Simpsons Tavern & Hotel, Ball court, St Michael Cornhill EC3
St Michael Cornhill index
The later address is at 38 1/2 Cornhill. At times listed as a restaurant.
Simpsons Tavern, St Michael Cornhill EC3 - in June 2021
Billingsgate was so named after an ancient I>ritish king,
Belinus, who here had his waterside palace — his " villa on the Thames." Two
British poets, " at two distant ages born," wrote the two following couplets, —
"Where great Belinus held his court of old,
Oisters are now obstreperously sold ;
Where bows were made to Ministers of State,
The populace now purchase Ling and Skate.'
" A beau t'other day made a monkey-like spring.
And at once over set all the fish of Sal Ling ;
Enraged Sal pursued ; and caught hnn so snug ;
And gave for his frolic a rib-squeezing hug.''
This is the Billingsgate as is, and not the Billingsgate as was, to paraphrase
an old pun in Flinch on two Sultans of Turkey.
I knew the old Billingsgate, as was, very well. It was twice as dirty, and ten
times more fragrant than, the new one. At the west end of old Billingsgate was
Ball Alley, only just wide enough for two people to walk abreast, and then they
were in danger of having their coat tails bedaubed with wet fish.
It is very probable that to this danger to one's garments is to be attributed
the fact that no ladies ever ventured down Ball Alley, and so never discovered
Simpson's Fish Dinner House, which was down at the bottom of this lane, alley,
or passage, overlooking the river and the various boats alongside, delivering
their several cargoes of oysters, eels, winkles, whelks, and other like
delicacies.
" Simpson's " had a world-wide repute that has survived the demolition of his
habitation. I have dined there repeatedly. It was at the best a scramble ; and I
do not enjoy a scramble at dinner. It was also a match against time. Fish, of
various sorts, the best in season, cooked unexceptionally, was placed upon the
tables.
Every seat around was occupied, and the chairs were packed pretty close. A
hurried grace was said — I had almost written gabbled — and the scramble began.
It was simply "Devil take the hindmost." The old and regular customers were all
right, were served promptly, and came in for most of the tit-bits. Many of these
gentlemen were located in the neighbourhood. The Custom House, close by, the
Coal Exchange, and other business places supplied this clientele. Strangers had
to look sharp, and, seizing a waiter by the tail of his once new swallow-tail
coat, either implore or threaten him with dire consequences, according to their
own temperament, to induce him to attend to their wants.
One thing the waiters were most assiduous in pressing on the notice of the
guests, and that was punch. Simpson's punch was one shilling a small, or one and
sixpence a large glass. It was worth it — but, like many other good things, had
to be taken with caution and moderation. A little of it, and you felt you almost
preferred a hurried dinner a la scrimage. A little more, and you began to
discover beauties in the view of the River Thames and the distant shores of
Southwark that had not occurred to you when you sat down. You felt happy and
comfortable.
Waiter (loq.) — "More punchy sir?"
If you were a prudent man, you said, '' No ! " with a capital N, and prepared to
take your walks abroad.
All this has vanished, and a new market that knows not Simpson has risen in its
place. Bell Alley has gone into limbo. The new market is a very creditable
affair, but has one glaring and insurmountable fault. It should be ten times as
big, and approached by wide streets from north, east, and west.
Up in the corner of this new market is a public house or tavern on the banks of
the river, as Simpson's was ; but at the other or eastern end.
After trying every door into the different bars in vain, a right one will be
found at last. Proceeding upstairs, the seeker after a fish dinner will be
rewarded for his journey, for there will be served to him, at stated hours, a
fish dinner equal to anything Simpson ever supplied, and in a style of comfort
that was utterly unattainable at the old place.
Restaurants and dining-places of all descriptions have improved with the age,
and why should not the fish dinner of Billingsgate Market go with the times ? It
has, if people only knew it ?
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in St Michael Cornhill parish, City of London.
Residents at this address.
1836/Sophia Kincaid, Simpsons Tavern & Hotel, Ball court, Cornhill/../../Pigots Directory
1841/Mrs S. Kincaid/../../../Post Office Directory *
1841/Sophia Kincaid/Tavern Keeper/50/../Census
1841/Mary Kincaid/../19/../Census
1841/Charles Dunnage/Independant/28/MiddlesexCensus
1841/Edward Oate/Male Servant/31/../Census
1841/Alfred Lawler/Male Servant/19/../Census
1841/Frederick Lawler/Male Servant/22/../Census
1841/John Gritton/Male Servant/13/../Census
1841/Thos Ellis/Male Servant/12/Middlesex/Census
1841/John Maltson/Male Servant/22/../Census
1841/Ellen Cormac/Female Servant/14/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Waters/Female Servant/25/Middlesex/Census
1841/Mary Young/Female Servant/26/../Census
1843/Mrs Sophia Kincaid/../../../Kellys Directory
1848/Mrs Sophia Kincaid/38 Crutchedfriars/../../Post Office Directory
1851/Mrs S Kincaid/../../../Kelly’s Directory
1851/Sophia Kincaid/Tavern Keeper, Widow/60/Cranbrook, Kent/Census
1851/Charles H Kincaid/Son/38/Cranbrook, Kent/Census
1851/Mary Ann Kincaid/Daughter, Assistant/26/Cranbrook, Kent/Census
1851/Louisa Kincaid/Daughter in Law/35/Madras, East Indies, British
Subject/Census
1851/Donald Kincaid/Grandson/7/Quimper, France/Census
1851/Charles Dunnage/Nephew/41/Hainsworth, Middlesex/Census
1851/Henry Andrews/Waiter/22/Petworth, Sussex/Census
1851/Mary Ann Clarke/Kitchenmaid/34/Yeovil, Somerset/Census
1851/W Baker/Waiter/19/Bayswater, Middlesex/Census
1851/Jesse Ferrier/Barmaid/33/Banffshire, Scotland/Census
1851/Ann Newton/Housemaid/25/Cranbrook, Kent/Census
1856/William Gardner/../../../Post Office Directory
1861/James Jackson/Tavern Keeper/41/Streatham, Surrey/Census
1861/Emily Jackson/Wife/31/Kingsland, Middlesex/Census
1861/Maria Hewitt/Barmaid/37/Greenwich, Kent/Census
1861/Julia Reynolds/Kitchenmaid/21/Blackfriars, Middlesex/Census
1861/Lipporah Willing/Housemaid/23/Bramfield, Suffolk/Census
1861/Martha Penfold/Scullery Maid/22/Hartfield, Sussex/Census
1861/James E Higgins/Kitchen Boy/17/City of London/Census
1869/James Jackson/../../../Post Office Directory *
1882/John Smith/../../../Post Office Directory *
1895/John Smith/../../../Post Office Directory *
Simpsons, Ball Court & 38 1/2 Cornhill
1911/Alice Jome Thomas/Manageress/44/Finsbury, London/Census
1911/Henrietta Maud Smith/Barmaid/34/Gloucester/Census
1911/Ada Maria Looke/Housemaid/28/South Bromley/Census
1915/J. Smith & Co./../../../Post Office Directory *
1921/J Smith & Co/Simpsons Restaurant/../../Post Office Directory
1921/E A Smith/Simpsons Tavern/../../Post Office Directory
1938/J Smith & Co/Simpsons Restaurant/../../Post Office Directory
1983/Free House/Simpsons Tavern, 38 Cornhill/../../Pub Directory
1991/Bass/Simpsons Tavern, The pub was founded by Thomas Simpson in 1757 and
is currently owned by E.J. Rose but is for sale as is the Jamaica Wine
House. /../../Pub Directory
* Provided By Ewan
References :
Lots of references are made to two sources on the
internet archive
:
Edward Callows, Old London Taverns &