A historical site about early London coffee houses and taverns and will also link to my current pub history site and also the London street directory
CHILD'S COFFEE-HOUSE, St Pauls church yard.
In St. Paul's Churchyard, was one of the Spectator's houses. " Sometimes," he
says, " I smoke a pipe at Child's, and whilst I seem attentive to nothing but
the Postman, overhear the conversation of every table in the room." It was much
frequented by the clergy ; for the Spectator, No. 609, notices the mistake of a
country gentleman in taking all persons in scarfs for Doctors of Divinity, since
only a scarf of the first magnitude entitles him to " the appellation of Doctor
from his land-lady and the Boy at Child's."
Child's was the resort of Dr. Mead, and other professional men of eminence. The
Fellows of the Royal Society came here. Whiston relates that Sir Hans Sloane,
Dr. Halley, and he were once at Child's, when Dr. H., asked him, W., why he was
not a member of the Royal Society? Whiston answered, because they durst not
choose a heretic. Upon which Dr. H. said, if Sir Hans Sloane would propose him,
W., he, Dr. H., would second it, which was done accordingly.
The propinquity of Child's to the Cathedral and Doctors' Commons, made it the
resort of the clergy, and ecclesiastical loungers. In one respect, Child's was
superseded by the Chapter, in Paternoster Row.
References :
Lots of references are made to two sources on the
internet archive
:
Edward Callows, Old London Taverns &
John Timbs, Club life of London Volume 2