St Dunstan in West pub history Index
DICK'S COFFEE HOUSE, No. 8, Fleet Street, took its name from its original waiter called “ Richard.” It was established before 1681, for on December 7th that year a quarrel here commenced between Rowland St. John and John Stiles, of Lincoln's Inn, as to the measurement of two dishes which they had seen at the “St. John's Head,” in Chancery Lane, which terminated by St. John running his companion through the body at another tavern—the “ Three Cranes." “ Dick's” has been “ time honoured” by the “ Tatler," and in 1737 by the Rev. James Miller in his comedy of " The Coffee House," and by the poet Cowper. Here are held the dinners of the St. Dunstan's Club, founded in 1796.
An opposition tavern to the Devil was called the “Young Devil” (at No. 8, Fleet Street) under the present shop of Messrs. Dunn and Duncan, " and the entrance thereto was from a flight of steps leading down below ground from the adjoining narrow passage of entrance to Dick's Coffee House."* On December 5th, 1707, Wanley and a few other literary characters (afterwards the Society of Antiquaries) having “agreed to meet together each Friday in the evening by six of the clock upon pain of forfeiture of sixpence," at the “* Bear Tavern,” in the Strand; they on January 9th removed to the “ Young Devil; Peter le Neve Norrey being chairman, and Humphrey Wanley, secretary. Mr. Gosling, the bookseller, (see bankers) a member, subsequently received the Society's letters; and the meetings from 1728 till 1753, were held at the “ Mitre." + About two years after the society met at the “ Young Devil,” the host failed and they removed to the “ Fountain Tavern," "as we went down into the Inner Temple, against Chancery Lane," a tavern mentioned in 1636, and whose proprietor in 1648, Widow Hicks, was presented for keeping a disorderly house,
Lots of very early detail at my London taverns site
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in St Dunstan in West, City of London.
Residents at this address
1827/William Lawrence, Dicks or Richards Coffee house and Tavern, 8 Fleet street/../../Pigots Directory
1832/John Colnett, Dicks Coffee house, Fleet street/../../Robson’s
Directory
1836/Samuel Bacon, Union Tavern & Hotel (late Dicks), 8 Fleet street/../../Pigots Directory
1841/L Jones Parry/Army/59/Middlesex/Census
1841/P A Bacon/Wine Merchant/14/Middlesex/Census
1841/James Pattison/Innholder/40/Middlesex/Census
1841/E Pattison/../35/Middlesex/Census
1841/Sarah Pattison/../15/Middlesex/Census
1841/Frances Pattison/../14/Middlesex/Census
1841/Clara Pattison/../10/Middlesex/Census
1841/Emma Pattison/../2/Middlesex/Census
1841/Henry Peaton/Waiter/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Thomas Quelch/Waiter/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Edward Savage/Waiter/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/John Penny/Male Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Thomas Hitchup/Male Servant/15/Middlesex/Census
1841/Elizabeth Badcock/Female Servant/25/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Jones/Female Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Elizabeth Packer/Female Servant/15/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Curtis/Female Servant/30/Middlesex/Census
1842/J J Paterson, Dicks Coffee house, 8 Fleet street/../../Robson’s Directory **
1851/James Quelch/../../../Kellys Directory
1856/James Quelch/../../../Post Office Directory
1860/James Quelch/../../../The Draper & Clothier, Travellers’ Hand-Book **
1861/James Quelch/Hotel Keeper/55/Oxford/Census
1861/Fanny Quelch/Wife/48/Sheerness, Kent/Census
1861/Fanny Sole/Niece, Assistant/20/Sheerness, Kent/Census
1861/M Ann Hann/Servant/24/St Andrews, Middlesex/Census
1861/Jane Broonaham/Barmaid/22/Ireland/Census
1861/Catharine Costican/Kitchenmaid/23/Ireland/Census
1861/Johannah Donnican/Scullerymaid/23/Ireland/Census
1861/Joseph Gaites/Waiter/28/Cambridge/Census
1861/William Holliday/Waiter/20/Wimbledon, Surrey/Census
1861/James Shortmill/Porter/28/../Census
1861/Henry Beargent/Porter/18/Westminster, Middlesex/Census
1861/William Golding Lloyd/Visitor/24/Islington, Middlesex/Census
1869/John Argent/../../../Post Office Directory
October 1869/James Quelch/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
October 1869/Samuel Allen/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1870/Samuel Allen/../../../P.O. Directory **
1871/Samuel Allen/Hotel Keeper/50/Dublin, Ireland/Census
1871/Mary Ann C Allen/Wife/31/Paddington, Middlesex/Census
1871/Charlotte Allen/Daughter/12/Liberty of the Rolls, London/Census
1871/Elizabeth Allen/Daughter/10/Strand, London/Census
1871/Victoria C Allen/Daughter/7/Liberty of the Rolls, London/Census
1871/Samuel Allen/Son/3/Liberty of the Rolls, London/Census
1871/Emily Allen/Daughter/1/St Dunstan, City of London/Census
1871/Francis Wills/Boarder, Retired Farmer/53/Lustleigh, Devon/Census
1871/Cornelius C Herald/Boarder, Commercial Traveller/30/Manchester/Census
1871/R J Mostyn/Boarder, Magistrate Co Flintshire/77/Flintshire,
Wales/Census
1871/Alan F O'Neill/Boarder, Provision Corn Merchant/23/Liverpool/Census
1878/Chas. Bryer Baker/../../../P.O. Directory **
1881/William Mackay/Wine Dealer/35/Baddans Al'ness N B/Census
1881/Belle Mackay/Wife/29/Holmsdale N B, Sunderland, Durham/Census
1881/Jottie Fitzjohn/Barmaid/28/March, Cambridge/Census
1881/Kate Whitwright/Domestic servant/18/N...arding, Kent/Census
1886/Albert Formaggia, Dicks tavern, 8 Fleet street/../../Post Office
Directory
** Provided By Stephen Harris