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THE SHAKSPEARE TAVERN.
Of this noted theatrical tavern, in the Piazza, Covent Garden, several details
were received by Mr. John Green, in 1815, from Twigg, who was apprentice at the
Shakspeare. They had generally fifty turtles at a time ; and upon an average
from ten to fifteen were dressed every week; and it was not unusual to send
forty quarts of turtle soup a-week into the country, as far as Yorkshire.
The sign of Shakspeare, painted by Wale, cost nearly 200l. : it projected at the
corner, over the street, with very rich iron- work. Dick Milton was once
landlord ; he was a great gamester, and once won 40,000l. He would frequently
start with his coach- and- six, which he would keep about six months, and then
sell it. He was so much reduced, and his credit so bad, at times, as to send out
for a dozen of wine for his customers ; it was sold at 16s. a bottle. This is
chronicled as the first tavern in London that had rooms ; and from this house
the other taverns were supplied with waiters. Here were held three clubs — the
Madras, Bengal, and Bombay.
Twigg was cook at the Shakspeare. The largest dinner ever dressed here consisted
of 108 made-dishes, besides hams, etc., and vegetables ; this was the dinner to
Admiral Keppel, when he was made First Lord of the Admiralty. Twigg told of
another dinner to Sir Richard Simmons, of Earl's Court, Mr. Small, and three
other gentlemen ; it consisted of the following dishes : — A turbot, of 401b., a
Thames salmon, a haunch of venison, French beans and cucumbers, a green goose,
an apricot tart, and green peas. The dinner was dressed by Twigg, and it came to
about seven guineas a head.
The Shakspeare is stated to have been the first tavern in Covent Garden. Twigg
relates of Tomkins, the landlord, that his father had been a man of opulence in
the City, but failed for vast sums. Tomkins kept his coach and his country
house, but was no gambler, as has been reported. He died worth 40,000l. His
daughter married Mr. Longman, the music-seller. Tomkins had never less than a
hundred pipes of wine in his cellar ; he kept seven waiters, one cellar-man, and
a boy. Each waiter was smartly dressed in his ruffles, and thought it a bad week
if he did not make 71. Stacie, who partly served his apprenticeship to Tomkins,
told Twigg, that he had betted nearly 3000l. upon one of his racehorses of the
name of Goldfinder. Stacie won, and afterwards sold the horse for a large sum.
There was likewise a Shakspeare Tavern in Little Russell-street, opposite
Drury-lane Theatre; the sign was altered in 1828, to the Albion.
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
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