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
TOM'S COFFEE-HOUSE, 17 Great Russell street, Covent garden.
There are a few Toms coffee houses, and the above is clearly at number 17 Great Russell street, Covent garden, whilst that in Cornhill is addressed at 31 Cornhill
Toms coffee house, Birchin lane
In Birchin-lane, Cornhill, though in the main a mercantile resort, acquired
some celebrity from its having been frequented by Garrick, who, to keep up
an interest in the City, appeared here about twice in a winter at ''Change
time, when it was the rendezvous of young merchants. Hawkins says : " After
all that has been said of Mr. Garrick, envy must own that he owed his
celebrity to his merit ; and yet, of that himself seemed so diffident, that
he practised sundry little but innocent arts, to insure the favour of the
public :" yet, he did more. When a rising actor complained to Mrs. Garrick
that the newspapers abused him, the widow replied, " You should write your
own criticisms ; David always did."
One evening, Murphy was at Tom's, when Colley Cibber was playing at whist,
with an old general for his partner. As the cards were dealt to him, he took
up every one in turn, and expressed his disappointment at each indifferent
one. In the progress of the game he did not follow suit, and his partner
said, " What ! have you not a spade, Mr. Cibber ?" The latter, looking at
his cards, answered, " Oh yes, a thousand ;" which drew a very peevish
comment from the general. On which, Cibber, who was shockingly addicted to
swearing, replied, " Don't be angry, for I can play ten times worse if I
like."
The 1829 Robsons directory places
S P Adderley, at the Toms Coffee house & tavern, 31 Cornhill
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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