• Home
  • Audio/Podcasts
  • Austensites
  • AV/E-Texts
  • History
  • JA Novels & Bio
  • Links
  • Original Sources/19th C. Texts
  • Social Customs During the Regency
  • Teacher/Student
  • Writer/Literature Resources

Jane Austen's World

This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Merry Christmas from Jane Austen’s World With the First Commercial Christmas Card
18th Century Road and Coach Improvements »

A Man’s Diversions in the Regency: The Tavern Meal

December 26, 2008 by Vic

The Tavern Meal

Inquiring reader: This year I will endeavor to illuminate the lives of regency gentlemen when they are away from their families in a way that (I humbly hope) will add to your enjoyment of reading novels and histories set in this era.

During the late Georgian or early Regency era, restaurants were still a French concept. When not dining at home, an English gentlemen ordered meals in clubs, taverns, coffee houses, or inns. In 1798, a traveler named John Byrne wrote:

Rowlandson's depiction of a tavern meal

Rowlandson's depiction of a tavern meal

A London gentleman steps into a coffeehouse, orders venison and turtle, in the instant; and (if known) a delicious bottle of port or claret: upon a clean cloth, without form, he dines at the moment of his appetite and walks away at the moment, he is satisfied; neither opportuned by civilities, or harrass’d by freedoms; he labours not under obligation, he has not submitted to ridicule, or offended from a want of high breeding.”

These institutions were not always so genteel as described in the above passage. Englishmen had been meeting  in clubs and taverns as far back as the age of King Charles II, when the men congregated to discuss political matters. Groups with similar political affiliations (Jacobeans, for example) would assemble in an atmosphere of drinking and conviviality that often turned boisterous and prompted the 17th century poet Ben Johnson to draw up the rules for guidance entitled Rules for the Tavern Academy; or, Laws for the Beaux-Esprits. A reporter of The New York Times wrote in 1879:

These convivial assemblies give an appearance of licentiousness to this period which in strictness does not belong to it. It must be remembered that domestic entertainments were at that time rare; the accommodation of private houses was ill-adapted for the purposes of social meeting; and there only remained taverns and ordinairies for such meetings to be held. Long after the period we refer to we hear of the eminent characters of the day meeting at pastry cooks’, coffee-houses, and taverns. Addisson tells us that most all the celebrated clubs of his day were founded upon eating and drinking, which are points, he says, wherein most men agree, in which the learned and illiterate, the dull and the airy, and the philosopher and the buffoon, can all of them bear a part. He then refers to the “Kit-Cat,” the “Beef steak,” and “October” clubs, whose names imply that neither of them would be averse to eating and drinking. The Kit-Cat was founded in 1700, and was held at the house of one Christopher Kat, a pastry-cook, renowned for his mutton pies. Another club, held at the King’s Head, in Pall Mall, arrogantly called itself “The World,” of which Lord Stanhope (afterward Lord Chesterfield,) Lord Herbert, and other leading men of the day were members, and at which epigrams were scratched on the glasses by each member after dinner. Once, when Dr. Young was invited to the club, he excused himself from conforming to this custom because he had no diamond. Lord Stanhope lent him his, and he immediately wrote: “Accept a miracle instead of wit: See two dull lines, with Stanhope’s pencil writ.” – Some Old London Clubs. Origin of the Social Organizations of the Present Day; From the London Globe, The New York Time, January 12, 1879

One of the most famous and popular taverns in the 18th century was Pontack’s Tavern:

After the destruction of the White Bear Tavern in the Great Fire of 1666 the proximity of the site for all purposes of business induced M. Pontack, the son of the President of Bordeaux, owner of a famous claret district, to establish a tavern with all the novelties of French cookery, with his father’s head as a sign, whence it was popularly called Pontack’s Head. The dinners were from four or five shillings a head to a guinea, or what sum you pleased. Swift frequented the tavern and writes to Stella: ‘Pontack told us although his wine was so good he sold it cheaper than others; he took but seven shillings a flask. Art not these pretty rates?

The Fellows of the Royal Society dined at Pontack’s until 1746 when they removed to the Devil Tavern. There is a Token of the White Bear in the Deaufoy Collection, and Mr Burn tells us from Metamorphoses of the Town, a rare tract, 1731, of Pontack’s “guinea ordinary,” “ragout of fatted snails,” and “chickens not two hours from the shell.”  In January 1735, Mrs Susannah Austin who lately kept Pontack’s and had acquired a considerable fortune, was married to William Pepys banker, in Lombard street. Clubs and Club Life in London With Anecdotes of Its Famous Coffee Houses, Hostelries, and Taverns, from the Seventeenth Century to the Present Time, By John Timbs

With time, taverns and inns began to offer more than a mere room for meeting, drinking, and dining, and the difference between an ordinary alehouse and a respectable inn became less apparent. New functions were added, such as overnight lodging, and an increasing number of leisure activities for the community began to be offered: music and dance assemblies (like those in Meryton and Highbury in Jane Austen’s novels), plays, and sports generated as much, if not more income, than food or ale.  As their functions increased, these establishments were renovated and became increasingly spacious and well-fitted.  Some coffee houses, which often consisted of nothing more than a large room open to the public in a private house, began to “offer accommodation for men, horses, and coaches, along with ‘as good wine (and at as cheap a rate) as can be had in London.’ It was not unusual for coffeehouses to take in lodgers in order to supplement their income.”* In such a case, the line between a public establishment and private house began to blur, especially for female lodgers who might encounter the proprietor’s son or a strange man in the hallway at a most inconvenient time.

image-project-gutenberg

By 1800, the men’s clubs in Pall Mall, such as White’s, a former chocolate house, oozed exclusivity.  Whether they attracted the working classes or the aristocracy, clubs, taverns, inns, and coffee houses remained largely male enclaves. While women often stayed in inns, taverns, and in coffee houses as lodgers (preferably with a family member or chaperone), they would not meet there to socialize. Indeed, a woman who frequented these public establishments gained a certain ‘reputation.’ “A ‘whore’ was not necessarily a prostitute pure and simple, but a woman who was thought to have violated communal standards of sexual propriety. A sure-fire way of breaking these codes and thus gaining a reputation for immodesty was by frequenting public houses such as taverns, alehouses, or coffeehouses.”*

Sources:

  • Clubs and Club Life, John Timbs, 1872, Google Book
  • *The Social Life of Coffee: The Emergency of the British Coffeehouse, Bryan William Cowan, 2005, Partial Google Book
  • The Problems of Being a Publican in 18th Century England, Prof. Peter Clark
  • Also on this blog: A Meal in December

Share with others:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in jane austen, Jane Austen's World, Regency Life, Regency style, Regency World | Tagged A man's diversions in the regency, the tavern meal | 3 Comments

3 Responses

  1. on December 26, 2008 at 15:58 Natalia

    Hello.
    In this text there will be lack, because I am Spanish and I am learning English.
    I only mean, that, this web is very importan for me. You accustom I don’t understand the writing, but I am admirer of Jane Austen and now of Virginia Woolf.
    I would like that you responded to me with a commentary in popper.obolog.com
    Goodbye


  2. on December 28, 2008 at 17:42 Sylwia

    Thank you for the article, Vic. I’m looking forward to the entire gentlemen series.


  3. on November 26, 2009 at 01:02 Family Dinners, Regency Style « Jane Austen's World

    […] A Man’s Diversion in the Regency Era: The Tavern Meal […]



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 7,149 other subscribers
  • Items of Interest

  • Follow Jane Austen's World on WordPress.com
  • Blog Stats

    • 16,740,469 hits
  • RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND RESOURCES

  • Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England is now available! By JAW contributor Brenda S. Cox. See Review. Available from Amazon and Jane Austen Books.
  • Praying with Jane: 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen, Rachel Dodge, and a bookmark with the quote "A whole family assembling regulary for the purpose of prayer is fine!" Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
    We also recommend JAW contributor Rachel Dodge's devotionals based on Jane Austen's prayers and classic literature. Reviews:
    Praying With Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen;
    The Secret Garden Devotional;
    The Anne of Green Gables Devotional;
    The Little Women Devotional.
  • Book cover of Bath: An Adumbration in Rhyme by John Matthews
    Bath -An Adumbration in Rhyme. Edited by Ben Wiebracht. Read the review of the book at this link. Click to order the book on Amazon US or Amazon UK
  • In Sri Lanka lies the grave of Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB, Jane Austen’s Brother

    The neglected tombstone found in an overgrown burial ground.

    Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB

    Died off Prome, the 7th October 1852, while in command of the Naval Expedition on the river Irrawady against the Burmese Forces, aged 73 years.”

    The grave after restoration

    Read the full article in The Sunday Times. June 27, 2021.

  • The Obituary of Charlotte Collins by Andrew Capes

    Click on image to read the story.

  • Comments

    “My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

     

    Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation! Due to SPAM, we will no longer accept comments on posts after 30 days of publication. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well.

  • Administrators and Contributors

    Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:

    • Brenda Cox
    • Rachel Dodge and
    • Tony Grant, who now contributes his photos from London and England

    Click on their names to enter their own blogs.

    In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.

  • Pin It!

    Follow Me on Pinterest
  • Top Posts

    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
      Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Enemies-to-Lovers in Pride and Prejudice
      Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Enemies-to-Lovers in Pride and Prejudice
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
      Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
      The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
      Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
      Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Social Customs During the Regency
      Social Customs During the Regency
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
      Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • Parisian Milliner's Advice in 1801 to a Visiting Lady: Regency Fashion
      Parisian Milliner's Advice in 1801 to a Visiting Lady: Regency Fashion
    • The Thorn, William Wordsworth
      The Thorn, William Wordsworth
  • Recent Posts

    • Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Enemies-to-Lovers in Pride and Prejudice
    • Lady Hester Stanhope: Traveler and Trailblazer
    • Jane Austen-Themed Valentines
    • Winter, Regency Style
    • Book Review: Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
  • Links to Jane Austen Blogs

    Click here to enter the page. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Click on image.

  • May we suggest?

  • Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review.

    If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email us. (Yes, we are fallible. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Write us at

    gmailbw

    Thank you for visiting this blog. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  • Project Gutenberg: eBook of Stage-coach and Mail in Days of Yore, Volume 2 (of 2), by Charles G. Harper

    STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE: A PICTURESQUE HISTORY
    OF THE COACHING AGE, VOL. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. 1903. Click on this link.

     

  • Top Posts & Pages

    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Enemies-to-Lovers in Pride and Prejudice
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Social Customs During the Regency
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • Parisian Milliner's Advice in 1801 to a Visiting Lady: Regency Fashion
    • The Thorn, William Wordsworth
  • Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape
  • Disclaimer: Our team makes no profit from this blog. We may receive books (physical or digitized) and DVDs for review purposes.

  • Copyright Statement: © Jane Austen's World blog, 2009-2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jane Austen's World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Jane Austen's World
    • Join 7,149 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Jane Austen's World
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: