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
NANDO'S COFFEE-HOUSE, 17 Fleet street.
Was the house at the east corner of Inner Temple-lane, No. 17, Fleet-street, and
next-door to the shop of Bernard Lintot, the bookseller ; though it has been by
some confused with Groom's house, No. 16. Nando' s was the favourite haunt of
Lord Thurlow, before he dashed into law practice. At this Coffee-house a large
attendance of professional loungers was attracted by the fame of the punch and
the charms of the landlady, which, with the small wits, were duly admired by and
at the bar. One evening, the famous cause of Douglas v. the Duke of Hamilton was
the topic of discussion, when Thurlow being present, it was suggested, half in
earnest, to appoint him junior counsel, which was done.
This employment brought him acquainted with the Duchess of Queensberry, who saw
at once the value of a man like Thurlow, and recommended Lord Bute to secure him
by a silk gown.
The house, formerly Nando' s, has been for many years a hair-dresser's. It is
inscribed " Formerly the palace of Henry VIII. and Cardinal Wolsey." which is
erroneous, as the building was built in 1609. The structure is therefore 'not'
of the time of James I., and has an enriched ceiling inscribed P (triple plumed)
.
This was the office in which the Council for the Management of the Duchy of
Cornwall Estates held their sittings; for in the Calendar of State Papers,
edited by Mrs. Green, is the following entry, of the time of Charles, created
Prince of Wales four years after the death of Henry : — " 1619, Feb. 25 ;
Prince's Council Chamber ', Fleet-street. — Council of the Prince of Wales to
the Keepers of Brancepeth, Raby, and Barnard Castles: The trees blown down are
only to be used for mending the pales, and no wood to be cut for firewood, nor
browse for the deer."
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