Report from Spy Powell at the General Committee, 17 September 1795:
A letter read from division 53 meeting at Waltham Abby informing the Com that they had return'd back to the first place of meeting namely the Bullshead Waltham Abby on Tuesday -- Also requesting the Committe would allow them to chose a delegate residing in Town who might correspond with their sub Del at Waltham Abby to whome he might send the Report & from whome he might receive motions to carry into the General Committee /
Moved and carried that a deputation of two persons do go down on Tuesday next to consult with them about it. James Powell & Travers to be the deputation, also moved that they be allowd 3s / each for expenses/
carred/
(PC 1/23/A38; Thale 305)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bucks's Head, Micham, Surrey
On 10 September 1795, spy Powell reported from a meeting of the General Committee that:
57. Request a deputation to go to Micham in Surry on Friday evening to be No. 60. (This No given to a former division having no house to meet at the members transf themselves to other divisions) Deputation Iram Powell, B Binns, Morgan, Ellford & Milton at the Bucks Head Micham.
The 1855 Publican Directory lists a Buck's Head on "High street, Upper Mitcham".
It is notable that, despite their distance from London, Div. 60 was regarded as a full division of the LCS, not an independent society with which the LCS corresponded. This goes to demonstrate both that the LCS did not feel restricted by geographical boundaries, and that the influence of the LCS was expanding beyond the precints of London -- something that the government had expressed concern about during the 1794 Treason Trials.
57. Request a deputation to go to Micham in Surry on Friday evening to be No. 60. (This No given to a former division having no house to meet at the members transf themselves to other divisions) Deputation Iram Powell, B Binns, Morgan, Ellford & Milton at the Bucks Head Micham.
The 1855 Publican Directory lists a Buck's Head on "High street, Upper Mitcham".
It is notable that, despite their distance from London, Div. 60 was regarded as a full division of the LCS, not an independent society with which the LCS corresponded. This goes to demonstrate both that the LCS did not feel restricted by geographical boundaries, and that the influence of the LCS was expanding beyond the precints of London -- something that the government had expressed concern about during the 1794 Treason Trials.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Bricklayers Arms, Cripplegate
In a meeting of the LCS General Committee on 10 September, 1795, it was reported that The Bricklayers Arms on White Cross Street "wished to have a Divn" (Add MSS 27813, fos. 126-9; Thale 302). A report from Spy Powell, who was in attendence at the LCS General Committee, on 29 October 1795 stated that: "Div 40 Branch to the Bricklayers arms White Cross Street on Tuesday to be No 73 Incledon, French, Ralph & Colebrook deputation" (PC 1/23/A38).There was a pub called The Bricklayers Arms at 201 Whitecross Street until 1915. It is now part of the Barbican complex
Bricklayers Arms, Bloomsbury
The minutes of the LCS General Committee for the 13 August 1795, contain the following wonderfully sarcastic note detailing why Div. 29 were forced to move to the Bricklayers Arms:
29 - Are compelled by their Landlord to change their night of Meeting from Monday to Tuesday & was obliged for that Evening to meet in an upper Bed Room to accommodate a Society of Loyal Britons or a club of Church & Kings men who have taken our late meeting Room. The Landlord therefore obliged us to evacuate the same, during the whole Evening Citizens our Senses were charmed with those melodious Notes of God Save the king, rule Brittania Briton strike home &c &c &c - But those tunes not being quite in unison with the undermentioned Citizens they therefore determined to branch of to form a new Division to meet on a Monday at the Bricklayers Arms Kingsgate Bloomsbury & request the Comee to appoint a Number & Deputation to open the Same -
The Citns who are here present have set down their Names
Turner Stacey Skale Stone Wenham Hanbury Sherman Anderson Parkinson Flyill
To be No 51 - Banting Powell, Place - Monday (Add MSS 27813, fos. 101v-7v; Thale 285).
The minutes of the LCS General Commitee for 10 September 1795 report that Div. 51 moved "from Bricklayers Arms Kingsgate St to the Kings Arms Smarts Buildings" (Add MSS 27813, fos. 126-9; Thale 302).
This description shows some of the pressures that the LCS were under which forced them to abandon certain meeting places, and eventually led to the collapse of the society. Typically pressure was exerted on sympathetic landlords, who were threatened with having their licenses revoked if they allowed the LCS to continue meeting. Here, however, pressure was exerted much more directly by members of the public who sought to drown out the political voices of the LCS, with their own patriotic songs.
The 1839 Pigots Directory lists The Bricklayers Arms at 22 Kingsgate Street. Kingsgate Street was approximately where the southbound carriageway of Southhampton Row is today.
29 - Are compelled by their Landlord to change their night of Meeting from Monday to Tuesday & was obliged for that Evening to meet in an upper Bed Room to accommodate a Society of Loyal Britons or a club of Church & Kings men who have taken our late meeting Room. The Landlord therefore obliged us to evacuate the same, during the whole Evening Citizens our Senses were charmed with those melodious Notes of God Save the king, rule Brittania Briton strike home &c &c &c - But those tunes not being quite in unison with the undermentioned Citizens they therefore determined to branch of to form a new Division to meet on a Monday at the Bricklayers Arms Kingsgate Bloomsbury & request the Comee to appoint a Number & Deputation to open the Same -
The Citns who are here present have set down their Names
Turner Stacey Skale Stone Wenham Hanbury Sherman Anderson Parkinson Flyill
To be No 51 - Banting Powell, Place - Monday (Add MSS 27813, fos. 101v-7v; Thale 285).
The minutes of the LCS General Commitee for 10 September 1795 report that Div. 51 moved "from Bricklayers Arms Kingsgate St to the Kings Arms Smarts Buildings" (Add MSS 27813, fos. 126-9; Thale 302).
This description shows some of the pressures that the LCS were under which forced them to abandon certain meeting places, and eventually led to the collapse of the society. Typically pressure was exerted on sympathetic landlords, who were threatened with having their licenses revoked if they allowed the LCS to continue meeting. Here, however, pressure was exerted much more directly by members of the public who sought to drown out the political voices of the LCS, with their own patriotic songs.
The 1839 Pigots Directory lists The Bricklayers Arms at 22 Kingsgate Street. Kingsgate Street was approximately where the southbound carriageway of Southhampton Row is today.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Bowling Pin, Old Street Square
In the minutes of the LCS General Committee meeting, held on 2 July 1795 it was reported that Div. 16 had "moved to Bowling pin Old Street Square Wednesday" (Add MSS 27813, fos. 65v-7;
Thale 258).
Old Street Square was once on the present site of the Redbrick Estate to the west of the Old Street/Bath Street junction. It had a history of providing meeting places for radical and dissenting groups, such as the Muggletonians.
Thale 258).
Old Street Square was once on the present site of the Redbrick Estate to the west of the Old Street/Bath Street junction. It had a history of providing meeting places for radical and dissenting groups, such as the Muggletonians.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Boatswain and Call, Southwark
Reporting from a meeting of the General Committee on 9 July 1795, spy Powell reported that Div, 14 had moved their meeting place to the "Boatswain & Call Maze Pond Southwark" (PC 1/23/A38; Thale 263).
Maze Pond was a road that lay on the grounds owned by Guy's Hospital, which was originally built in the 1720's, and was officially opened in 1725. Originally the hospital was to the north west of Maze Pond, a road that was newly made in the 1720s, but as the hospital expanded throughout its history, the various houses on the street were pulled down, and now the street runs through the middle of the hospital complex.
A plaque on the railings near Guy's Hospital bears the following inscription:
The "Maze" Pond, which used to be situated at the southern end of the Guy's site, was fed by a tributary of the Thames river, now known as 'Guy's Creek.' Archeological excavation of the site has unearthed an early Romano-British boat and roman timbers edging the creek.
In the Middle Ages farmers from Kent and Surrey used to drive their cattle up to London for sale at Smithfield Market. The fields around Maze Pond were a focal point where the cattle were grazed and watered.
"Mr Guy's Hospital for the Incurables" was built on this site in 1725. John Rocque's 1746 Map of London shows the pond still in existence. The local street-names then included "Maze Pond," "Little Maze Pond" and "The Maze Pond," which subsequently became Great Maze Pond - the name it still has today.
A further plaque on nearby St Thomas's Street reminds us that from 1815-1816 John Keats lived here while studying at Guys Hospital.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Blue Posts, Haymarket
The Journal of the LCS General Committee, contains the following on Thursday 20th September, 1792:
"James Black Delegate of Division No. 8 informed the Committee that their Landlord of the Blue Posts, in the Hay-market had been threatened with the loss of his licence of he permitted the Division to assemble any longer in his house. Accordingly they moved to the Rising Sun in Bedford Bury" (Add MSS 27812, fos 20-2v; Thale 20).
The Pigot's directory of London Pubs from 1839 lists two Blue Posts on the Haymarket, one at number 59, one at 23. Horwood's map meanwhile shows four public houses on this street, the Bell, the Black Horse, the Cock, and the George none of which were known meeting places of the LCS. This points to the fact that Horwood marks only "reputable" public houses on his map, or at least sufficiently large taverns, whereas the LCS tended to meet in smaller alehouses. Most of these alehouses would not have been distinct from the other residential houses on the street, except for the presence of their sign. Indeed typically alehouses would have been the homes of the landlords, with patrons simply invited to sit in the "kitchen." Beer would have been served to guests out of jugs, which were used to bring beer in from the brewhouse -- bars being a later innovation. The listing of four larger taverns on Haymarket, on a street with only about eighty houses, plus at least two alehouses by the name of the Blue Posts, gives some indication of the sheer quantity of public houses in the late eighteenth century London.
"James Black Delegate of Division No. 8 informed the Committee that their Landlord of the Blue Posts, in the Hay-market had been threatened with the loss of his licence of he permitted the Division to assemble any longer in his house. Accordingly they moved to the Rising Sun in Bedford Bury" (Add MSS 27812, fos 20-2v; Thale 20).
The Pigot's directory of London Pubs from 1839 lists two Blue Posts on the Haymarket, one at number 59, one at 23. Horwood's map meanwhile shows four public houses on this street, the Bell, the Black Horse, the Cock, and the George none of which were known meeting places of the LCS. This points to the fact that Horwood marks only "reputable" public houses on his map, or at least sufficiently large taverns, whereas the LCS tended to meet in smaller alehouses. Most of these alehouses would not have been distinct from the other residential houses on the street, except for the presence of their sign. Indeed typically alehouses would have been the homes of the landlords, with patrons simply invited to sit in the "kitchen." Beer would have been served to guests out of jugs, which were used to bring beer in from the brewhouse -- bars being a later innovation. The listing of four larger taverns on Haymarket, on a street with only about eighty houses, plus at least two alehouses by the name of the Blue Posts, gives some indication of the sheer quantity of public houses in the late eighteenth century London.
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