Sun Tavern

Sun Tavern

The Sonn Taverne, in Billingsgate Ward, 1491–2 (Records of St. Mary at Hill, p. 174).

In the parish of St. Mary at Hill (p. 380).

The Sun Tavern in New Fish Street.

The Sun Tavern stood on the east side of Fish Street Hill, just a little to the south of St. Margaret’s church, and north of the Mermaid (the Monument now stands on the site of St. Margaret’s, which was destroyed in the fire of 1666). The earliest reference to the tavern is in 1429, and the last in 1752.

The rents in 1638 show the Sun amongst its neighbours on the east side of Fish Street (starting from Eastcheap at the north and progressing southward toward London Bridge):

 

Fish Street The East Side.	£
Mr. Slaid, at the plow, a house and shop	16
Mr. Beale, next above the Starr, a house and shop	26
Mr. Mollins, at the Starr, an Inn	50
Mr. Shipton, next below the Starr, a house and shop	26
Mr. Wyne, a shop next to the Church porch	6
Mr. Wyne, a shop next above the Sun Tavern	6
Mr. Padnall, at the Sunn, a Tavern	30
Mr. Meryfeild, next above the Sun Tavern, house and shop	12
Mr. Taylor, at the Pomgrant, house and shop	16
Mr. Nicholas Houghton, at the Mermaid, house and shop	20
Mr. Nicholas Houghton, junior, at the Plow, house and shop	14
Mr. Downes, at the Blue Boar, house and shop	20
Mr. Thomson, at the Ship, house and shop	12
Church Yard.
Mr. Bennett, a house	40
Mr. Wyne, a house	6
Thomas Lythall, Clark, a house	6

—T.C. Dale, "Inhabitants of London in 1638: St. Margaret's, New Fish Street,"
in The Inhabitants of London in 1638 (London, 1931), 101–3. British History Online.

Samuel Pepys mentions visiting the tavern on several occasions:

10 March 1660
In the morning went to my father, whom I took in his cutting-house; and there I told him my resolution to go to sea with my Lord, and consulted with him how to dispose of my wife; and at last resolved of letting her be at Mr. Bowyer’s. Thence to the Treasurer of the Navy, where I received 500l. for my Lord; and having left 200 of it with Mr. Rawlinson at his house for Sheply, I went with the rest to the Sun taverne on Fish-street hill, where Mr. Hill, Stevens and Mr. Hater of the Navy Office had invited me; where we had good discourse and a fine breakfast of Mr. Hater. Then by coach home, where I took occasion to tell my wife of my going to sea, who was much troubled thereat and was with some dispute at last willing to continue at Mr. Bowyer’s in my absence.—The Diary of Samuel Pepys Volume 1, ed. Robert Latham and William Matthews (University of California Press, 2000), 84.

15 March 1660
So into London by water; and in Fish-street my wife and I bought a bit of salmon of 8d. and went to the Sun tavern and eat it, where I did promise to give her all that I have in the world but my books, in case I should die at sea. From thence homewards; in the way, my wife bought linen for three smocks and other things.—Ibid., 87—8.

1 August 1660
After I had signed all, I went with Dicke Scobell and Luellin to drink at a bottle-beer house in the Strand; and after staying there a while (having sent W. Ewre home before), I took boat and homewards went, and in Fish-street bought a lobster; and as I had bought it I met with Winter and Mr. Delabarr and there, with a piece of Sturgeon of theirs, we went to the Sun tavern in that street and eat them. Late home and to bed.—Ibid., 212.

22 December 1660
All the morning with my paynters—who will make and end of all this day, I hope. At noon I went to the Sun tavern on Fish-streete Hill to a dinner of Captain Teddimans, where was my Lord Inchiquin (who seems to be a very find person), Sir W. Pen, Captain Cuttance, and one Mr. Lawrence (a fine gentleman now going to Algier) and other good company; where we have a very find dinner, good Musique and a great deal of Wine. We stayed here very late: at last Sir W. Pen and I home together, he so overgone with wine that he could hardly go. I was forced to lead him through the street and he was in a very merry and kind moode. I home (found my house clear of the workmen and their work ended), my head akeing all night.—Ibid., 321.

6 November 1661
Going forth this morning, I met Mr. Davenport and a friend of his, one Mr. Furbisher, to drink their morning draught with me; and I did give it them in good wine, and anchoves, and pickled oysters; and took them to the Sun in fishstreete and there did give them a barrel of good ones and a great deal of wine, and sent for Mr. W. Bernard (Sir Robts. son, a grocer thereabouts) and were very merry; and cost me a good deal of money. And at noon left them, with my head full of wine; and being invited by a note from Luellin that came to my hand this morning in bed, I went to Nick. Osborne’s at the Victualling Office and there saw his wife, who he hath lately married, a good sober woman, and new-come to their house.—Ibid., Volume 7, 208.

8 November 1661
Thence to Westminster-hall (it being tearme time) and there met with Commissioner Pett; and so at noon he and I by appointment to the Sun in new fish-street, where Sir J. Minnes, Sir Wm. Batten and we all were to dine at an invitation of Captain Stoakes and Captain Clerke, and were very merry; and by discourse I find Sir J. Mennes a fine gentleman and a very good scholler.—Ibid., Volume 7, 210.

14 November 1661
At the office all the morning. At noon I went by appointment to the Sun in Fish=street to a dinner of young Mr. Bernards for myself, Mr. Phillips, Davenport, Weaver, &c:, where we had a most excellent dinner, but a pie of such pleasant variety of good things as in all my life I never tasted. Hither came to me Captain Lambert to take his leave of me, he being this day to set sail for the Straights. We drank his farewell and a health to all our friends; and were very merry and drank wine enough.—Ibid., 213–14.

5 April 1666
To the office, where the falseness and impertinencies of Sir W Pen would make a man mad to think of. At noon would have avoided, but could not, dining with my Lord Brouncker and his mistress with Captain Cocke at the Sun tavern in Fish-street; where a good dinner, but the woman doth tire me. And endeed, to see how simply my Lord Brouncker (who is otherwise a wise man) doth proceed at the [office] table in serving of Cocke, without any means of understanding in his proposal or defence when opposed, would make a man think him a fool.—Ibid., Volume 7, 91.

George Berry provides an account of the tavern in Taverns and Tokens of Pepys’ London (1978), 95–6:

The deeds of the house go back to 1429, when John Pirveys, John Fray and others were granted “all that tenement called the Sunne in the parish of St. Margaret Bridge Street. …” The Sun was one of the forty permitted London taverns of 1553. The earliest positively identified vintner was Nicholas Hicks who kept the tavern from 1594 to 1615. This period coincided approximately with Shakespeare’s stay in London. Hicks was a searcher of the Vintner’s Company throughout the period, and was Upper Warden in 1616 and Warden in 1618–19. He was Churchwarden of St Margarets in 1596. During his year of office he paid for the plastering of the church on the south side and also for 'the little window adjoininge to the pulpett to give lighte to the sonne—at his owne propper cost'.

It was customary sometimes for individuals to hire cellars of taverns and carry on trade as vintners in their own name. The Sun was so used in 1609. A presentment reads 'At the Sunne in Fish-stret in the cellar of Richard Aldrich—some 'Muscadell and White Wyne' was found defective'.

The Churchwardens’ accounts of St Margaret’s have enabled Dr Rogers to trace the vintners from 1639 onwards, as there was an annual receipt of £13.6.8. rent to the Church for the tavern. Thomas Dudley succeeded Hicks. Dudley eventually took over the celebrated 'Mitre in Cheap’. The issuer of the farthing was Thomas Padnoll. Communion Wine was purchased from him from 1636 onwards. Padnoll must have played an active part in the Civil War for he was addressed as Lieutenant-Colonel after 1660. He rebuilt the tavern after it had been consumed in the Fire. Throughout his tenancy of the Sun, Padnoll was a prominent member of the Vintners’ Company, and in 1660 became Warden. He occupied the tavern during the time of Pepys’ frequent visits. It is not surprising to find the diarist and his friends eating salmon, lobster, sturgeon, anchovies and pickled oysters at this New Fish Street tavern.

Ben Jonson knew the Sun. Herrick composed the following lines and sent them to his friend,
 

’Ah Ben!
Say how or when
Shall we thy guests
Meet at those lyric feasts,
Made at the Sun,
The Dog, the Tripple Tunne?'

The Accounts of St Magnus continued to record rents received from the Sun Tavern on Fish Street Hill right until 1752.

(2015) Obv. Y^E . SUN . TAVERNE . IN = the sun.             Rev. NEW . FISHE . STREET . 57 = T.E.P.

1. "Thomas Padnoll at y^e Sun in Newfish Street" (Vintners' poll). Thomas Padnoll and Elizabeth Jackson were married at St. Dionis' in 1636. The tavern adjoined the churchyard of St. Margaret's on the south side.

14085 "The Sonne New fish strete". Tavern 1553–1657; "Sun Tavern on Fish Street Hill"; "Fish Street"; "Sun in New Fish St"; "Sun Taverne in Fish Streete" 1659–60s probably burnt in the Fire 1666. "Fish Street Sun" 1672; "Sun Fish Street Hill". Tavern 1736–53.