Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th CenturiesTimbs, John
History
Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
Timbs, John
Clubs -- England -- London; Literary landmarks -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Rathbone-place, Oxford-street, no longer exists; but it will be kept
in recollection for its having given name to one of the most popular
publications, of its class, in our time, namely, the _Percy
Anecdotes_, "by Sholto and Reuben Percy, Brothers of the Benedictine
Monastery of Mont Benger," in 44 parts, commencing in 1820. So said
the title pages, but the names and the locality were _supposé_. Reuben
Percy was Thomas Byerley, who died in 1824; he was the brother of Sir
John Byerley, and the first editor of the _Mirror_, commenced by John
Limbird, in 1822. Sholto Percy was Joseph Clinton Robertson, who died
in 1852; he was the projector of the _Mechanics' Magazine_, which he
edited from its commencement to his death. The name of the collection
of Anecdotes was not taken, as at the time supposed, from the
popularity of the _Percy Reliques_, but from the Percy Coffee-house,
where Byerley and Robertson were accustomed to meet to talk over their
joint work. The _idea_ was, however, claimed by Sir Richard Phillips,
who stoutly maintained that it originated in a suggestion made by him
to Dr. Tilloch and Mr. Mayne, to cut the anecdotes from the many
years' files of the _Star_ newspaper, of which Dr. Tilloch was the
editor, and Mr. Byerley assistant editor; and to the latter
overhearing the suggestion, Sir Richard contested, might the _Percy
Anecdotes_ be traced. They were very successful, and a large sum was
realized by the work.
PEELE'S COFFEE-HOUSE,
Nos. 177 and 178, Fleet-street, east corner of Fetter-lane, was one of
the Coffee-houses of the Johnsonian period; and here was long
preserved a portrait of Dr. Johnson, on the key-stone of a
chimney-piece, stated to have been painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Peele's was noted for files of newspapers from these dates: _Gazette_,
1759; _Times_, 1780; _Morning Chronicle_, 1773; _Morning Post_, 1773;
_Morning Herald_, 1784; _Morning Advertiser_, 1794; and the evening
papers from their commencement. The house is now a tavern.
Taverns.
THE TAVERNS OF OLD LONDON.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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