Mermaid Tavern

Names

  • Mermaid Tavern
  • Mairmaid Tavern
  • Queen of Bohemia's Head
  • Mermaid and Three Tons

Street/Area/District

  • Smart's Key

Descriptions

from "Unpublished Seventeenth-Century Tokens in the Collection of William Gilbert," by William Gilbert (1927)

89. Obv. VALENTINE • HAYWARD = V. I. H.
      Rev. VPON - BILLINGSGATE - 57 = A mermaid and three barrels.

This token proves that W (200) was also issued by him.

from "On Some Issuers of Seventeenth-Century London Tokens," by K. Rogers (1928)

(200) Obv. THE • MAIRMEAD • TAVERN = a mermaid.
         Rev. AT - BILLIN • GATE . 1650 = V. I. H.

In the 1662 Hearth Tax list, Valentine Hayward was assessed on 12 hearths "at Smart's Key". In 1663, Robert Cash issued a token at the Mermaid with initials R.A.C. (198). He also issued a token (197) at the Queen's Head. In a Fire Decree we learn that Francis Heath demised the lease of the Mermaid at Billingsgate in 1663 to Joan Haywood, widow. She demised it to Robert Cash, deceased, and his relict, Anne, afterwards married the defendant, Stephen Locke. The latter issued a token (2916) in 1668, at the Queen's Head at Summer's Key near Billingsgate. It would seem that R. Cash changed the Mermaid sign to that of the Queen of Bohemia's Head about 1663. Since I collected the above notes, Mr. Gilbert has described an unpublished token of this Mermaid with the name of the issuer, Valentine Hayward, and the sign appears to have been the "Mermaid and Three Tons" (the latter being the Vintners' Arms).