife, I could have for-
given him ; but to seduce my w—, it was not
to be
endured." At loading a dye he was unrivalled ;
but his despatches
produced him the most, as he
would often swear, " By J—s, there is
nothing
equal to a few pigeons, with a pair of despatches."
At Newmarket
he quarrelled with a gentleman
blackleg, whom he accused with having loaded
dice
always with him ; and received for answer, " that
if he had, he knew
who made them for England."
Being at York, during the races, along with
Mr.
Maynard, his brother-in-law, they joined their ten
pounds, and
proposed going to the hazard table.
On sallying out, they inquired where Hell
was kept
this year? A sharp lad (for there are few flats in
York)
answered, " It is kept at the Clerk's of the
Minster, in the Minster-yard,
next the Church!"
England fought a duel, at Cranford-bridge,
June 18, 1784, with Mr. Le
Rowles, a brewer at
Kingston, from whom he had won a large sum, for
which
a bond had been given; and not being paid,
after a considerable time, he
arrested his late friend,
which ended in the duel, fatally to Mr. Le
Rowles.
England fled to Paris, and was outlawed; but it is
reported, that
in the early period of the Revolution,
he furnished some useful intelligence
to our army,
ORIGIN OF SIGN1!.
1'
in the campaign in Flanders, for which he was
remunerated by the British
Cabinet. While in
France, he was several times imprisoned, and
once
ordered to the guillotine, but pardoned, through
the exertion and
influence of one of the Convention,
who also procured a passport, by which he
once
more reached his native country. After an absence
of twelve years, he
was tried for the murder; and
found guilty of man-slaughter, fined one
shilling,
and sentenced to one year's imprisonment.
During his trial he conducted himself respect-
fully ; and, after his
release, he passed the remain-
ing part of his life in obscurity, at his
house in
Leicester-square, where he lived to the age of
eighty, and was
found, on being called to dinner,
lying dead on his sofa.
MRS. BUTLER'S, Covent-Garden,
Alias <f The Finish."
Some place that's like the Finish, lads,
Where all your high pedestrian
pads,
That have been up, and out all night,
Running their rigs among the
rattlers,
At morning meet—and, honour bright—
Agree to share the blunt and
tattlers.
Tom Crab's Memorial to Congress.
This lately celebrated house of call for the turn
outs, was kept, until a
few years ago, by Mrs. But-
ler, who has retired from a publican's life,
although
not from public life, as we hear of her occasionally
at the
meetings of the Committee of Drury-lane
c
18
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
Proprietors, of which property she has purchased
some shares. Her
successor, either not being pos-
sessed of the same knack in managing a house
ot
such a description, or from the " powers that be"
not tolerating that
in another which they winked at
in her, has been compelled to shut up shop,
and the
house, which was formerly the nightly resort of
statesmen, poets,
players, pugilists, and any one
who had the privilege of the entre, and knew
the
signal for admission, or paid due attention to the
white-pated waiter.
This lately privileged house is
now occupied by a vender of coffee and tea,
hot
rolls and butter, with which the frequenters of the
market, and
others, may be accommodated in sea-
sonable hours; i.e. from five a.m. to
nine P.M. It
is situated about half way between Southampton-
street and
the Hummums, on the south side of the
market.
This lady had considerable influence in the neigh-
bourhood, and was of
great service to the popular
candidate, during elections for Westminster.
The
late Mr. Fox, and the sprightly Sheridan, were con-
stant frequenters
of her parlour, on these and other
occasions. Mr. K—n, Mr. B—y—e, and
\arious
other tragedians and comedians, might be met with,
after they had
strutted their hour on the stage.
These, and others, resorted here to finish
the
evening.
THE FLYING HORSE.
The Flying Horse seems to have no affinity to
any
thing connected with inns, unless it has been origi-
nally intended to
represent the Pegasus of the
ORIGIN Oh' SIGNS.
J 9
ancients; in which case it is not so unmeaning*
sign ; for,
If with water you fill up your glasses,
You'll never write any thing wise
;
For wine is the horse of Parnassus,
Which hurries a baid to the
skies.
GUY FAWKES.
This title seems to have been adopted by some
loyalist,
shortly after the discovery of the Gun-
powder Plot, for blowing up the King,
(James I.)
Prince Henry, and all the Lords and Commoners
who might be then
assembled at the opening of the
Session of Parliament. The 5th of November
brings
annually before our eyes various grotesque figures,
destined to the
flames, reminding us of the provi-
dential escape of the King and Parliament.
" The
dreadful secret," says Hume, " though communi-
cated to above twenty
persons, had been religiously
kept for above a year and a half. No remorse,
no
pity, no fear of punishment, no hope of reward, had
as yet induced any
one conspirator either to aban-
don the enterprise, or make a discovery of
it. The
holy fury had extinguished in their breasts every
other motive,
and it was an indiscretion, at least,
proceeding chiefly from those very
bigotted preju-
dices and partialities, which saved the nation.
In
consequence of an anonymous and warning letter
being received by Lord
Monteagle, a catholic, which
being made known to the King, he caused a
search
to be made in the cellars under the house on the
day preceding the
meeting of Parliament, where
C 2
20
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
was found Guido Fawkes, with matches ready to
set fire to the train. He
was tried and executed in
Old Palace-yard, in 1606."
THE HOLE IN THE WALL.
There are various houses known by this name.
That
in Chancery-lane, nearly opposite to the gate
leading into Lincoln's Inn
Old-square, is kept by
Jack Randall, who has obtained the proud title
of
the Nonpareil, he having fought above a dozen
pitched battles, with the
most of his opponents
superior to him in weight, and proving the victor
in
every rencounter. He weighs about ten stone six
pounds, and his height
is about five feet six inches ;
but he has now retired from the ring, having
netted
some blunt.
Then blame me not, smells, kidt, or lads of the fancy,
For opening a lush
crib m Chancery-lane ;
An appropriate spot 'tis, you doubtless all can see,
Since heads I've oft
placed there, and let out again.
There is also a noted " Hole in the Wall" in
Fleet-street, where
compositors have long held their
orgies, and where many a portentous question
re-
lating to the price of their labotir, has been debated
in full
conclave
THE MAGDALEN.
A house, under the above title, in the \icinity of
the
Magdalen Asylum, for females who are desirous
of escaping from the miseries
of prostitution, and
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
21
being restored again to respectable society, lias evi-
dently adopted the
name from the circumstance of
contiguity. The excellent institution alluded
to has
been productive of much good, in restoring many a
Wandering
daughter to the arms of a fond parent;
and it well deserves the support of
the affluent, the
liberal, and the humane.
Nothing but being in the neighbourhood of such
an institution could have
rendered such a sign in
any way appropriate for a public-house; for
we
have never perceived any thing in the manner of
conducting such
concerns as was conducive to vir-
tue, but rather destructive to the morals
of youth,
and particularly of females.
THE NEW YORK COFFEE-HOUSE,
So named, in reference to the Trans-atlantic capi-
tal. This house, which
is in the vicinity of the Royal
Exchange, is much frequented by commercial
men
belonging to or connected with America, where the
various English and
American papers may be re-
ferred to. Turning over one of the latter files,
viz.
the New York Evening Post, the other evening, I
lighted upon the
following instance of Yankee wit:
" An American officer, bearer of a flag to the
British lines, was
afterwards invited to dinner by the
British commander. The wine being in
circulation,
a British officer was called upon to give a toast,
when he
proposed, ' Mr. Madison, dead or alive,'
which the American drank with
apparent indiffe-
rence. When the Yankee was requested to pro-
0g
TiiVfi'R'fc .4KEdD0*E&.
pose a toast, lie gave, ' The P— R—, drunk or
sober.' ' Sir,' said the
British officer, " that is an
insult.' ' No, answered Yankee, coolly, ' it is
only
a reply to one.'"
THE GRENADIER.
This sign is of frequent observation at places
where the
military are, or have been resident, and
seems to have been adopted in
compliment to the
private soldier, as others have been to that of
their
commanders.
GUY, EARL OF WARWICK.
There are many signs in the country put up
in
remembrance of the above nobleman, who rendered
himself so famous in
the transactions of his times ;
none of which have figured more in
traditionary
history, than his encounter with the dun cow, and
his defeat
of Colbrand, the Danish giant.
GUY'S HEAD.
This sign is doubtless intended to do honour (o
the
philanthropy of Mr. Thomas Guy, who founded
the hospital in the Borough which
bears his name,
and which cost the sum of £18,793.16*. Id.; and the
sum
left for the endow ment of it was £219,499 0*. id.
Had he been of the Romish
church, he might have
been honoured with a niche in their calendar,
where
many have been placed for acts neither of so bene-
volent or noble a
nature. Mr. Guy had agreed to
marry a female servant, whose manners
pleased
OKI GIN OF MG1**>.
23
l,im. Some days before the time intended to cele-
brate the nuptials, he
had ordered the pavement
before his door to be repaired to a particular spot
;
having left home, his servant discovering a broken
flag beyond the spot
pointed out by her intended,
desired it also to be replaced by another, thus
pre-
maturely assuming an authority, by telling the
workmen to say to Mr.
Guy, " 1 bid you, and he
wont he angry." On his discovering of her
con-
duct, he renounced his engagement, and devoted
his ample fortune to
public charity. What a lesson
this to aspiring spinsters!
ST. DUNSTAN.
St. Dunstan was born on the 19th May, 924, at
Glastonbury, and educated in
the abbey. He be-
came a great scholar, and skilled in painting,
sculp-
ture, music, and in the art of refining arid forging
metals, so
that he was first deemed a conjurer, and
then named a saint. He made two
large bells for
the church of Abingdon. Edmund made him ablot
of
Glastonbury; Edred, his successor, made him
royal confessor, confidant, and
prime minister ;
Edwy ordered him into exile; but Edgar recalled
him, and
promoted him successively to the bishop-
rics of Worcester and London; and to
the archie-
piscopal chair of Canterbury, which he filled twenty-
seven
years, and died 19th May, 988.
When a boy, he is stated by the monks of his
time to have studied theology
so sedulously, as to
reduce him to the point of death, when he was
sud-
denly restored by a divine medicine sent by an
24
TAVEHN ANECDOTES.
angel in a storm. In the impulse of gratitude, he
instantly started from
bed, and hastened to the
church; but was met by the way by the devil,
sur-
rounded by a number of black dogs, who endea-
voured to stop him. He
prayed for help, and was
enabled to cudgel the devil and his dogs so
hear-
tily, that they were glad to leave him and his assist-
ing angel
masters of the field. The angel finding
the doors of the church fastened,
took him up,
and conveyed him through the roof.
The arch-enemy at another time made an attack
upon his chastity. While the
saint was at work at
his forge, the devil appeared before him in the
form
of a beautiful woman; but the saint was too sharp
for him, for
immediately recognising Satan, he took
his tongs, red-hot from the fire, and
revenged the
insult, by heartily pinching the devil's nose. There
is in
Goldsmith's-hall, London, a painting, repre-
senting angels rejoicing at the
saint's conquest of
Satan. St. Dunstan is said to have invented
the
jEolian harp, which was the first cause of his being
considered
divinely gifted: for he is said to have
been able to play upon the harp
without touching it:
St. Dunstan's harp, fast by the wall,
Upon a pin did hang-a;
The harp itself, with ty and all.
Untouched by hand did twang-a.
THE CROWN AND ANCHOR, Stbanb.
The union of these titles, as applied to
other
houses, appears appropriate enough; but this tavern
being in the
parish of St. Clement Danes, seems to
ORIGIN Ob' S16JNS.
25
have derived its second title from the legend of
St. Clement; which
states, that he was cast into the
sea with an anchor about his neck, and that
on the
first anniversary of his death the sea retired three
miles from the
shore, and discovered on the place
where he suffered a superb temple of fine
marble,
in which was a monument of the saint; and that
for several years
the sea withdrew for seven days in
succession. In allusion to this, the
device of the
anchor may be seen on the boundary marks of the
parish, and
in various parts of the church of St.
Clement Danes, Strand.
St. Clement, a Roman, is stated to have been
converted by St. Peter, and
he was a zealous coad-
jutor of the Apostles.—{See Philip iv. 3.)
Several
works are attributed to him ; but his Epistle to the
Church at
Corinth only is considered genuine. It
is generally believed that this great
and good man
died a natural death, about a.d. 100, at the com-
mencement
of the reign of the Emperor Trajan.
THE DEVIL TAVERN, Fleet-Strlet.
The Devil tavern is stated, by Mr. Pennant, as
being near Temple-bar. It
occupied the ground
which is now named Child's-place. This tavern,
well
known to the facetious Ben Jonson, and others,
had for a sign the Devil, and
St. Dunstan tweaking
him by the nose with a pair of hot tongs. The
cele-
brated libertine, Lord Rochester, also takes notice
of this
notorious scene of revelry.
This tavern appears to have been open in the
26
TAV4.RN liNECDOTES.
days of Goldsmith, who notices Dr. Kenriok, the
lecturer, at the above
tavern, which the doctor enti-
tled the School of Shakspeare, in the poem
of
" Retaliation." It does not appear in any of " the
books," whether his
Satanic majesty was pleased
with, or patronised the said tavern; but,
doubtless,
he looked in there at times to see his friends, per-
haps under
cover of the smoke they raised. Ben
Jonsou passing along Fleet-street, near
to the above
tavern, observed a countryman staring at a grocer's
sign; he
tapped him on the shoulder, and asked
him what so engaged his attention?
"Why, mas-
ter," he replied, " I be admiring that nice piece of
poetry
over the shop." " How can you make that
rhyme V said Ben; " the words are, '
Coffee and
tea to be sold." " Why thus," replies Ralph:—
" Coffee and tea
To be s-o-l-d."
This so pleased the poet, that Ralph was taken into
his service
immediately, and he continued to serve
him until Jonson's death.
The late Duke of Montague, of facetious memory,
gave an entertainment at
the Devil tavern, to seve-
ral nobles and gentry, whom he knew to be
convi-
vialists, and fond of their bottle; among whom was
Heidegger, the
Swiss musician, who was soon sewed
up, and carried to bed. While in sound
sleep, the
duke caused a cast to be taken from his face, from
which a mask
was afterwards made by the duke's
order. From Heidegger's valet the duke
learnt the
dress he meant to go in to the next masquerade at
the King's
Theatre, and hr procured one like it, in
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
27
which he attired a person of the same .stature, who
went along with the
duke to the same masquerade.
When his Majesty entered, Heidegger ordered
the
music to strike up the national anthem of " God
Save the King;" and
had no sooner turned round
than the masked Heidegger called to play, "
Over
the Water to Charlie," which astonished all those
who were not in the
secret. Heidegger ran to thu
gallery, storming, while his Majesty and others
en-
joyed a hearty laugh. After putting them to rights,
as he thought
finally, he retired to one of the
dancing rooms, when the mask again placed
himself
in the front of the gallery, and ordered them pe-
remptorily to
give, " Over the Water to Charlie."
They paused ; but conceiving they must
obey, began
it again, which threw the company into some con-
fusion,
Heidegger again returned to the gallery,
and rated the musicians roundly.
Here the duke
whispered to him, that his Majesty was very angry,
and he
had better apologise, and then dismiss the
musicians. He approached the King,
and had just
finished an humble apology, when the mask ad-
vanced to do
the same, adding, that it was not his
fault, as that devil had taken his
likeness; which so
confounded Heidegger, that he stared, grew pale,
and
was utterly speechless. The duke, thinking
the joke had been carried far
enough, whispered in
his ear the plot that had been carried on, and
re-
lieved him from his distress. Heidegger was ex-
ceedingly harsh
featured, but could joke upon his
own ugliness. The Earl of Chesterfield lost
a bet
with him, by not being able to produce one so ugly
as he. A woman
was found very strangely fea-
28
TiVtRN 4NECD0TLS.
tured; but, upon placing her cap on his head, lie
appeared uglier than
ever.
THE MARINER.
This sign, like that of the " Jolly Sailor," " Ma-
riner's Compass," "
Ship," " Boat," " Barge," &c.
lias been adopted in seaport towns,
evidently in
compliment to the seafaring man, as others have
adopted the
names of some favourite or fortunate
admiral, commodore, captain,
&.c.
THE GUILDHALL COFFEE-HOUSE.
This, I believe, is the only house in London
under its title; its vicinity
to Guildhall, in King-
street, sufficiently denotes its origin. It is
fre-
quented much by lawyers and their clients, who
have business in the
courts of law held in the city;
or having occasion to attend the
commissioners of
bank? upts, whose office, newly erected in
Basinghall-
street, forms one of the important modern improve-
ments in
the city.
THE iMANSION-HOUSE.
The vicinity of this public-house to the residence
of the chief
magistrate, also denotes its origin. It
is much resorted to by parties who
are brought by,
or the bringer of others before the Lord Mayor, m ^
his
judicial capacity. And here some differences^
that can be made up, are
settled over a jug of heavy,
OKIGIX OF SIGN'S.
29
a drop of max, with a bit o' sume-ut to eat, and
something to the officer
for his trouble.
At one of the public dinners at the Mansion-
house, during Wilkes's
mayoralty, Boswell per-
ceiving George Colman at a loss for a seat,
having
secured good room for himself, called to him, and
gave him a seat
by his side; remarking, at the same
time, how important a matter it was to
ha\e a
Scotchman for his friend at such a table. Shortly
after this they
happened to be helped to something
by a waiter who was a foreigner, to whom
Mr. Bos-
well spoke in German ; when Mr. Colman observed,
that he thought
he had mistaken the place. " I did
think I was at the Mansion-house, but I am
cer-
tainly at St. James's, for here are none but Scots
and Germans!"
THE ADMIRAL DEAIvE.
This sign also figures occasionally by the water-
side, in honour of the
brave admiral of that name.
Quaint conceit of an old writer on Queen Eliza-
beth and Sir Francis
Drake:—
O, Nature ! to Old England still
Continue these mistakes:
Still give us
for our kings such queens,
And for our dux such drakes!
THE DOG AND DUCK.
This sign seems to have been adopted by some
publican, whose house being
contiguous to a pond
30
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
or river, was the resort of those accustomed (o the
cruel sport of
duck-hunting; a practice still kept
up, and, to the disgrace of the
metropolis, has been
lately seen taking place on the morning of a
Sunday,
in the New River, a short way above Islington.
The Dog and Duck,
in St. George's-fields, was long
known as a house of resort of the
metropolitans.
THE CATHERINE WHEEL.
The Catherine Wheel is used for a sign to several
public houses, and is
also given to a species of five
works. Catherine, the virgin and martyr,
was
born, according to her legend, at Alexandria, and
of so wonderful a
capacity, that having soon after
her conversion to Christianity, A. D. 805,
disputed
with fifty heathen philosophers, she not only van-
quished them
by the strength of her reasoning, but,
in the end, painted to them the Divine
truths of the
Gospel in such glowing colours, that she converted
them all
to the true faith. For this offence, so hei-
nous in the eyes of the Emperor
Maxentius, that
tyrant caused her instantly to be cast into prison;
where
the Empress, and one of the principal gene-
rals, who visited her out of
curiosity, were likewise
converted by the irresistible power of her
eloquence
and learning; which was deemed so great an aggra-
vation of her
crime, that the emperor not only con-
demned the virgin saint to a cruel
death, but caused
the fifty philosophers to be burnt alive.
The Emperor Maxentius then ordered the saint '*
1o be tortured with four
cutting wheels, in which
ORIGIN* OK SIGN'S.
31
were saws of iron, sharp nails, ami sharp knives;
the wheels turned one
against another, and the
saws, knives, and nails met.
She was tied to one of the wheels, that the other
being turned the
contrary way, her body might he
torn in different places with the sharp
instruments,
and was afterwards beheaded ; but angels, we are
assured,
rescued her remains, and conveyed them
to Mount Sinai; where in the
beginning- of the
ninth century, they were happily discovered, in
an
uneorrupted state.
That these sacred relics should work miracles was
a natural consequence,
and pilgrimages to her tomb
became frequent, until the year 1063 ; when
travel-
ling on this devout errand having become extremely
dangerous, on
account of the hordes of Arabs which
infested the way, an order of
knighthood, upon the
model of that of the holy sepulchre, was
established,
and placed under the immediate protection of St.
Catherine,
whose name they bore. These knights
bound themselves, by the most solemn
oaths, to
guard the shrine of their murdered saint, and keep
the roads
leading to it secure of access. Their
habits were white, in token of the
spotless purity of
their patroness, and were ornamented with a half
wheel,
armed with spikes, and traversed with a
sword stained with blood, to keep
them in constant
remembrance of the horrid death intended to her,
and of
the providential escape she experienced from
such barbarity, by the
intervention of a divine
agency.
Such is the outline of the legend of St. Catherine,
of whom nothing
appears upon record before the
32
T^VRRK ANECDOTES.
alleged discovery of her uncorrupted remains; a
circumstance that has
given rise to much contro-
versy, even as to the actual existence of this
saint.
SAINT ANDREW.
St. Andrew was the younger brother of Simon,
surnamed, by our Lord, Peter.
The Scotch have
chosen him ae their tutelar saint; and it is
asserted,
that his remains were deposited in the County of
Fife, in the
year 368. The town and univ ersity of
St. Andrew, in Fifeshire, are named in
commemo-
ration of him.
St. Andrew, upou the dispersion of the Apostles,
traversed the vast
northern regions of Scythia,
surmounting every difficulty : he passed over
the
countries of Thrace, Macedonia, &c.; and at Patra,
he was so
wonderfully successful in the execution
of his heavenly trust, that Ageas,
the pro-consul,
condemned him to be scourged, and then crucified ;
which
sentence was put in force with peculiar
cruelty. Seven lictors alternately
exerted their
strength on the shoulders of the apostle ; and in
order that
his death, after such torture, should be
the more lingering amd painful, he
was fastened to
the cross with cords instead of nails. He remained
in this
state of agony two days, preaching and in-
structing the surrounding populace
in that faith,
which enabled him to sustain his sufferings without
a
murmur: a faith, which afforded to him the con~
summation of his riches, in a
prospect of eternal
life with his Saviour, whose doctrines he had so
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
33
strenuously inculcated. His body was embalmed,
an»d honourably entombed by
a Christian lady of
qui ality and fortune; and some time afterwards
his
rel-ics were removed, by Constantine the Great, to
Byvzantium. St.
Andrew is known, in all paintings,
pictures, &c. by his bearing his
cross, in the form of
thes letter X.
TILE KING'S HEAD
>At various times, houses of accommodation have
bee^n opened under the
above sign, and we may
fairrly infer that the. keepers were not
republicans,
ancd that few, if any, were set up, for the first
time,
duiring the usurpation of Cromwell. The King's
Hesad, in the.
Poultry, is much frequented by the
citiizens who are fond of turtle ; and
during elec-
tions, for the office of alderman, &c. it is
generally
selected by one of the candidates for the meeting
of their
committee.
ROBIN HOOD, Windmill-Street.
Every one is familiar with the history of Robin
Hoood. About half a
century ago there existed a
debbating society in London, called " The
Robin
Ho«od Society," which gave name to the house
wh' ere it met.
fTlie Hon. Charles Townshend hearingit asserted,
thajt when Jeacock, the
baker, was president, there
wass better speaking at the Robin Hood than at
St.
Stephen's Chapel; he replied, " You are not to
34
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
wonder that people should go to the laker for
oratory, when so many come
to the House of Com-
mons for bread."
THE ALPHABET.
This seems to have bees originally Alpha, Beta;
if so, it had a sacred
allusion, like many others of
Commonwealth origin. A house so called, in
the
neighbourhood of Clare-market, has the whole of
the letters, from
great A to little z, over the door,
as a distinguishing sign. In the seventh
chapter of
Ezra, the twenty-first verse contains all the letters
of the
alphabet.
THE CROSS INN.
The Cross has, very naturally, been made the
emblem of our Christian
faith, from the earliest
ages of Christianity: it has adorned our
cathedrals,
churches, chapels, and other places dev oted to reli-
gion ;
and has been adopted in former times by
various professions, and amongst
others by the
keepers of inns for the accommodation of pilgrims,
who
would, most likely, prefer sojourning at a house
bearing so distinguishing a
mark of Christianity.
In these latter times there are many who
exhibit
this sign, without any other intention than merely
to distinguish
one particular house from another.
The Romish church celebrates a feast on the 3d
of May, named the "
Invention of the Cross." It
is said, that on this day St. Helena found the
true
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
35
cross on Mount Calvary, deep in the ground. Three
crosses were found; but
the cross of Christ was
soon distinguished from those on which the
two
thieves were crucified, by a sick woman touching it,
and being
immediately healed. The custody of the
cross was committed to the Bishop of
Jerusalem ;
and on every Easter Sunday it was exposed to
view, and
pilgrims from all countries were indulged
with small pieces of it, enchased
in gold, or gems,
notwithstanding which, it is said, it never
lessened,
being possessed of a wonderful and secret power of
vegetation.
The cross became the private mark,
or signal, whereby Christians
distinguished each
other from their Pagan enemies in times of
perse-
cution, and their public emblem in times less danger-
ous ; and is
still the sign used in Christian churches,
to mark those who are baptised.
Wherever the
Gospel was preached]1 a pious cure caused crosses
to be
erected, as standards, round which the faith-
ful might assemble the more
conveniently to hear
divine truths; and by degrees this symbol was
fixed
in every place of public resort, as may be
remarked in many towns in Great
Britain, where
crosses are or have been erected in the centre of
four
streets, pointing directly to the four cardinal
points, where engagements
were entered into, whe-
ther of a religious or worldly nature. Royal
pro-
clamations still are made, in the first place, at such
as remain, or
on the spot where they formerly stood,
which still retains the title. Every
church-yard
formerly had a cross, on which the deceased body
was laid,
while the preacher gave his lesson on the
mutability of life. At the turning
of every public
t>2
36
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
road a cross was placed, for resting the bearers,
and for reminding the
traveller of a crucified Sa-
viour. The boundaries of parishes were
distin-
guished by crosses, at which, during their perambu-
lations, the
people alternately prayed and regaled
themselves.
The grants from sovereigns or nobles, and all
engagements between
individuals, were also marked
with the cross; and in all cases, even to this
day,.
where the parties could not write, this emblem was
aud is considered
an efficient substitute for the
subscription of a name.
THE KING'S ARMS.
The same remarks may apply to this as to the
" King's Head."
A certain amorous king holoiag dalliance with a
fair damsel at a public
court ball, one of the cour-
tiers wishing to retire to some tavern for
refresh-
ment, inquired of another what house he would
recommend; who
wittily replied, " that he had
better not go to tha King's Arms, as they were
full,
but that the King's Head was empty!"
THE DEVIL AN» BAG OF NAILS.
Some years since, a board with this designation
appeared by the turnpike,
just beyond the Queen's
garden wall at Pimlico; but modern refinement
has
farther encroached on the liberty originally taken
with his Infernal
Majesty, as to lea\e him now entirely
ORIGIN Of SIGNS.
37
out. About fifty years ago the original sign might
have been seen at the
front of the house, which was
a Satyr of the Woods, and a group of jolly
dogs,
ycleped Bacchanals. But the Satyr having been
painted with cloven
feet, and painted black, it was
by the common people called the Devil; while
the
Bacchanalians were transmuted, by a comical pro-
cess, into a bag of
nails. By this appellation the
house was known for many years; till the
refiners
of times and manners thought fit to eject the Devil
from the sign
altogether, and retain only the most
unmeaning part of it, that of the Bag o'
Nails.
THE MITRE INN.
This appears to have been an ancient sign, coeval
with the introduction
and establishment of prelacy
in England. There is a good inn so named, in
the
city of Oxford.
Hearne copied the following anecdote from a
paper, in the hand-writing of
Dr. Richard Rawlin-
son :—" Of Daniel Rawlinson, who kept the Mitre
Tavern
in Fenchurch-street. and of whose being
sequestered in the rump time 1 have
heard much.
The Whigs tell this, that upon the King's murder,
he hung his
sign in mourning: he certainly judged
right. The honour of the mitre was much
eclipsed,
through the loss of so good a parent of the church
of
England.
Those rogues say, this endeared him so much to
the churchmen, that he soon
throve amain, and got
a good estate."
38
TAVEBN ANECDOTES.
THE ROYAL OAK.
This sign was set up soon after the restoration of
Charles II. in allusion
to his being concealed in an
oak from the observation of his pursuers.
Hence
styled " Royal."
The restoration of our ancient monarchical con-
stitution, and with it our
episcopal establishment,
diffused gladness throughout the kingdom. "
Tra-
ditions remain of men, particularly Oughtred, the
mathematician, who
died of pleasure, when informed
of this happy and surprising
event."—Hume.
The common people still continue the practice of
wearing oak leaves in
their hats; thus perpetuating
the remembrance of Charles' concealment in
the
oak, after the battle of Worcester. The dress he
wore, by way of
disguise, is thus described in a
tract of that period, now scarce:—" He had
on a
white steeple crowned hat, without any other lining
besides grease,
both sides of the brim so doubled
up with handling, that they looked like two
water
spouts ; a leather doublet, full of holes, and almost
black with
grease about the slee\es, collar, and
waist; an old green woodriff's coat,
threadbare,
and patched in most places ; with a pair of breeches
of the
same cloth, and in the same condition, the
tops hanging down loose to the
middle of the leg;
hose and shoes of different parishes; the hose were
■
grey stirrups, much darned and clouted, especially
about the knees; under
which he had a pair oi
flannel stockings of his own, the tops ot them
cut
off; his shoes had been cobbled, being pierced both
on the soles and
scams, and the upper leathers so
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
39
cut and slashed, to fit them to his feet, that they
were quite unfit to
befriend him, either from the
water or dirt. This exotic and deformed
dress,
added to his short hair, cut off by the ears, his face
coloured
brown, with walnut-tree leaves, and a
rough crooked thorn stick in his hand,
had so
metamorphosed him, that it was hard even for those
who had before
been acquainted with his person,
and conversant with him, to have discovered
who
he was."
This celebrated tree was situated near to Bosco-
bel, in the parish of
Donnington. By some it is
stated to have been in a flourishing state;
while
others assert, with apparently more reason, that it
was old, and so
much decayed, that Charles con-
cealed himself in its hollow trunk. The
remains
of the tree were enclosed by a handsome wall, with
the following
inscription in gold letters, on the stone
over the arch of the door: "
felicissimam arborem
QUAM IN ASYLUM PONTENTISSIMI REGIS CAROLI
11NDI DEUS, OP! MAX. PER QUAM
REGES REGNANT.
HIC CRESCERE VOLUIT, &C
A modern tourist asserts that this ancient tree is
no longer standing, but
that a young and thriving
sapling, taken from it, fills its place within the
en-
closure, the wall of which has been taken down and
nearly rebuilt.
We may here remark that guineas were first intro-
duced in the reign of
this prince; and the figure of
Britannia on the copper coin was first used by
his
order, in compliment to the fine form and graceful
symmetry of his
accomplished cousin, Frances
Stuart.
.MS
TAVERN ANKCDOTgS.
SI". I1EIXNA,
Discoverer of the holy cross, or the true cross of
Christ, the chief part
of which remained ill the
custody of the Bishop of Jerusalem, by whom
it
was annually exhibited at Easter, until Cosroes,
king of Persia,
plundered Jerusalem, and seized
the sacred relic, about the year of Christ
615.
Heraelius, the Roman emperor,-vanquished Cosroes,
and resolved to
remove this object of veneration to
Mount Calvary; for which purpose he
attired him-
self iu his imperial robes, but he could not lift the
holy
wood from the ground. A voice from Heaven
admonished him, that Christ
himself, lowly and
meek, and mounted on an ass, had entered Jerusa-
lem,
while Heraelius had attempted to pollute the
hallowed cross. The emperor
immediately dis-
robed himself, and then, with the greatest ease,
conveyed
the wood to the appointed place. The
ideutity of the cross being thus
ascertained, it was
deposited in the great church of the twelve
apostles
at Constantinople. This is the legendary narrative
of the
circumstance, that gave rise to the festival ol
the " Exaltation of the
Cross."
There is an inn, with tea-gardens attached, about
half way between London
and Deptford, which
has borne this designation for many years; but it
does
not appear whether it was intended to ho-
nour the above saint, or in
allusion to the island
of that name, which serves as a watering place
to
oriental voyagers, as this does for a resting place,
or half-way house
for the cockney, or yokel
traveller.
0H1GIN OF SIGNS.
41
THE GREEN MAN AND STILL.
Mr. Jekyll meeting his friend Lord Erskine, said,
" May I congratulate
you, my lord, on having the
green ribbon?" " Yes," replied his lordship, "
yet
I am. the same man still." " Then," rejoined the
humorous barrister, "
it will be a most evident sign
of your deserts, and therefore you must be
the
Green Man and Still.
THE MEKMAID, Hackney,
A creature much talked of, but seldom, if ever,
seen, has induced some few
to adopt the title as a
novel distinction. Here are very neat gardens,
and
the large room is well adapted for public meetings.
The county
meetings are frequently held here, at
which the " members" and others aftend
to inform
their constituents what they have done, and are
told in return
what they have not done, and ought
to do.
At the Mermaid Inn at Rochester, a clergyman
called some time since, and
ordered dinner for the
Bean of Canterbury, whom he said he had met on
the
road; the Canon of Winchester; the Provost
of Lichfield; the Rector of
Orpington; the Vicar
of Romney ; and one of the King's Chaplains ; all
of
which livings were held by the dean. The land-
lord made ample provision; and
when the dean
arrived, he found a large table set out, and expressed
his
surprise that Boniface had shown him into a
room intended for a large party.
" No, please your
42
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
reverence, for Parson Singlechurch called about
two hours ago, and told
tne to provide for your
honour, and the Canon of Winchester, and I
know
not how many more." " Well, well," interrupted
the dean, who soon
perceived the joke, " I see I
ought to have asked Mr. Singlechurch to
dinner."
ST. JAMES'S COFFEE-HOUSE.
A well regulated house, elegantly appointed in
all things fitting for the
vicinity of a royal palace,
and the resort of many noble and
distinguished
characters.
Dr. Goldsmith, and some of his friends, occa-
sionally dined at the St.
James's coffee-house. One
day it was proposed to write epitaphs on him;
his
country, dialect, and person, furnished objects of
witticism. He was
called on for retaliation; and
at their next meeting produced the poem,
entitled
" Retaliation," in which the following persons are
humorously
characterised: — the Master of the
Coffee-house; Dr. Bernard, dean of Derry;
Ed-
mund Burke, Esq.; Messrs. William and Richard
Burke; Richard
Cumberland, Esq.; Dr. Douglas;
David Garrick, Esq.; John Ridge, Esq. an
Irish
barrister; Mr. Hickey, the eminent attorney; Sir
Joshua Reynolds;
Thomas Townsend, Esq. M.P.
for Whitchurch; Dr. Dodd; Dr. Kenrick, who
read
lectures at the Devil tavern, which he entitled
" The School of Shakspeare;"
James Macpherson,
Esq. the author or translator of " Ossian's Poems;"
Mr.
Hugh Kelly, author of " False Delicacy," &c.;
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
43
Mr. W. Woodfall, printer of the Morning Chronicle;
Mr. Whitefoord, a
humorous writer for the Puhlic
Advertiser; and Mr. Woodfall, the printer of
the
latter journal.
THE BIBLE.
A house, the only one we know of the name, is
situated m Shire-'ane,
Temple-bar. This was for-
merly a house of call for printers, and probably
was
so titled in honour of the typographic art, without
intending any
respect for religion, the sacred writ-
ings being among the first books that
gave employ-
ment to that class of artizans.
THE LION INN.
This is a very general sign thioughout the conn-
try. Being a national
emblem, it is used by various
tradesmen; but we do not see how it is
character-
istic of the trade of a publican; it is more appio-
priate to
the profession of a sailor or a soldier.
THE RED LION, Druea-Lane.
Where the Red Lion, staring o'er the way,
Invites each passing stranger that can pay ,
Where Calvert's butt, and Parson's black champaign,
Regale the drabs and bloods of Drury-lane;
There, in a lonely room, from bailiffs snug,
Ihe Muse found Scroggen stretch'd beneath a rug ,
4/f
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
A window, patch'd with paper, lent a ray,
That dimly shew'd the state in which he lay;
The sanded floor that grits beneath the tread,
The humid wall with paltry pictures spread;
The royal game of Goose was there in view,
And the Twelve Rules the royal martyr drew ;
The Seasons, fram'd with listing, found a place,
And brave Prince William shew'd his lamp-black face:
The morn was cold; he views with keen desire
The rusty grate unconscious of a fire;
With beer and milk arrears the frieze was scor'd,
And five crack'd tea-cups dress'd the chimney-board;
A nightcap deck'd his brows instead of bay,
A cap by night—a stocking all the day!
Dr. Goldsmith, doubtless from his own experi-
ence of the drudgery of
composing and compiling
for the Row, at per sheet, described the case
of
authors, and the whole fraternity of bookmakers,
when he wrote the
Epitaph on Edward Purdon:—
Who long was a bookseller's hack,
He led such a damnable life in this world
I don't think he'll wish to come back.
HOLY ROOD HOUSE.
Holy Rood was an image of Christ on the cross,
placed on what was called
the rood-loft, built in
churches, over the passage that leads to the
chancel.
The most famous of these crucifixes was found at
Boxley Abbey, in
Kent: it was called the " rood
of grace;" and, by the aid of springs, the
eyes and
lips were moved, and the head turned at the plea-
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
t#
sure of its keeper. This identical image was ex-
hibited at Paul's Cross
in the year 1537, and after
a sermon was delivered upon the relic, it was
broken
in pieces. At this place was erected a wooden
pulpit, on stone
steps, and covered with lead, in
which the most eminent divines were
appointed to
preach every Sunday morning; and they were at-
tended by the
court, the lord mayor and aldermen,
and the principal citizens.
THE FORTUNE OF WAR.
This title is of considerable antiquity, and pro-
bably originated with
some veteran warrior, who
had obtained prize-money sufficient to enable
him
to retire, and become publican. In Giltspur-street
there is a house
retaining that name: it is at the
corner of Cock-lane, of ghost
notoriety.
In front of this house there is still retained an
ancient figure, said to
represent a glutton, and being
the spot where the great fire terminated, was
in-
tended to remind the citizens of the sin of eating
and drinking
inordinately; which was said, by
some of the good fto'ks of that time, to
have caused
the visitation of this dreadful calamity, which com-
menced at
Pudding-lane, and ended at Pie-corner.
However calamitous in its immediate conse-
quences, subsequent generations
felt its beneficial
effects, in its completely putting a stop to the
plague,
which in the previous year had swept off 08,590
individuals; while
in the great fire, only six persons
lost their lives.
Ifr
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
Out of the ashes of this fire have arisen most of
our fine public
buildings, the streets have been
greatly widened, and other improvements
made,
rendering the metropolis as agreeable a capital as
any in the
world.
THE CASTLE TAVERN, Holeorn.
A general house of resort for the gentlemen of
the " Fancy," conducted in
a most respectable way
by one who has figured in the prize ring, but has
now
retired from it, excepting acting occasionally as a
second, or
exhibiting at the Fives'-court for a be-
nefit. This house has been kept by
two others con-
nected with the ring, but had not become the head
quarters
until the present landlord, Mr. Thomas
Belcher, became its owner. Here the "
Fancy" meet
very frequently; and the curious stranger, who
may wish to hat
e a peep at life, need be under no
apprehension in visiting the house, as Tom
is a
civil landlord, and preserves good order in his crib.
On many
evenings there may be heard some good
singing; on e\ery night good humour
prevails, with
a mixture of chaffing ; store of good liquors are kept
for
the thirsty; and the hungry may have a bit of
something good for the maw,
from a well supplied
larder. On the near approach of any great match,
the
house is crowded by the curious, the adven-
turous better, the veteran
pugilist, and the juvenile
aspirant; and on the night immediately
preceding,
numbers throng thither to form parties, and to
learn, if
possible, the scene of action, which is
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
47
dispersed about, yet still left as a matter of uncer-
tainty, as it always
is; for, although a place may
be intended, something may occur to prevent
its
taking place; yet if the company can ascertain
which way the keeper of
the ring is to bend his
course in the morning, they can generally form
a
pretty good guess of the probable spot. Tom being
a responsible man, is
often a holder of considerable
stakes, and many nights after a mill the
Castle is
much frequented, in order to settle bets, blow a
cloud, or wet
the whistle, with from port to humble
daffy. " On such a night as this" the
President of
the Daffy Club is sometimes invisible at the farther
end of
the room, " so thick a cloud serene bedims"
the orbs. Portraits, in attitude,
of many of the
most famous heroes of the fist, adorn the long room;
among
whom we notice, Jem Belcher, Burke, Mr.
Jackson, Tom Belcher, old Joe Ward,
Dutch Sam,
Gregson, Humphreys, Mendoza, Cribb, Molyneux,
Gulley, Randall,
Turner, Martin, Harmer, Spring,
Neat, Hickman, Painter, Scroggins, Tom Owen,
&c.
and other sporting prints, &c. particularly of the
famous dog
Trusty, the present of Lord Camelford
to Jem Belcher, and the victor in fifty
battles.
Many of these heroes may occasionally be seen in
■propria
persona, blowing a steamer, quaffing the
heavy wet, blue ruin, or other
liquid, as suits their
fancy, without any dread of other than a
friendly
shake of their mawleys.
Last Friday night a bang-up set
Of milling blades at Belcher's met,
All
high-bred heroes of the ring,
Whose very gammon would delight one;
48
TAVERN ANKCDOTES.
Who, nurs'd beneath the Fancy's wing,
Show all her feathers but the white one.
Brave Tom, the Champion, with an air
Almost Corinthian, took the chair,
And kept the coves in quiet tune,
By shewing such a hst of mutton,
As on a point of order soon
Would take the shine fiom Speaker Sutton.
And all the lads look'd gay and bright,
And gin and genius flash'd about,
And whosoe'er grew unpolite,
The well-bred Champion serv'd him out.
-----------------Tom's words, you know,
Come, like his hitting, strong but slow.
----------------His fame I need not tell,
For that, my friends, all England's loud with ;
But this I say, a civiller swell
I'd never wish to blow a cloud with.
Cribb's Memorial to Congress,
THE WRESTIJERS.
Wrestling has been one of the athletic sports of
the good people of
England for some centuries, and
the sign of two men, in attitude for the
throw, may
be met with in various counties, particularly in
Somerset;
whence the term to throw a somerset,
or, as some write it, summerset.
Exhibitions of this
kind were common among the roj al sports.
In the jear 1520, Francis I. and Henry VIIT.
attended by their respective
courtiers, met on a
plain near Calais, which, by the historians, was
named
" T,he Field of the Cloth of Gold," on account
ORIGIN OK SIGNS.
49
of the splendour of the dresses, and tlie various
appointments. Mareschal
de Fleureuyes, who was
present, mentioned one circumstance, which is
not
related by any of the writers. " After the sports
the kings retired to
a tent, and drank together.
Henry, seemingly elated with the success of
his
party, who beat the French wrestlers, wished to
have a turn up with
the French king, and gave the
challenge, ' My brother, J must wrestle with
you,'
which Francis accepted; and being more expert
than Henry expected,
he threw the king of England
with great violence. Henry wished to have
another
chance ; but the courtiers interfered, and prevented
the royal
wrestlers from coming again to the
scratch."
THE RED LION INN. Hakpioj.-Couiii,
The resort of the frequenters of Moulsey Hurst,
and the house of call for
the " Fancy," where there
is always plenty of good store for the
victualling
office, either on sporting day or holiday; and the
liqueurs,
&c. may be obtained as free from aqua
pura here, notwithstanding its
contiguity to the
Thames, as at any of the metropolitan houses of call
for
strangers.
NELL GWYNNE, Jew's-Row, Chelsea.
The name of this house appears to have been
first adopted, when this
celebrated favourite of
Henry the Eighth, of wife-killing notoriety, was
in
the zenith of her influence, and most likely had
h
SO
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
only the portrait of her as a sign; but the public
being accustomed to
give her the familiar name <>i
Nell, instead of Eleanor, it also became
the common
name of the house.
THE BLACK SWAN.
A house, with this sign, situated in Brown's-
lane,
Spitalfields, became the place of meeting of a
society, chiefly composed of
the middling classes.
In the year 1717, a Mathematical Society was
esta-
blished by Joseph Middleton; and, in the year
177*2, another society
was isvtorpoTated with it;
and in 1782 they removed to this house. In
1783
an Historical Society, held in Carter's-rents, Spital-
fields, joined
these, bringing their library along with
them, when they printed their
regulations. Many
eminent mathematicians have been members of
this
society. Their library and apparatus, in the year
1795, was valued at
£501 16*. Qd.
THE BROWN' BEAR.
There are various houses in London having the
figure of a Bear, white,
black, aud brown; it is
difficult to conjecture how that has been
adopted.
It may be appropriate enough, if, in allusion to the
disposition
of some of the keepers of such houses,
whose manners are not of the most
gentle kind. A
house, well known by the frequenters of Bow-street,
called
the Brown Bear, is nearly opposite to the
Public-office, and is much resorted
to by those who
have business at the said office; and here many
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
51
matters are made up between plaintiff' and de-
fendant, who retire hither
to settle differences, over
a drop of that which probably gave rise to
them.
If a night's accommodation is required, a good bed
may be obtained
by paying for it; and there is no
danger of one's running out in his sleep,
unless
at the window, for due care is taken of that by a
careful waiter
securing the door upon you, which
also prevents your being intruded upon
during the
hours of rest: a matter of security to those who
chance at
times to leave their l,ed-room doors open
during the night, in a strange
place.
THE BLACK BELL.
In the time of Stow, the historian of London,
there was an inn of this
name nearly opposite to the
spot where the Monument now stands. It was
a
large house of stone, and was before the residence
of the famed Edward
the Black Prince, which pro-
bably induced the new proprietor to set up the
sign
of the Black Bell.
THE CROWN INN.
In 1246 there was an inn, or hosterie, with this
sign, at the east end of
the Crown-field, an open
space in Cheapside, so called after it. This
emblem
and ornament of royalty has been adopted by many
besides
innkeepers, and varied, in several modes of
arrangement, with other articles
relating to the bu-
siness ; viz. the Bible and Crown, (t. e. church
and
t2
52
TAVKRN ANECDOTES.
state,) at a metropolitan bookseller's in St. Paul's
Church-yard; the
same, with the addition of the
Constitution, at a loyal bookseller's in
Comhill; the
Crown and Anchor, Crown and Thistle, Rose and
Crown, &c.
in various parts of town and country.
THE SARACEN'S HEAD.
An inn, so named, has been on Snow-hill, near to
St. Sepulchre's church,
for a great length of time,
and most probably had its origin from this
circum-
stance : — The mother of St. Thomas k Becket,
whose father was a
Saracen, became the wife of the
meek saint, when on one of his journies into
the
Holy Land; and it was usual in those times to
adopt signs, in honour
of persons high either in the
church or the state.
GERARD'S HALL INN.
This ancient inn is situated in Basing-lane, (for-
merly called
Turnbase-lane.) It was built by the
father of Sir John Gisors, who, in 1245,
was Lord
Mayor, and Constable of the Tower, and should
therefore, more
properly, be named Gisors' Hall
Inn.
Stow says, " Sure I am I have not yet read of
any Basing, or Gerard the
Giant, having any thing
there to do." He describes it as a great
house,
built upon arched vaults of stone, brought from
Caen, in Normandy.
These vaults escaped the
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
5^
preat fire, and still exhibit the style of the old
English
architecture.
A large fir-pole, which was thirty-nine feet long,
and fifteen inches
thick, stood in the hall, which was
reported to have been used by Gerard as a
weapoa
of warfare, was evidently a maypole, which was
used in this parish
like all the others, and set up
before the principal house. There was a
ladder of
the same length in the hall, for the purpose of
getting to the
top of the pole, and of the hall, for
decorating them at Christmas with holly
and ivy.
THE ANGEL, Bisbops&ate-Steeet.
This was the sign at which the Parish Clerks,
who were incorporated in
1232, by Henry III. kept
their hall. They kept the account of
christenings,
casualties, &c. and published the bills of
mortality;
and, among other privileges of their charter, they
were
exempted from parish duties in that wherein
they officiated ; they attended
at funerals, and pro-
ceeded on foot before, singing, until they
reached
the church; and had also public feasts, with music
and song.
POPE'S HEAD TAVERN
Was originally a part of a vast structure of stone,
supposed to have been
the residence of King John.
Latterly it has been almost entirely rebuilt, and
the
court, or alley, named after the tavern; since which
it has become the
resort of stock-brokers, notaries,
54
TAVEHX (iNEfDOTE*..
and merchants. His holiness is now not much
honoured, by having his head
put up for a sign by
publicans, or others.
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
A sign, so named, is observable on the road (o
Greenwich. It is a
representation of the globe,
with a man walking on the lower part; i. e.
anti-
podes to our part of it. This is more whimsical
than witty, unless
it alludes to a person in a state of
inebriation, who sometimes is said to
suppose him-
self walking on the crown of his head.
We all know that the world is nearly round;
therefore there is no upper
nor under part, but in
idea, from our situation upon it.
The celebrated Anson, in his voyages round the
world, had accumulated much
wealth, but unfor-
tunately was addicted to gaming, and lost much
money
among the sharpers of London and Bath;
which induced one to make the
observation, " that
his lordship had been »ound the world, and over
the
world, but never had been in the world."
THE MAGPIE AND CKOWN.
A ridiculous association, but when once joined
not to be separated without
injury to the concern,
as it happened in the case of a Mr. Kenton, who
was
originally waiter at a house of this name in
\ldgate, famous for its ale,
which was sent out in
great quantities. The landlord becoming rich.
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
<>5
pride followed, and he thought of giving wing to
the Magpie, retaining
only the royal title of the
Crown. The ale went out for a short time, as
usual,
but it was not from the Magpie and Crown, and the
customers fancied
it was not so good as usual, con-
sequently the business fell off. The
landlord died,
and Kenton purchased the concern, caught the
Magpie, and
restored it to its ancient situation ;
the ale improved in the opinion of the
public, and
its consumption increased so much, that Kenton, at
his death,
left behind him property amounting to
£600,000, chiefly the profits of the
Magpie and
Crown ale.
THE MAGPIE AND STUMP.
This bird sometimes does rest on a stump, so
that
the association is not improper, although unmean-
ing. A house so
named, in Newgate-street, serves
good liquors, and as a booking-office for
errand-
carts.
THE MARQUIS OF GRANBY.
This British hero, whose head figures as a sign
to
many public houses, once went to Frank Hayman,
the painter for the
gardens at Vauxhall, to sit for his
portrait, to be placed in the rotunda.
The marquis
having some notion of boxing, proposed a bout with
the
painter, who had a fancy also for the science.
Hayman declined it, on account
of his gout and
age; but the marquis pleaded that exercise would
do him
good, and that having heard of his skill in
56
TAVERN ANkCDOTESj.
the art, he wished to have a fair trial with him-
The painter was
compelled, at last, to set to with
the marquis, before he sat to him ; and
after several
bouts, with equal chances, Hayman hit the marquis
so violent
a blow, that he was floored in an instant.
The painter, seeing the marquis's
plight, endeavoured
to raise him, but in the attempt he had the
misfor-
tune to fall upon the man of war, so that the noise
brought up
Mrs. Hayman, in a state of alarm, who
found the two heroes rolling together
on the carpet.
Might not some publican take the hint from this for
a new
sign, for a new or an old house?
THE LONDON 'PRENTICE.
A house so styled is situated in Old-street-road,
near to Slioreditch
church.
This may have allusion to the rising of the city
apprentices, or, perhaps,
more probably taken from
Hogarth's representation of the Industrious and
the
Idle Apprentices. Chaucer, in describing an idle
apprentice, says,
A 'prentice whilom dwelt in Our citee,
At every bndale would he sing and hoppe;
He loved bet the taverne than the shoppe,
For when ther any riding was in Chepe,*
Out of the shoppe thither would he lepe,
And 'till that he all the sight ysein,
And danced wel, he would not come agen.
* Chepe, the ancient name of Cheapside, which being, as it is now,
the
chief thoroughfare m London, was the spot where tilts and Tom
naments were
held, and other diversions going on, which attracted
the notice ol the
inhabitants and strangers from all parts.
ORIGIN OF SIGN'S.
57
THR NAG'S HEAD TAVERN.
A house so entitled, and of much note in
former
times, stood opposite to the cross in Cheapside. A
■view of this
ancient house w as preserved in a print
of the entry of Mary de Medici, "
Mere du Roy,"
when she paid a visit to her son-in-law and daugh-
ter, the
unfortunate Charles I. and his fair queen.
The cross erected by Edward I. to
the memory of
Queen Eleanor, stood opposite to the end of Wood-
street ;
but it was destroyed in 1643, by the orders
of the Parliament. Nearly
opposite the end of the
Old Change stood another, called the Old
Cross,
which was taken down in the reign of Richard II.
when a conduit was
erected in its place. At present
the Nag's Head, in the Borough, is a house
well
frequented by the men of Kent.
MOORGATE COFFEE-HOLSE.
This house is situated at the east end of
Fore-
street, opposite to which stood the postern or gate
so named, which
was built by Thomas Falconer,
mayor, in the year 1415, and kept in repair
by
various of his successors, until 1672, when it was
rebuilt with stone,
having a lofty arch and two
posterns, it being- the intention of the citizens
to
convert Moorfields into a hay-market. The gate
subsequently became the
residence of one of the
city officers, who again rented it out as a
coffee-
house ; but that gate sharing the fate of the other
gates, about
the middle of the last century, tire
coffee-house was of course removed, but
still re-
58
TAVERK ANECDOTES.
tains Hie name. Near to this spot tlie city wall
commenced, a part of
which remained until within
about ten years back, when old Bethlehem was
re-
moved (the back of which rested upon a portion of
the wall,) to make
way for the present improve-
ments.
THE PUNCH-BOWL.
Thin, and the Bottle, the Tun, and the Barrel,
are
appropriate enough emblems for public-houses,
although not so common as
others less appropriate.
A man having stolen a silver ladle from a
tavern,
was tried before Lord Mansfield. The counsel for
the prosecution
was very severe upon the prisoner,
who, he was informed, had been an
attorney. His
lordship, in a half whisper, interrupted the
counsel,
begging him not to misrepresent matters; '" for if,"
said his
lordship, " the fellow had been an attorney,
he would not have been content
with the ladle, but
would have taken the bowl also."
THE PAINTED TAVERN.
There was anciently a house so named in a
lane
adjoining the Three Cranes Wharf, which was of
note in the time of
Richard II. The three cranes
were the machines used in landing wines, and
this
wharf being in the " manor of the Vintre,'' was one of
those, in
olden times, allotted by royal order for
the landing of wines. In this
vicinity stood the
great house called the " Vintrie," underneath
which
were very extensive wine-vaults.
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
&§
Sir John Gisors, lord mayor, and constable of
the Tower, resided m this
house in 1314; and, in
the year 1356, Sir Henry Picard, vintner,
lord
mayor, and then occupier, did here, " in one day,
sumptuously feast
Edward, king of England; John,
king of France; the King of Cipres (then
arrived
in England); David, king of Scots; Edward, prince
of Wales; with
many noblemen, and others. And
after the sayd Henry Picard kept his hall
against
all comers whosoever, that were willing to play at
dice or hazard.
In like manner the Lady Margaret,
his wife, did keep her chamber to the same
intent."
JONATHAN'S COFFEE-HOUSE,
In Change-alley, Cornhill, was formerly the ren-
dezvous of dealers in the
funds, and the term A Key
is still a cant phrase for the Stock Exchange,
and
hence a petty speculator in the funds is styled " a
dabbler in the
alley." A stock-broker is one who
buys and sells stock for another: his
commission is
one-eighth per cent.—A stock-jobber is one who
buys and
sells on his own account, buys in when
low, and endeavours to sell out at a
profit.—A
gambler in the funds is one who speculates to buy
or sell at a
future time for a present price, who
may lose or gain according as the prices
then fall
Or rise. This being illegal, no action for recovery
of loss can
be maintained.—The buyers are styled
hears, as they endeavour to trample down
the
prices; the sellers are named bulh, for a like
reason, as they attempt
to toss them as high as
60
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
possible.—One who becomes bankrupt is termed a
lame duck, and lie is said
to waddle out of the alley.
Those who have thus waddled are not again
admitted
to the Stock Exchange.
THE HAT.
This sign seems to have been adopted by one of
the trade turned publican,
or as a house of call for
the hat-makers.
EPISODE OF A HAT.
" Pat Jennings m the upper gallery sat,
But leaning forward Jennings lost his hat,
Down from the gallery the beaver flew,
And spurned the one, to settle in the two.
How shall he act t Pay, at the gallery dooi,
Two shillings for what cost, when new, but four;
Or 'till half price, to save his shilling, wait,
And gain his hat again at half-past eight ?
Now while his fears anticipate a thief,
John Mullins whispers, " take my handkerchief."
" Thank you," cries Pat, " but one won't make a line;"
" Take mine," cried Wilson, and cried Stokes" take mine."
A motley cable soon Pat Jennings ties,
Where Spitalfields with real India vies ;
Like Iris' bow down darts the painted hue,
Starr'd, striped, and spotted—yellow, red, and blue,
Old calico, torn silk, and muslin new.
George Green below, with palpitating hand,
Loops the last 'kerchief to the beaver's band.
Up soars the prize: the youth, with joy unfeign'il,
Regain'd the felt, and felt what he regain'd;
While, to th' applauding galleries, grateful Pat
Made a low bow, and touch'd the ransom'd hat."
ORIGIN Oh SIGNS.
61
THE FEATHERS.
The Feathers, and Plume of Feathers, like the
Crown, are evidently of
royal descent, being the
emblem of the Prince of Wales, which is the
title
of the eldest son of the British sovereign. This
sign is very common
in Wales, and on the borders.
There is an excellent house, for the
accommodation
of gentlemen and travellers, in the city of Chester,
so
named. It is also very general throughout the
country.
The Prince of Wales has the same origin and
allusion.
THE HAT AND FEATHERS.
This may have originally been the sign of
th«
Hat, to which the addition of the Feathers has been
made, in
compliment to the Prince of Wales, in
order to distinguish the house from
that of the Old
Hat, which had been adopted by others in opposi-
tion to
the New Hat, as has been the case with
many other houses, when another took
the same
name, with the title of new, which consequently
gave the title of
old, or original, to the first of the
name; or it might have a military
origin, being the
upper ornament of a foot soldier.
THE HAT AND TUN.
A house so named is in the vicinity of Hatton-
garden,
was evidently intended to allude to the
family of the Hattons, whose mansion
formerly
62
T1VEBN ANECDOTF.S.
stood near the spot. The house lias been recently
rebuilt, and a spacious
room on the one pair appro-
priated for parties.
THE GROVE.
A house in the country may be so named with
propriety; but to give such a
title to a house in a
crowded capital, the chief room of which is
situated
under ground, is rather paradoxical.
The Grove in Spring-gardens may have, at a
distant period, been situated
in a garden, but at
present we have to enter a house surrounded by
others,
and to descend into a cellar, which is indeed
painted with shrubbery; but the
only fragrance that
can le inhaled is that of the weed, arising in
spiry
columns, from numerous tubes of clay, rendering
at times the well
painted walls, and the physiogs of
the nearest friends, invisible. However,
good ale
may be had there.
THE CHEQUERS.
There was formerly an inn so named in Chequer-
yard, which took its name
from the sign of the
house, which was a brewery at first, tut an inn
at
last. The checquers, or azure, form one of the
quaiterings of the
Howard family, collaterally de-
scended from the Warrens, earls of Surry,
who
had the grant of licensing public-houses; and it is
conjectured, that
as these were the armorial bear-
ings of that family, this mark of
distinction was
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
63
attached to such houses, in order to facilitate the
collection of the
duties and dues payable by the
innkeeper for his licence, &c.
THE AUCTION MART COFFEE-HOCSE.
This forms part of the Mart in Bartholomew-
lane, and is frequented by
those who come there,
either to buy or dispose of the various
property
submitted to sale. The Mart is a convenient build-
ing, and well
adapted for its avowed purpose.
THE HORNS TAVERN.
In London, and its vicinity, there are many
houses so named, appropriated
to the accommoda-
tion of the public, the most noted of which are,
the
Horns tavern, in the vicinity of St. Paul's, and
the Horns at
Kennington. Most of the public-
houses at Highgate have a large pair of horns
fixed
on the end of a long staff, by which it has been an
ancient custom
to swear persons that they will
never eat brown bread when they can get white
:
and never kiss the maid when they can kiss the
mistress. If it is a
female to whom the burlesque
oath is administered, the words " man and
master"
are substituted; but they are permitted to add to
each article, "
unless they like the other better,"
the hand of the party being on the horns
all the
time; after which they must kiss the horns, and pay
one shilling,
to be spent in the house.
64
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
The town of Hornchurch, near Romford, was
formerly called Horn monastery,
from a largo pair
of leaden horns, which tradition says a pious
king
caused to be placed there, and changed the name of
Hore church,
(spelling obsolete), which it had ob-
tained from being built by a frail
sister, as an atone-
ment for her backslidings, into that of Horn church.
SIMON, THE TANNER OF JOPPA.
In Long-lane, Southwark, there is a house so
named, probably having its
origin in the times
when Scripture names were adopted for men
and
things.
In Acts, c. x, v. 32, we read, that the Apostle
Peter dwelt for some time
at the house of Simon, a
tanner.
THE BOAR'S HEAD TAVERN.
There are several with that sign in London, but
the most noted was that
immortalized by our Shaks-
peare, which was situated in Eastcheap.
Here
Falstaff and his merry mates used to repair; and
although the memory
of the house is only preserved
here by the figure of a boar's head cut in
stone, in
front of one of the modern houses erected on its
scite, yet we
shall not cease to laugh at the humour
of the jovial knight, the hostess,
Bardolph, and
Pistol, as exhibited to us by the bard of Avon.
The famous
Hal, prince of Wales, was not the only
one of his family given to youthful
frolic and riot.
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
65
John and Thomas, his brothers, kicked up such a
row one morning, between
two and three, that the
mayor was compelled to interfere, which the
princes
considered insulting to persons of their quality, and
the
magistrates were had before Gascoigne, chief
justice; here they defended
their conduct, and
proved that they performed a duty incumbent upon
them,
by preventing any farther breach of the
peace, and they were most honourably
dismissed.
THE RAINBOW; or, NANDO'S COFFEE-HOUSE.
This house is situated in Fleet-street, near to the
Inner Temple gate, and
is of very ancient date,
being one of the first in England. In the year
1667
it was kept by one James a Barbe ; when it was pre-
sented by the
inquest of the ward of St. Dunstan's
in the West," for making and selling a
sort of liquor
called coffee, as a great nuisance and prejudice to
the
neighbourhood."
THE HUMMUMS, OLD AND NEW.
Two houses so named are situated in Covent-
garden, and are well known as
affording excellent
accommodation to gentlemen and families, and
where
there are commodious hot and cold baths.
Dr. Shaw, in his Travels, says, that " hummums
is a corruption of hammum,
the Arabic term for a
bath, or bagnio.
The first bagnio or bath, for sweating and hot
bathing, in England, it is
believed, was that in
F
66*
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
Bagnio-court, Newgate-street, which afterwards
became a hotel or lodging
house ; after which the
Hummums in Covent-garden were opened on the
same
plan.
THE QUEEN'S ARMS, Newgate-Street.
This is a house of respectable business, and has
been the resort of many
who have since figured at
the bar and in the senate, and have shone in
the
world of letters. There was formerly one of the
Schools of Oratory,
conducted upon the same plan
as the celebrated Robin Hood, near to
Temple-bar,
where many eminent public characters were wont
to meet, to
discuss and declaim.
The Queen's Arms, on the south side of St.
Paul's Church-yard, is a good
tavern for gentle-
men, and has spacious rooms for parties, &c.
The
statue of Queen Anne, in the church-yard opposite
this house, may have
given rise to the adoption of
this sign. It is sometimes remarked of this
statue,
that the queen has her back to the church, and her
face toward the
gin-shop, one of which is nearly
facing the statue.
THE APPLE TREE.
The probability is, that this name has been ob-
tained from one of these
trees growing near to the
house, and serving as a guide to it. A house
so
named, nearly facing the entrance to the House of
Correction,
Coldbath-fields, was kept, in 1741, by
ORfGIN OF SIGNS.
67
Topham, the strong man, who exhibited here, and
in the neighbourhood; he
lifted, with ease, three
hogsheads of water, weighing 18.36 lbs. ; he
pulled
against one horse, and would have succeeded
against two, or even
four, had he taken a proper
position; but in pulling against two he was
jerked
from his seat, and had one of his knees much hurt.
He rolled up a
large pewter dish with his fingers ;
he lifted a table six feet long nith his
teeth, with
half a hundred weight at the farther end of it, and
held it in
a horizontal position; at one blow he
struck a bar of iron, one inch in
diameter, against
his arm, and bent it like a bow. When at the
Virgin inn,
at Derby, where he was exhibiting, the
ostler having insulted him, he took a
spit from off
the kitchen shelf, and bent it round his neck; which
he
undid again, when the company had enjoyed
the laugh at the ostler with the
iron cra^ at. One
night, finding a watchman asleep in his box
in
Chiswell-street, he lifted both with ease, and
dropped box and man over
the wall of Tindal's
bnrying-ground, without disturbing the repose of
the
guardian of the night, who was sadly frightened
when he awoke. When he « as a
publican, two men
having quarrelled would fight, and on his
interfering
they shewed fight to him, when he seized each by
the nape of
the neck, and knocked their heads to-
gether, until they apologised and
called for quarter.
A blow from him would have been fatal to any of
the
heroes of the fist of the present day; he was
very irritable, but had
attained considerable self
command, and would lock himself in a room
until
he got calm. Being jealous of his n ife, he beat her
r 2
68
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
so severely, that remorse, and the dread of the con-
sequences, operated
so strongly upon him, that he
put an end to his own existence. It is said,
that on
being opened his ribs were found connected as one
solid bone.
There were several signs in London, some years
since, which alluded to
Topham's strength. The
last was one in East Sniithfield, where he was
re-
presented as " The strong Man pulling against two
Horses."
THE WHITE HART.
There are several of this name in London, &c.;
that in Holborn is a
house of considerable Standing
and business.
The White Hart, in Bishopsgate, is of very an-
cient date; in front of the
present building is the
date, 1480. This spot being the boundary of
the
hospital or priory of Old Bethlem, it is considered
that this building
must have been part of the same,
and probably the hostellary or inn for the
enter-
tainment of strangers, as was the custom in those
days.
PEEL'S COFFEE-HOUSE.
This is a house much frequented by strangers and
citizens, where the mind
as well as the body can be
well entertained. Regular files of all the town
and
country newspapers are kept for the amusement or
reference of
visitors, who are desirous of learning
ORIGIN OK SIGNS.
W
the news of their particular county or town, or of
knowing what property
is to he disposed of in or
out of London, &c. By referring to these
files, any
person who has sent an advertisement to a paper
may know if it
has appeared at the time ordered.
Here is also good accommodation as to heds,
and a
good bill of fare.
THE HALF MOON TAVERN, Aldehsgate-Street,
Now a private dwelling, nearly opposite to Lau-
derdale House, (now a
distillery), is a very ancient
structure, where the wits, or rather the
toad-eaters
of the time of Charles, used to resort: Duke Lau-
derdale
being one of the wits of the court, and one
of the cabal in the time of
Charles II.
THE BELLE SAUVAGE INN.
This is situated in a yard so named, on the north
side of Ludgate-hill,
and is a house of considerable
business, and whence several coaches take
their
departure to various parts of the country. The
painter of the first
sign not being aware of the
origin of the name, exhibited the figures of a
Bell
and a Wild Man, or Savage; but this is now dis-
used, it is presumed,
in consequence of the infor-
mation given respecting it in " The
Spectator;"
who gives the true derivation of it to be from an
ancient
French romance, in which is a description
of a beautiful woman being found in
a wilderness
in a savage state, there styled La Belle Sau.va.ge.
f&
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
This inn appears to have been bestowed on the
Cutler's Company, in trust
for charitable uses, by
Mrs. Craithorne, a painting of whom is in their
hall
in Cloak-lane.
THE ALBANY HOTEL
Is situated to, the east of Burlington House,
in
Piccadilly. It was first possessed by Lord Mel-
bourne, and afterwards
by the Duke of York and
Albany; who having quitted it, the present
pro-
prietors built on the gardens, and converted the
whole into chambers,
for the occasional residence
of such nobles and gentry as have no regular
town
residence.
THE FOX.
This sign is more common in the country than in
large towns;
and very naturally so, the country
being the scene of the chase.
THE FOX AND GRAPES.
This has doubtless a fabulous origin. Every
person
is familiar with the fable of the fox, when
he found he could not reach what
he longed for,
immediately pronounced them sour. Such a feeling
in mankind
exhibits any thing but philosophy.
THE GRAPES.
In Pannier-alley, which leads from Paternostev-
row into
Newgate-street, is the figure in stone of a
ORIGIN OF SIGMS.
boy, naked, and sit'" -.g upon a pannier, with a bunch
of grapes held
oetween his hand and foot, which is
supposed to have been originally a sign
to some
tavern. This marks the highest spot of ground in
London, as is
announced underneath by the follow-
ing couplet:—
When you have searched the city round,
Yet still this is the highest
ground.
OLD PARK'S HEAD.
The aged have been held in reverence by the
well bred of all nations and
ages, but they have
differed in the manner of shewing their respect.
Some
considering the latter years of an old man
miserable to himself, deem it an
act of kindness to
shorten his days; while others, who entertain a
diffe-
rent opinion of the present and future state, do all
in their power
to render the latter days of the man of
grey hairs agreeable. Had Parr been a
native of
some of the uncivilised tribes, he might not have
had the chance
of living so long; but being born in
a country where age is respected, he
fell ripe, and
full of years.
The rage for novelty, perhaps, more than a re-
gard for the venerable in
years, has induced the
adoption of his head for a sign, as it is not
altoge-
ther appropriate ; for it does not often happen, that
constant
frequenters of a bar, either of a public -
house or a court of justice, live
to a great age.
A house, situated in Aldersgate-street, has
adopted this sign, on the
window of which is an
*fy
TAVERN ANECDOTES.
ill painted figure of the ancient gentleman; under
which are the following
half borrowed and half
original lines:—
Your head cool,
Your feet warm ,
But a glass of good gin
Would do
you no harm.
BUTLER'S HEAP.
So named, after the celebrated author of " Hudi-
bras."
A house of good repute, so entitled, is
situated in a court leading from
Basinghall-street
to Coleman-street, in the city; where parties can
be
accommodated with a choice of chops, steaks, or
other eatables, and whatever
they may wish for
from the bar or the cellar.
CHALK FARM,
A well known tavern and tea-gardens, in the
fields near to Primrose-hill,
alias Cockney-mount,
between Hampstead and Highgate, much resorted
to by
those who cannot settle a dispute without the
use of powder and shot. It was
at this celebrated
arena that two little men, of great minds, met
some
time ago: the one, in defence of his character as a
reviewer; and the
other, of his, as a moral poet.
It was reported, that the seconds in this memo-
rable affair deeming that
the world could ill spare
either of the knights, had determined that
they
should do no harm to each other, and presented
them each with a
pistol, well charged and primed,
ORIGIN OF SIONS.
?3
but without ball. Before either could take aim,
some friendly but
ungallant officer from a public
office made his appearance, and bound them to
the
peace, much against their will. On drawing the
pistols, the officer
found one charged with the leaf
of a northern review ; and the other with a
leaf of
certain amatory epistles, in harmonious rhyme!
This house is said to have taken its name from
the farm being of a chalky
soil; or, query, do they
use double, or no chalk to their customers,
who
frequent this house either for amusement or mis-
chief?—This place was
first distinguished by the
assassination of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey.
BAPTIST HEAD COFFEE-HOUSE.
A respectable house of accommodation for gen-
tlemen and travellers,
bearing this sign, is situated
m Aldermanbury. It is of considerable
standing,
and the name was, doubtless, adopted in allusion
to St. John,
and most likely had its origin in the
days of the Commonwealth, when the
example of
the Protector was imitated by all ranks, by chris-
tianising
persous and things. So much for the effect
of the example of a court upon the
manners and
conduct of a people,
THE COCK AND PIE.
About the middle of last century a house, famed
for conviviality, so
named, stood on the scite of
Rathbone-place. This house was the resort of
the
■T*f
TtVERN ANECDOTES.
" Fancy" of those days. Busts of several of the
heroes of the
ring—Broughton, Slack, G. Taylor,
Stevenson, and a train of their coadjutors,
who
exhibited in the neighbouring booth, or at Brough-
ton's amphitheatre
in Tottenham-court-road, were
exhibited in the garden of this house; these
were
cast in Plaster of Paris, and fancifully coloured,
A row of venerable
elms connected this house with
another, then celebrated for the manufacture
of
Bath buns and Tunbridge-water cakes.
THE WHITE HORSE.
A house so named is situated in the neighbour-
hood of Warwick House (Lord
Holland's) at Ken-
sington. Here Addison frequently retired to
write.
Several of the " Spectators" were written in this
house. The old
house, which was of wood, has
been very lately pulled down, and a
commodious
house of brick built immediately behind it, which
was finished
before the old one, which projected
into the road, was pulled down, by which
the road
has been widened and improved. The old sign,
however, is not
lost, but is preserved as a memorial
of the times that are gone.
THE CHERRY TREE.
A house so named is situated in Bowling-green-
lane, Clerkenwell. It would
appear to have taken
its name from a number of trees bearing that
fruit
growing upon the grounds, which are still exten-
ORIGIN OF SIGNS.
T&
sive, although they have been larger. There are
still a tree or two of
that kind on the grounds,
which seems to sanction the idea.
There appears to have been a bowling-green
here, which gave name to the
lane so called.
There are still subscription grounds for the game
of nine-pins,
knock-'em-downs, &
