Nando's

A famous coffee-house in Fleet Street, at the east corner of Inner Temple Lane, next to Lintot's, the bookseller.

Wheatley says it is mentioned in a deed of 1696.

Nando's Coffee-House

Was the house at the east corner of Inner Temple-lane, No. 17, Fleet-street, and next-door to the shop of Bernard Lintot, the bookseller; though it has been by some confused with Groom's house, No. 16. Nando's was the favourite haunt of Lord Thurlow, before he dashed into law practice. At this Coffee-house a large attendance of professional loungers was attracted by the fame of the punch and the charms of the landlady, which, with the small wits, were duly admired by and 19 at the bar. One evening, the famous cause of Douglas v. the Duke of Hamilton was the topic of discussion, when Thurlow being present, it was suggested, half in earnest, to appoint him junior counsel, which was done. This employment brought him acquainted with the Duchess of Queensberry, who saw at once the value of a man like Thurlow, and recommended Lord Bute to secure him by a silk gown.

The house, formerly Nando's, has been for many years a hair-dresser's. It is inscribed "Formerly the palace of Henry VIII. and Cardinal Wolsey." The structure is of the time of James I., and has an enriched ceiling inscribed P (triple plumed).

This was the office in which the Council for the Management of the Duchy of Cornwall Estates held their sittings; for in the Calendar of State Papers, edited by Mrs. Green, is the following entry, of the time of Charles, created Prince of Wales four years after the death of Henry:—"1619, Feb. 25; Prince's Council Chamber, Fleet-street.—Council of the Prince of Wales to the Keepers of Brancepeth, Raby, and Barnard Castles: The trees blown down are only to be used for mending the pales, and no wood to be cut for firewood, nor browse for the deer."

Nando's, a coffee-house in Fleet Street, east corner of Inner Temple Lane, and next door to the shop of Bernard Lintot, the bookseller. It was so situated as early as 1707, when Bernard Lintot advertised a list of his books with his address, "at the Cross Keys and Cushion next Nando's Coffee House, Temple Bar." Nando's was a favourite retreat of Lord Chancellor Thurlow's, when a briefless barrister; the charms of punch and the landlady's daughter rendering it at that time a popular lounge with the junior members of the bar.

There was no one who could supply coffee or punch better than Mrs. Humphries; and her fair daughter was always admired At the Bar, and By the bar.—Cradock's Memoirs, p. 71.

Alas, how low his pocket grows!
He cruises oft at Will's or Joe's,
And oft, as many a greater man does,
Eats, drinks, and falls asleep at Nando's.
J. Anstey's Pleader's Guide.

It was here, when only a young man, that Thurlow's skill in argument obtained for him, from a stranger, the appointment of a junior counsel in the famous cause of Douglas v. the Duke of Hamilton, and in connection with it an introduction to the Duchess of Queensberry (Prior's Kitty), who recommended Lord Bute to secure him as an adherent.

I lodge between the two coffee-houses, George's and Nando's, so that I partake of the expensiveness of both, as heretofore.—Shenstone to Jago, March 1744 (Works, vol. iii. p. 84).

In 1696 "a fourth part of Nando's Coffee-house in Fleet Street" was conveyed to the trustees of the Free School at Hampton in Middlesex, "for the maintenance of an able schoolmaster to teach the Latin tongue."¹

---

¹ Lysons's Hampton, p. 90.

857. Nando's Coffee House 'at the corner of Inner Temple Gate'; 'between the two Temple Gates'; 'Temple Bar'; No. 15 Fleet Street. At times referred to as 'Nandoe's' or 'Nondoe's'. The location of Nando's Coffee-house has long been the subject of dispute. Variously given as No. 14, 15, 16, and 17, but Mr. Philip Norman, as early as 1902, proved conclusively that Nando's, like the Rainbow Coffee-house, stood on the site of No. 15 Fleet Street, so numbered many years after Nando's was established.

1696

The house was founded before 1696, in which year 'a fourth part of Nando's Coffee House in Fleet Street' was conveyed to the trustees of the Free School at Hampton in Middlesex 'for the maintenance of an able schoolmaster to teach the Latin tongue' in accordance with the provisions of the will of John Jones, of Hampton, Middlesex, 1692. (Lyson's Hampton—Wheatley.)      By the issue of Postscripts, or supplements, an interesting development took place at the end of the 17th century in connexion with newspapers. Postscripts were printed or handwritten and contained fresh news that had arrived too late to include in the printed issue of the paper: in reality the forerunner of the modern Stop-Press column. The earliest known Postscript is 1695 to the 'Post Boy'. Both the 'Post Boy' and the 'Post Man' issued handwritten postscripts about this time, and carried a notice advertising the new feature:

'This is to give Notice that the Post Boy, with a Written Post-script, containing all the Domestick Occurrences, with the Translations of the Foreign News that arrives after the Printing of the said Post Boy, is to be had only of Mr. John Shank, at Nandoe's Coffee House, between the two Temple Gates; and at Mr. Abel Roper's at the Black Boy over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street.'

1702

Tom Brown in his somewhat curious 'Letters from the Dead to the Living' relates in one: 'I happened, the other day, to be at Nando's Coffee-house, in company with a person who was exclaiming heavily against a weaver of whore's hair for cheating him in a wig.... '

1706–07

Press cuttings in Guildhall Library contain notices of Bernard Lintot, Bookseller, 'at the Cross Keys & Bible next Nando's Coffee House by Temple Bar'. Sundry of Lintot's with a list of his books; a notice regarding the Queen's Theatre, Haymarket, &c., all refer to him next to Nando's Coffee House, Temple Bar.

1709–10

Evening Post. No. 69, 19–21 Jan. 1710, advertises: 'Sold at Nando's. Price 1d.'

1710

Thomas Smith of King Street, Westminster, self-styled 'first Master Corn-cutter of England' advertised his daily round in pursuit of his corn-cutting operations: 'I am to be spoken with till 8 in the morning and at 6 at night at Home, and every day at these Coffee-houses following, morning and evening. The Rainbow at Fleet-bridge, and at Richard's, Nando's, Temple....'

1710

The 'Tatler' No. 180 3 June, 1710, ludicrously advertises: A Stage Coach departing from Nando's Coffee-house for Mr. Tiptoe's Dancing-school every evening—N.B. Dancing-shoes not exceeding four inches height in the heel, and Periwigs not exceeding three feet in length, are carried in the Coach-box gratis.

1711

An advertisement of 12 Dec. 1711, Tickets at a Crown each could be had at 'Nando's Coffee-house at Temple-bar' and other places 'For the Benefit of Mrs. Hemings. On the 14th instant, at Mr. Clayton's House in York Buildings, will be performed, The Passion of Sappho and Feast of Alexander.'

1713

A press advertisement in 1713, mentions 'Vando's Coffee-house, Temple Gate'—undoubtedly a misprint.

1729

A Lost-Reward Notice, Numb. 11745 dated 12 May, 1729, in my collection is worthy of note as it mentions Mr. Shank, who is previously mentioned in the 'Post Boy', 1702.

Stolen yesterday, out of a Gentleman's House in Fleet-street, Eleven Silver Forks, with a Crest, being a Leg in Armour, Old Sterling. Whoever shall stop them and the Party, shall have One Guinea Reward on giving Notice to Mr. Shank, Master of Nando's Coffee-house, Temple-Bar, to be paid by him.
Benjamin Pyne, Beadle at Goldsmiths-Hall.

1744

Shenstone to Jago, March 1744, is quoted by Wheatley: 'I lodge between the two coffee-houses, George's, and Nando's, so that I partake of the expensiveness of both, as heretofore.'

1750

A gentleman, 'H.P.', who previously advertised an 'Invitation to the Ladies' under an 'Old Batchelor's Declaration' is now determined to try again. His appeal concludes: 'Believe me Ladies, Love is the greatest Beautifier of polite and delicate conversation and gives ... the sweetest happiness to the Human Soul. Love therefore and Love me, because I have the warmest love for you. Note. A line directed to H.P. to be left at the Bar of Nando's Coffee-house will be received and answered. P.S.—If the letter subscribed by J.L. is not a delusion, the fair one is desired to be more explicit with respect to the place appointed.' (Thompson—Love, Marriage and Romance in Old London, 1936.)

1752–67

Edward Thurlow (1731–1806), later lord chancellor, was admitted a member of the Inner Temple 9 Jan. 1752. The D.N.B. remarks that 'he was never a hard student' and usually spent the morning hours in reading, and in the evening frequently strayed no farther from his chambers than Nando's coffee-house. It was here, that he expressed a strong opinion in 1767, on the famous Douglas v. Hamilton case, which being overheard led to his being retained for the appeal.

1766

William Hickey relates in his Memoirs being sent by his father to find Mr. Thurlow, and after doing the usual round of the 'taverns and coffee-houses in Chancery Lane, Fleet Street, and that part of the town' in vain, 'called upon the Bar-maid at Nando's, with whom I was a favourite and entreated her to tell me where Mr. Thurlow was ... by a little coaxing I got the secret, and proceeded to the Rolls Tavern ...' where by following a waiter with 'half a dozen of red sealed port into No. 3' ran Mr. Thurlow to earth. Hickey mentions that 'The Bar-maid at Nando's was the cher ami of Mr. Thurlow, with whom she continued all her life, and was by many supposed to have been his wife. She bore him two daughters ....' (Memoirs of William Hickey. I. 57–59).

1769

Nando's Coffee-house figured in connexion with the excitement caused by the activities of John Wilkes. His expulsion from the House of Commons in January 1764; his subsequent arrest and committal to the King's Bench; his publication of letters concerning the massacre outside the prison; his election, expulsion, re-election and further expulsion from the House early in 1769, led to a clash between his supporters and his opponents, at Temple Bar, that forced a Mr. Boehm and others to take refuge from the mob, in Nando's Coffee House. (Wilkes & The City—Treloar. D.N.B.) 'Nandos Coffee House' is depicted on a print entitled 'The Battle of Temple Bar' when 'the inferior' of Wilkes's supporters break up a procession of 'loyal' City merchants on 22 March, 1769. The print is in Guildhall Library.

c. 1770

The Memoirs of Joseph Cradock (1742–1826) give an insight to Nando's where he says: 'There was no one who could supply coffee or punch better than Mrs. Humphries; and her fair daughter was always admired at the Bar, and By the bar.'      Wheatley quotes from Anstey's 'Pleaders' Guide':

Alas, how low his pocket grows!
He cruises oft at Will's or Joe's,
And oft, as many a greater man does,
Eats, drinks, and falls asleep at Nando's.

1782

A press notice in Guildhall Library, headed 'Joe's Coffee House & Tavern' brings to light a domestic change at Nando's: 'Matthew Stanger from Nandoe's Fleet Street, Nephew to the late Mr. Davis of Joe's Coffee House Mitre Court Fleet Street, begs leave to inform his friends and the public in general that he has taken the said Coffee House and fitted it up in the neatest and genteelest manner as a Coffee House and Tavern.... '

1793

Roach's London Pocket Pilot, 1793: 'Nando's is a good room but there is not much pleasantry in the general aspect. This remark may however arise from prejudice for in this coffee house assemble the most disagreeable class of people on earth, namely attornies.'

1796–99

The directories 1796, list Nandoes Coffee house, Fleet Street. In 1798, as Nando's near Temple Bar. Proprietor—G. Grange. Lowndes directory 1799, lists Nando's Coffee House, 14 Fleet Street; possibly to confound the research of Mr. Philip Norman, 103 years later, when he proved conclusively that Nando's stood on the site of No. 15! To me, a change in Nando's is indicated between 1782 and 1793; the 'good room' mentioned in 1793 rather points to a shrinkage in the premises. Did the house remove from No. 15 to No. 14? A Plan shewing the site of Nando's is given in a paper by Philip Norman to Notes & Queries, 5 July, 1930.      The Guildhall Library houses some Notes: 'Nando's Coffee House and the Rainbow in Fleet Street' by Philip Norman, Treas. S.A. Also a photograph bearing legend 'Nando's Coffee House also Prince Henry's House' but no date.      Besant, 1902, in 'London in the 18th Century' refers to Nando's 'afterwards called Cardinal Wolsey's Palace....' Ashton, writing in 1897, says that Nando's is 'now a hairdresser's'.

857 Nando's Coffee House "at the corner of Inner Temple Gate"; "between the two Temple Gates"; "Temple Bar" c1660s–1790s; Nando's 14 Fleet Street 1799.