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
CROWN TAVERN, Threadneedle street.
Upon the site of the present chief entrance to the Bank of England, in
Threadneedle-street, stood the Crown Tavern, " behind the 'Change :" it was
frequented by the Fellows of the Royal Society, when they met at Gresham College
hard by. The Crown was burnt in the Great Fire, but was rebuilt; and about a
century since, at this tavern, " it was not unusual to draw a butt of mountain
wine, containing 120 gallons, in gills, in a morning." — Sir John Hawkins.
Behind the Change, we read in the Connoisseur, 1754, a man worth a plum used to
order a twopenny mess of broth with a boiled chop in it; placing the chop
between the two crusts of a half-penny roll, he would wrap it up in his check
handkerchief, and carry it away for the morrow's dinner.
The Old Crown Tavern.
Upon the site of the present principal entrance to the Bank of England, in
Threadneedle Street, where the smart beadle walks up and down, and the
guileless-looking detectives keep sharp watch on all who go in and out of the
"old lady's" premises, there stood many years ago the Crown Tavern, which was
reduced, like its neighbours, to ashes at the Great Fire of 1666, but was
rebuilt, and existed until the bank directors set the example of swallowing up
taverns and coffee houses, and incorporated the Crown in the present Bank of
England.
The Crown must have done a capital trade a century and a half ago, for Sir John
Hawkins states that " it was not unusual to draw a butt of Mountain Wine,
containing 120 gallons, in gills, in a morning." "The Crown behind the Change"
was greatly frequented at that time by the Fellows of the Royal Society on the
occasions of their meetings at Gresham College close by.
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