The Trade Signs of Essex: A popular account of the origin and meanings of the public houses & other signs — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Trade Signs of Essex: A popular account of the origin and meanings of the public houses & other signs
John Stuart Mill · en
In considering the subject of how signs originally came into use, it
must never be forgotten that, in bygone times, they were not confined,
as now, almost exclusively to “public-houses.” We have still, among
others, the sign of the POLE for a barber, the ROD AND FISH for a
tackle-dealer, the BLACK BOY for a tobacconist, the GOLDEN BALLS for a
pawnbroker; but formerly the proprietor of nearly every house of
business, and even of private residences, displayed his own particular
sign, just as the keepers of inns and taverns do now. For instance, an
examination of the title-page of almost any book, published a couple of
centuries or so ago, will show an imprint something like the
following:--“Printed for Timothy Childe at the WHITE HART in St. Paul’s
Churchyard; and for Thos. Varnam and John Osborn at the OXFORD ARMS in
Lombard St. MDCCXII.” Again, Sir Richard Baker’s quaint _Chronicles of
the Kings of England_ was printed in 1684, “for H. Sawbridge at the
BIBLE on Ludgate Hill, B. Tooke at the SHIP in St. Paul’s Churchyard,
and T. Sawbridge at the THREE FLOWER-DE-LUCES in Little Brittain.” As a
further example of the use of signs in former times by booksellers, in
common with other tradesmen, it may be mentioned that, according to a
writer in _Frazer’s Magazine_ (1845, vol. xxxii. p. 676)--
“The first edition of Shakespeare’s _Venus and Adonis_, and the
first edition of his _Rape of Lucrece_, were ‘sold by John Harrison
at the sign of the WHITE GREYHOUND in Saint Paul’s Churchyard;’ and
the first edition of _Shepheard’s Kalender_ by ‘Hugh Singleton,
dwelling at the GOLDEN TUN, in Creed Lane, near unto Ludgate.’ The
first edition of _The Merry Wives of Windsor_ was sold at the
FLOWER DE LEUSE AND CROWNE in St. Paul’s Churchyard; the first
edition of the _Midsummer Night’s Dream_ at the WHITE HART in Fleet
Street; the first edition of the _Merchant of Venice_ at the GREEN
DRAGON in St. Paul’s Churchyard; the first edition of _Richard
III._ at the ANGEL, and the first edition of _Richard II._ at the
FOX, both in St. Paul’s Churchyard; the first edition of _Henry V._
was sold at the CAT AND PARROTS in Cornhill; the first edition of
_Lear_ at the PIED BULL in St. Paul’s Churchyard; and the first
edition of _Othello_ ‘at the EAGLE AND CHILD in Britain’s
Bourse’--_i.e._, the New Exchange.”