St Clement Danes pub history index
The earlier address is at Devereux court, Strand and is certainly a different venue than the Grecian dining rooms after 1843.
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address
1799/Edmund Adams, Grecian Coffee house, Devereux court, Temple/../Holdens Directory
1805/William How, Grecian Coffee house, Devereux court, Strand/../Holdens Directory
1809/William How, Grecian Coffee house, Devereux court, Temple bar/../../Holdens Directory
1811/William How, Grecian Coffee house, Devereux court, Temple Bar/../Holdens Directory
In 1819, the poll book lists William How as a wine merchant at Grecian Coffee House Strand
1827/William How, Grecian Coffee House and Hotel, 19 Devereux court, Essex street, Strand/../Pigots Directory
1832/Charles Barham, Grecian Coffee House and Hotel, Devereux court, Strand/../Robsons Directory
1833-34/Charles Barham, Grecian Coffee House and Hotel, 19 Devereux court, Strand/../Pigots Directory
1836/Charles Jones, Grecian Coffee House and Hotel, 21 Devereux court, Strand/../Pigots Directory
1841/Charles Jones/Hotel Keeper/64/Middlesex/Census
1841/Mary Jones/../44/Middlesex/Census
1841/Henry Jones/../38/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Jones/../24/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Jones/../22/Middlesex/Census
1841/Robert Johnson/Clerk/19/../Census
1841/Joseph Hoile/Male Servant/25/../Census
1841/William Howlanbd/Male Servant/18/Middlesex/Census
1841/Alexander Michanell/Male Servant/24/France/Census
1841/James Parry/Inependent/65/Middlesex/Census
1841/Henry Evans/Solicitor/Over 20/France/Census
1841/Alexander Nardlestky/Inependent/24/France/Census
1841/Pedro Henricke/Inependent/30/France/Census
1841/William Frost/Inependent/21/../Census
1841/Frederick Deane/Male Servant/23/Middlesex/Census
1841/Margaret Roach/Female Servant/18/../Census
1841/Jane Griffiths/Female Servant/40/France/Census
1841/Elizabeth Burton/Female Servant/27/../Census
1841/Charles Graham/Inependent/13/Middlesex/Census
1842/C Jones, Grecian Coffee House and Hotel, Devereux court, Strand/../Robsons Directory
1843/Charles Jones, Grecian Coffee House, Devereux court, 216 Strand/../Kellys Directory
The Grecian Coffee House, in Devereux court, is suggested to have been here
since 1712
and closed in 1843; and maybe the entries from 1849 as the Grecian
Dining rooms are a slightly different
address, and clearly named in the 1874 directory; whilst Devereux court is
at about 213 Strand by the George.
Devereux-court, Strand, (closed in 1843,) was named from Constantine, of Threadneedle-street, the Grecian who kept it. In the Tatler announcement, all accounts of learning are to be " under the title of the Grecian ;" and, in the Tatler, No. 6 : " While other parts of the town are amused with the present actions, [Marlborough's,] we generally spend the evening at this table [at the Grecian], in inquiries into antiquity, and think anything new, which gives us new knowledge. Thus, we are making a very pleasant entertainment to ourselves in putting the actions of Homer's Iliad into an exact journal."
The Spectator's face was very well-known at the Grecian, a Coffee-house " adjacent to the law." Occasionally, it was the scene of learned discussion. Thus Dr. King relates that one evening, two gentlemen, who were constant companions, were disputing here, concerning the accent of a Greek word. This dispute was carried to such a length, that the two friends thought proper to determine it with their swords : for this purpose they stepped into Devereux-court, where one of them (Dr. King thinks his name was Fitzgerald) was run through the body, and died on the spot.
The Grecian was Foote's morning lounge. It was handy, too, for the young Templar, Goldsmith, and often did it echo with Oliver's boisterous mirth; for "it had become the favourite resort of the Irish and Lancashire Templars, whom he delighted in collecting around him, in entertaining with a cordial and unostentatious hospitality, and in occasionally amusing with his flute, or with whist, neither of which he played very well " Here Goldsmith occasionally wound up his " Shoemaker's Holiday " with supper.
It was at the Grecian that Fleetwood Shephard told this memorable story to Dr. Tancred Robinson, who gave Richardson permission to repeat it. " The Earl of Dorset was in Little Britain, beating about for books to his taste : there was Paradise Lost, He was surprised with some passages he struck upon, dipping here and there and bought it j the bookseller begged him to speak in its favour, if he liked it, for they lay on his hands as waste paper. Jesus ! — Shephard was present. My Lord took it home, read it, and sent it to Dry den, who in a short time returned it. ' This man/ says Dryden, l cuts us all out, and the ancients too V "
The Grecian was also frequented by Fellows of the Royal Society. Thoresby, in his Diary, tells us, 22 May, 1712, that "having bought each a pair of black silk stockings in Westminster Hall, they returned by water, and then walked, to meet his friend, Dr. Sloane, the Secretary of the Royal Society, at the Grecian Coffee-house, by the Temple." And, on June 12th, same year, " Thoresby attended the Royal Society, where were present, the President, Sir Isaac Newton, both the Secretaries, the two Professors from Oxford, Dr. Halley and Kell, with others, whose company we after enjoyed at the Grecian Coffee-house."
In Devereux-court, also, was Tom's Coffee-house, much resorted to by men of letters ; among whom were Dr. Birch, who wrote the History of the Royal Society ; also Akenside, the poet ; and there is in print a letter of Pope's, addressed to Fortescue, his " counsel learned in the law " at this coffee-house.
1849/Henry Upton, Dining Rooms, 228 Strand/../../Post Office Directory
1852/William Upton, Dining Rooms, 228 Strand/../../Post Office Directory
1853/Samuel Hyde, Dining Rooms, 228 Strand/../../Post Office Directory
1856/Samuel Brown, Dining Rooms, 228 Strand/../../Post Office Directory
1869/Samuel Brown/Dining Rooms/../../Post Office Directory
1871/Samuel Brown/Licensed Victualler/52/North Kilworth,
Leicestershire/Census
1871/Mary Brown/Wife/51/Leicester/Census
1871/Charles Bellamy Brown/Son/17/St Clements Danes, Middlesex/Census
1871/Mary Bellamy Brown/Daughter/15/St Clements Danes, Middlesex/Census
1871/Sarah Laura Brown/Daughter/9/St Clements Danes, Middlesex/Census
1871/Jane Henrietta Jones/Waitress/25/St Brides/Census
1871/Alice Westwood/General Servant/19/Shoreditch/Census
1871/Robert James Wilson/Porter/17/St Clements Danes, Middlesex/Census
1871/Mary Ann Jones/Kitchen Maid/18/St Brides/Census
1874/J C Loveridge, Grecian Dining Rooms, 228 Strand, WC/../../Licensed Victualler
& Hotelier Directory
1881/James G Loveridge/Publican/35/Snow Hill/Census
1881/Eliza Loveridge/Wife/36/Lambeth/Census
1881/Joseph Blistead/Serv (Inn Serv)/18/Chitton/Census
1881/Richard Neighbour/Serv (Inn Serv)/19/Downing/Census
1882/James Loveridge/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/Baker & Co., Temple Bar. restaurant, 227 & 228 Strand W C/../../Post Office Directory
1901/W White/Manager of Public House and Temple Restaurant/38/../Census
1901/M White/Wife/35/../Census
1901/E White/Daughter/15/../Census
1901/T Boswall/Cashier/21/Regents park, London/Census
1901/B R Miller/Bar Attendant/26/Germany/Census