Goose & Gridiron, 8 London House yard, St Gregory by St Pauls EC4
St Gregory by St St Pauls pub history index
Prior to the Great Fire of 1666, this pub was called the Mitre, on re-building it was renamed the Lyre. By 1717 it was called the Goose & Gridiron. It was rebuilt in 1786 and demolished in 1895. An 1895 watercolour of the pub by John Phillipps Emslie is kept in the print collection of the Guildhall Library. **
[Early Trade token detail] At THE 3 Tunn Tavern Three tuns;
Vintners' arms. Reverse : In St. Pauls Churchyard; In the field, E. C.
On the north side, at the west end of St. Paul's churchyard, is a house of
stagecoach notoriety, bearing the ludicrous sign of the Goose and Gridiron,
which has puzzled many a wiseacre for a definition. Situated in London-house
yard, so named as being contiguous to the former residence of the bishop of
London, the house, before the great fire, was known by the sign of the Mitre;
and in 1664, Robert Hubert, alias Forges, " gent., and sworn servant to His
Majesty," exhibited here a museum of natural rarities, as the catalogue
describes them, " collected by him at great cost, and during thirty years travel
in foreign countries; daily to be seen at the place called the musick-house at
the Miter, near the west end of St. Paul's church." Concerts of music and
musical parties were also among the diversions the house afforded, till the fire
in September, 1666, destroyed all. On the rebuilding of the house the new tenant
appears to have by-shop'd the mitre; and, in contempt of the dissolute harmonies
that had hitherto been the attraction, he perverted the Swan and Lyre, the crest
and charge on the arms of the company of Musicians, into the silly Goose and
Gridiron, forgetting possibly the goose had once the honour of being the
capitolian guard of ancient Rome,
The imprint on the title of " a Discourse of the national excellencies of
England, by R. H.," affords some allusion to these buildings erected on the
cathedral lands; "printed for Henry Fletcher, at the Three Gilt Cups, in the new
buildings, near the west end of St. Paul's, 1658," duod.
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in St Gregory by St Pauls parish, City of London.
The first picture is circa 1890 and shows the pub from St Paul's Churchyard. The second is the pub sign, just visible in the centre window of the first floor, which is at the Museum of London. The pubs name was probably The Swan & Lyre which became The Goose and Gridiron. A masonic lodge met there for many years and on the 24th of June; 1717 the first Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of England was held at the pub.
Goose & Gridiron, 8 London House Yard, St Gregory by St Pauls, City of London - circa 1890
Kindly provided by Vincent O'Loughlin
Goose & Gridiron Pub sign, 8 London House Yard, St Gregory by St Pauls - in the museum of London
Kindly provided by Vincent O'Loughlin
Residents at this address.
1725-29/Goose and Gridiron, St. Pauls Church Yard/../../List Of Lodges 1725-1729. (From the Minute Book of Grand Lodge).
1742/Roger Ellis / Publican /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey **
1766/Mr Walker / Public House Keeper /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey **
1766/Edward Brophy / Head Waiter /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey **
1767/James Walker/../../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey **
30 June 1803 / Insured: Joseph Howes, the Goose and Gridiron, London House
Yard St Pauls Church Yard, victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records, held at
Guildhall Library **
8 May 1807 / Insured: George Ody, the Goose and Grid Iron, St Pauls Church
Yard, gent /../../Sun Fire Office records, held at the LMA
1808/William Smith / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records, held at
Guildhall Library **
1817/Francis Ellen / Public House Keeper /../../Proceedings of the Old
Bailey **
April 1827/Mrs Charott/../../../Licensed Victuallers Association
1839/John Reeve/../../../Pigots Directory
1841/John Mathews/../../../P.O. Directory **
1841/John Mathews/Victualler/40/Middlesex/Census
1841/Elizabeth Mathews/../35/Middlesex/Census
1841/Elizabeth Mathews/../6 months/Middlesex/Census
1841/William Blake/Male Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Fullick/Female Servant/35/../Census
1841/Elizabeth Gibson/Independent/25/Middlesex/Census
1841/George Young/Coachman/35/../Census
1841/John Morton/Draper/20/../Census
1841/Jane Kelly/Female Servant/30/Ireland/Census
1841/Jane Wareham/Female Servant/30/../Census
1841/Joseph Gibson/Victualler/25/Middlesex/Census
July 1849/John Matthews/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
July 1849/William Making/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1851/William Making/../../../Kellys Directory
1851/William Making/Licensed Victualler/32/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1851/Sophia Making/Wife/32/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1851/Sarah Snell/Visitor, Dressmaker/35/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1851/Emma Snell/Visitor, Nurse/25/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1851/Harriet Making/Daughter/1/City, London/Census
1851/May Lake/Visitor, Draper/27/Branston, Northampton/Census
1851/Eliza Mincham/Barmaid/22/Turnham Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Lucy Bennett/Cook/30/Tottenham, Middlesex/Census
1851/James Neppiss/Potman/17/City, London/Census
1851/Thomas/Waiter/33/Lambeth, Surrey/Census
1851/Frederick Peck/Visitor, Draper/20/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1851/Emma Peck/Visitor, Draper/27/Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk/Census
1856/William Making/../../../Post Office Directory
1869/William Making/../../../Post Office Directory
1871/William Making/Publican/50/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1871/Sophia Making/Wife/50/Lavenham, Suffolk/Census
1871/William H Making/Son, Accountants Clerk/16/Castle Baynard,
London/Census
1871/Clara E Making/Daughter/19/Castle Baynard, London/Census
1871/Edith A Making/Daughter/8/Castle Baynard, London/Census
1871/James Davis/Boarder, Commercial Traveller, Widow/46/Pontypool,Wales/Census
1871/John Hayes/Boarder, Silversmith/22/Birmingham/Census
1871/Joseph Tarrey/Boarder, Omnibus Driver/55/Hounslow/Census
1871/Edwin Front/Waiter/30/Barton, Bedfordshire/Census
1871/Jane Rubidy/Barmaid/19/Oak Brook, Shepherds Burt/Census
1871/Sophia Albert/Cook/25/Stepney/Census
1874/W Making/../../../H D Miles’ London & Suburban Licensed Victuallers’
Directory **
1881/William Making/Licensed Victualler, Widow/63/Lewisham, Suffolk/Census
1881/William H Making/Son, Licensed Victualler/26/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Isabella Making/Sons Wife, Licensed Victualler/26/Bucks Wendover/Census
1881/Edith A Making/Daughter, Lady/18/City London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Maude J Making/Sons Daughter/1/City London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Ellen Betwick/Servant, Widow/42/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Kate Field/Barmaid/17/Harrow/Census
1881/E R Thomas/Commercial Traveler/28/Remscheid (B S), Germany/Census
1882/Wm Making/../../../Post Office Directory
1884/Wm Making/../../../Post Office Directory
1889/William Makin / Public House Keeper /../../Proceedings of the Old
Bailey **
1889/Annie Keith / Barmaid /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey
1891/William Henry Making/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/William Henry Making/Licensed Victualler/30/City, London/Census
1891/Eliza Mary Mead/Manageress/29/61 New Church Street, Bermondsey/Census
1891/Anne Maria Keiber/Barmaid/24/Military Road, Colchester/Census
1891/Florence Alice Parsons/Servant/18/Alma Terrace, Buxton/Census
1891/Ellen Catherine Coleman/Servant/14/Brushfield Street, Bishopsgate/Census
1891/George Back/Servant/22/Chase Square, Stratford/Census
1891/E C Watts/Boarder, Clerk/19/41 Park Road, Tottenham/Census
1891/F Dibble/Boarder, Clerk/22/Wandsworth/Census
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Vincent O'Loughlin