Mitre Tavern, Mitre court, Fleet street, St Dunstan in West EC4
St Dunstan in West pub history Index
MITRE TAVERN, the house of so many interesting associations, was situated at No. 39, Fleet Street, upon part of the site of the present banking house of
Messrs. Hoare. It dated back to the time of Shakespeare, for Thorpe, the bookseller, marked lot 4,272 in his catalogue of MSS. a volume of poems by
Richard Jackson, a poet contemporary with immortal Will, fifty guineas. The verses were about 5,500 in number, beside prose, and of date 1625 or 1630. The
first was headed “Shakespeare's Rime which he made at ye · Myter' in Flete strete,” being five seven line stanzas commencing " From ye Rich Lavinian Shoare,"
a portion only previously printed, “but,” adds Thorpe, “never hitherto been known to be by Shakespeare." The earliest notice of the tavern that I have met
with is in the register of St. Dunstan's, May 10, 1613. “ William Hewitt from the 'Myter' was buryed ;” and in the following year I find John Hewitt and
another, “neer Serjantes inne," presented for using false measure. The house was “ very much demolished and decaied in severall parts, and the Balcony was on
fire and pulled downe" during the Great Fire. In the eighteenth century the “ Mitre" became the resort of Wanley, Vertue, Dr. Stukeley, Hawkesworth, Percy,
Johnson, Boswell, Lord Stowell, and a host of other worthies. It was here the “ Tour to the Hebrides” was planned by Johnson and his biographer, who records how
uneasy the great lexicographer was if he failed to pat encouragingly every post in Fleet Street between his lodgings and the tavern. Johnson and Boswell first
dined here in June, 1763. It was here on July 6th following, at a supper given by Bozzy to the Doctor, and Goldsmith, Davies, the bookseller, Mr. Eccles, and
the Rev. John Ogilvie, that Johnson, who hated the Scotch, launched out into the most severe “ table talk " ever indulged in against them. “But, Sir," said he to
Mr. Ogilvie. “ let me tell you the noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England !" At the “ Mitre,” *1728-53, met the
Society of Antiquaries, after making ineffectual attempts to purchase a piece of ground at Whitefriars. And here at the same time, though not the same hour, met
the Royal Society. Here, April 3rd, 1733, Thomas Tophom, “ the strong man,” rolled up with his hands a pewter dish, four feet ten inches diameter, in the
presence of eight persons, the “Mitre" being then kept by John Innocent, whose name first appears in the parish books 1714, and who was one of the Common
Council 1727-36. In 1788 the tavern ceased to exist, and the house became Macklin's “ Poet's Gallery,” subsequently Saunder's Auction Rooms, and finally
pulled down by Messrs. Hoare for their banking house in 1829. The present “ Mitre Tavern" in Mitre Court was in the last century known as “ Joe's Coffee
House." “
This pub was present by 1610 and originally had the address 37 Fleet
Street. It was demolished in 1829 to accommodate an extension of Hoare's
Bank. At this time a replacement, smaller Mitre was built to the rear of the
former inn - the address now becoming Mitre Court, Fleet Street. By 1983 the
pub was renamed the Clachan, and in 2005 it was further renamed Serjeants.
This pub closed in 2007 and the premises are currently empty. **
Named the Hope Tavern in the 1806 listing.
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses
and Hotels in St Dunstan in West, City of London.
The Mitre Tavern & Coffee house, Fleet Street
Both Kindly provided by David Till
the blue plaque marking the site of the original inn. - in September 2008
Mitre Inn, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, EC4 - now Serjeants in September 2008
Both Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Residents at this address
From my Londontaverns site is :
This was the true Johnsonian Mitre, so often referred to in Boswells Life ;
but it has earlier fame. Here, in 1640, Lilly met Old Will Poole, the
astrologer, then living in Ram-alley. The Royal Society Club dined at the Mitre
from 1743 to 1750, the Society then meeting in Crane-court, nearly opposite. The
Society of Antiquaries met some time at the Mitre. Dr. Macmichael, in The
Gold-headed Cane, makes Dr. Radcliffe say : —
" I never recollect to have spent a more delightful evening than that at the
Mitre Tavern, in Fleet-street, where my good friend Billy Nutly, who was indeed
the better half of me, had been prevailed upon to accept of a small temporary
assistance, and joined our party, the Earl of Denbigh, Lords Colepeper and
Stowel, and Mr. Blackmore."
Johnson's Mitre is commonly thought to be the tavern with that sign, which still
exists in Mitre-court, over against Fetter-lane; where is shown a cast of
Nollekens' bust of Johnson, in confirmation of this house being his resort. Such
was not the case ; Boswell distinctly states it to have been the Mitre Tavern in
Fleet-street ; and the records by Lilly and the Royal Society, alike specify "
in Fleet-street," which Mr. Burn, in his excellent account of the Beaufoy
Tokens, explains was the house, No. 39, Fleet-street, that Macklin opened, in
1788, as the Poet's Gallery; and lastly, Saunders's auction-rooms. It was taken
down to enlarge the site for Messrs. Hoares' new banking-house. The now Mitre
Tavern, in Mitre-court, was originally called Joe's Coffee-house; and on the
shutting up of the old Mitre, in Fleet-street, took its name ; this being four
years after Johnson's death.
The Mitre was Dr. Johnson's favourite supper-house, the parties including
Goldsmith, Percy, Hawkesworth, and Boswell ; there was planned the tour to the
Hebrides. Johnson had a strange nervous feeling, which made him uneasy if he had
not touched every post between the Mitre and his own lodgings. Johnson took
Goldsmith to the Mitre, where Boswell and the Doctor had supped together in the
previous month, when Boswell spoke of Goldsmith's u very loose, odd, scrambling
kind of life," and Johnson defended him as one of our first men as an author,
and a very worthy man ; — adding, " he has been loose in his principles, but he
is coming right." Boswell was impatient of Goldsmith from the first hour of
their acquaintance. Chamberlain Clarke, who died in 1831, aged 92, was the last
surviving of Dr. Johnson's Mitre friends. Mr. William Scott, Lord Stowell, also
frequented the Mitre.
Boswell has this remarkable passage respecting the house: — "We had a good
supper, and port-wine, of which he (Johnson) sometimes drank a bottle. The
orthodox high-church sound of The Mitre — the figure and manner of the
celebrated Samuel Johnson — the extraordinary power and precision of his
conversation, and the pride arising from finding myself admitted as his
companion, produced a variety of sensations, and a pleasing elevation of mind,
beyond what I had ever experienced."
1806/Mr Dawson, Hope Tavern, Mitre court, Fleet street/../../London Brewery 1806 customer for supplying the public with genuine malt liquor
1811/George Dawson, Mitre Tavern, Mitre court, Fleet street/../../Holdens Directory
12 June 1815/Insured: Thomas Butler, Joes Coffee House, Mitre Court Fleet Street, victualler/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
The Manchester Lodge meets at the Hope and Mitre Tavern, Fleet street, London in 1817
1 November 1821/Insured: Joseph Barwick Joe's Coffee House Mitre Court Fleet Street victualler - Other property or occupiers: 1 Round Court/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
1825/Henry William Lawton/../../../Pigot's Directory **
1829/H William Lawton, Hope & Mitre tavern, Mitre court, Fleet street/../../Robsons Directory
10 June 1829/Insured: George Strutton The Mitre Tavern Mitre Court Fleet Street tavern keeper/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
1833-34/George Strutton, Mitre Tavern, Mitre court, Fleet street/../../../Pigot's Directory **
11 August 1831/Insured: The assignees of George Strutton of the Mitre Tavern, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, victualler/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
29 December 1831/Insured: William Smith, The Mitre, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, victualler/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
29 February 1832/Insured: William Smith, the Mitre, Mitre Court Fleet Street, victualler/../../Sun Fire Insurance records at the LMA
1836/Charles Gabriel Davey, Mitre Tavern and Coffee House, Mitre court, Fleet street/../../../Pigot's Directory **
1841/Richard Poole/../../../Post Office Directory **
1841/Richard Poole/Tavern Keeper/30/../Census
1841/Ann Poole/../25/Middlesex/Census
1841/Richard Poole/../9 months/Middlesex/Census
1841/Thomas Wythe/Independant/30/../Census
1841/Elizabeth Chaplin/Female Servant/25/../Census
1841/Sarah Point/Female Servant/30/../Census
1841/Elizabeth Alexander/Female Servant/35/Middlesex/Census
1841/Catherine Conroy/Female Servant//Scotland/Census
1841/Mary Logan/Female Servant/15/Middlesex/Census
1841/Robert Nicholson/Male Servant/15/Middlesex/Census
1841/James Horn/Male Servant/15/../Census
1842/Richard Poole/../../../Robsons Directory
1843/Richard Poole/../../../Kellys Directory
February 1847/Richard Poole/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
February 1847/Joseph Gear/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1851/Joseph Gear/../../../Kellys Directory
1851/Joseph Gear/Tavern Keeper/49/Marylebone, Middlesex/Census
1851/Fanny Gear/Wife/31/Rotherhithe/Census
1851/Joseph Lawson Whalley Gear/Son/4/Walworth, Surrey/Census
1851/Louisa Charney/Barmaid/26/Bath, Somerset/Census
1851/Bridget Quick/Cook/24/Tralee, Ireland/Census
1851/Katherine Lator/Housemaid/18/Kilmally/Census
1851/William Fapoe/Waiter/17/Pimlico/Census
1851/George Bolton/Waiter/19/City of London/Census
December 1851/Joseph Gear/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
December 1851/James Price Mills/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
1856/James Price Mills/../../../Post Office Directory
1862/James Price Mills/../../../Post Office Directory **
1869/Frederick Hill/../../../Post Office Directory
1870/Frederick Hill/../../../Post Office Directory **
1871/William Hicken/Licensed Victualler/39/Ludlow, Shropshire/Census
1871/Elizabeth Hicken/Wife/38/Coventry, Warwickshire/Census
1871/Amelia Hicken/Daughter/19/Birmingham, Warwickshire/Census
1871/Jemima Truelove/Cook/27/Pimlico, Middlesex/Census
1871/Charlotte Wirzid/Housemaid/15/Millbank St Johns/Census
1874/R. Richardson, Mitre Tavern, 11 Mitre court, Fleet street, EC/../../London 1874 Licensed Victuallers and Hotel Keepers Directory
1876/Robert Richardson/../../../Post Office Directory **
1877/Robert Richardson/../../../Post Office Directory **
1878/Joseph Eaton/../../../Post Office Directory **
1880/Joseph Eaton/../../../Post Office Directory **
1881/George G Coursille/Tavern Manager/32/Soho, Middlesex/Census
1881/Eliza Coursille/Wife/24/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1881/Harriet Schraver/Housemaid/24/Mile End, Middlesex/Census
1881/Ellen Kirby/Waiter/24/Stepney, Middlesex/Census
1881/Annie Palmer/Cook/24/Borough, Surrey/Census
1881/Susan Sarray/Barmaid/25/Hertford/Census
1881/Clarissa M Rave/Barmaid/24/Suffolk/Census
1882/Joseph Eaton/../../../Post Office Directory
1885/Joseph Eaton/../../../Post Office Directory **
I have been trying to put together the life of my great grand father, and
trying to get information on the Clachan Public house, Sherborne Lane, EC4.
This was the address when he was manager back In the year of 1908.
after serving 21 years with them, so he must have started around 1887. ***
1893 Renamed the Clachan :
1893/Robert Francis Elphinstone Morison/../../../Post Office Directory **
1899/Robert Francis Elphinstone Morison/Clachan, Old Mitre Court/../../Post
Office Directory
1900/Robert Renwick Lauder/../../../Post Office Directory **
1901/Alfred J Woodthorpe/Licensed Victualler Manager/35/Clerkenwell,
London/Census
1901/Donald McKay/Barman/26/Scotland/Census
1901/Matilda Fuller/Barmaid/25/Red Hill, Surrey/Census
1901/Lizzie May/Barmaid/25/Hornsey, London/Census
1901/Annie Butler/Housemaid/17/Walham Green, London/Census
1902/Robert Renwick Lauder/../../../Post Office Directory **
1908/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory **
Colin Morgan Stewart (born 1879) is a younger brother of William Daniel
Stewart (b1873) already associated with the Clachan in your notes. William
Daniel is present at 11 Mitre Court in 1925 along with his widowed
sister-in-law Rose Julia Stewart. *
1908 - 1911/Colin Morgan Stewart/../../../Electoral Rolls *
1910/Colin Morgan Stewart/Land Tax Valuation for the Clachan, Mitre Court
£300/../../.. *
1910/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory
1911/Colin Morgan Stewart/Public House Manager/31/Edinburgh/Census *
1911/Morris Hutley/Barman/24/Midlothian/Census
1911/Rose Pankhurst/Barmaid/32/Camberwell/Census
1911/Hannah Rickwood/Cook/33/Hull, Yorkshire/Census
1911/Louisa Sophia Joyce/Kitchenmaid/19/Silvertown/Census
1915/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory **
December 1915/Colin Morgan Stewart Enlisted in Royal Fusiliers. Manager of
Mitre Tavern - Clachan Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London. Identifies Rose
Julia Pankhurst as next-of-kin. /../../../.. *
1916/Colin Morgan Stewart Married Rose Julia Pankhurst at St Dunstan in the
Wall, London/../../../.. *
August 1916/Colin Morgan Stewart August 31st Transferred to Army Pay Corps
on account of valvular heart disease fit only for Garrison Duty/../../../..
*
1917/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory **
March 1919/Colin Morgan Stewart recorded as casualty category B2/../../../..
*
March 1920/Colin Morgan Stewart Discharged as Corporal/../../../.. *
1920 March 22nd/The death took place on Saturday, after a brief illness, of
Mr. Colin Morgan Stewart, who for the past 15 years had managed the Scottish
establishment, "The Clachan". in Mitre Court. Fleet Street. Mr. Stewart,
who was a native of Edinburgh, took a great interest in sports, and was an
enthusiastic volunteer in pre-war days./The Times Newspaper *
1920/Record of death of Colin Morgan Stewart at 22 Manchester Street
registered London Marylebone 1920-Q1 1a716. Probate for Colin Morgan Stewart
who died March 20th 1920 names widow as Rose Julia Stewart née Pankhurst
granted November 27th 1920/../../../.. *
Colin Morgan Stewart Buried Abney Park cemetery in same grave (133750) as
wife (died 1956) and mother-in-law (died 1929). *
1927/../The Clachan, 1 Old Mitre Court/../../BT Telephone Directory
1934/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Kellys Directory
1937/../The Clachan, 1 Old Mitre Court/../../BT Telephone Directory
1938/William Daniel Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory
This pub was run by my Grandparents, Bertha and Harry Rothwell. After my
Grandfather's death my Grandmother ran it on her own and remained open
throughout the Second World War, despite many of the surrounding buildings
being bombed. For this she was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Her main customer base was the Fleet Street newspaper printers, which meant
that she did not open on Sundays. *+
1941/../The Clachan, 1 Old Mitre Court/../../BT Telephone Directory
1944/Arthur Simmonds/../../../Post Office Directory
1946/../The Clachan, 1 Old Mitre Court/../../BT Telephone Directory
Whilst researching various London pubs I came upon the Clachan in Mitre
Court off Fleet Street where I lived in 1956-7. My parents, Fred and Doris
Till ran it in its’ old state and then it was rebuilt and we had to move to
Chelsea but on the completion of the new pub they returned for some time but
not as ‘live - in’ staff. The Clachan was always popular with the legal
profession in the Inns of Court at the rear, and also with many Fleet Street
journalists of the day. **+
Interestingly the deeds included fishing rights to the river Fleet. In the
arch to Fleet Street were the offices of the Manchester Guardian and going
out from it you could see down the road ‘Jack's Cafe; on the first floor
further down the road - it was said to be site of ' Sweeney Todd’s barber
shop’.**+
Also, my parents, Fred and Doris Till, managed the following :
1951 - 52 The
Whittington Stone, N19 (later demolished and rebuilt further down
Highgate Hill
1953 - 55 The Duke of
Grafton, Euston Road.
1956 - 57 The Clachan, Mitre court, Fleet street
1956 - 57 The
York Arms, Curzon Street, Mayfair (a branch of ‘Dirty Dick’s’
1958 - 64 The Red
Lion, Great Windmill Street, Soho (meeting place for Karl Marx and
friends).
1965 - 66 The New Red
Lion, St. John Street, Clerkenwell.
1966- 71 The Red
Lion, Soho again.
1971/../Clachan, Old Mitre Court EC4/../../BT Telephone Directory
1983/../Clachan, Old Mitre Court EC4, Scottish & Newcastle/../../Pub
Directory
1991/../Clachan, Old Mitre Court EC4, Scottish & Newcastle/../../Pub
Directory
* Provided By Mike Clifford
*+ Provided By Nick Rothwell
** Provided By Stephen Harris
**+ Provided By David Till
*** Provided By Fred Woodthorpe