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
SHIP TAVERN, TEMPLE BAR.
This noted Tavern, the site of which is now denoted by Ship-yard, is mentioned
among the grants to Sir Christopher Hatton, 1571. There is, in the Beaufoy
Collection, a Ship token, dated 1649, which is evidence that the inner tavern of
that sign was then extant. It was also called the Drake, from the ship painted
as the sign being that in which Sir Francis Drake voyaged round the world.
Faithorne, the celebrated engraver, kept shop, next door to the Drake. " The
Ship Tavern, in the Butcher-row, near Temple Bar," occurs in an advertisement so
late as June, 1756.
The taverns about Temple Bar were formerly numerous ; and the folly of
disfiguring sign-boards was then, as at a later date, a street frolic. " Sir
John Denham, the poet, when a student at Lincoln's-Inn, in 1635, though
generally temperate as a drinker, having stayed late at a tavern with some
fellow students, induced them to join him in 'a frolic/ to obtain a pot of ink
and a plasterer's brush, and blot out all the signs between Temple Bar and
Charing Cross. Aubrey relates that R. Estcourt, Esq., carried the ink pot : and
that next day it caused great confusion ; but it happened Sir John and his
comrades were discovered, and it cost them some moneys."
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