Bedford Head Tavern

The Bedford Head, Covent Garden.

Was a luxurious refectory, in Southampton-street, whose epicurism is commemorated by Pope:—

"Let me extol a cat on oysters fed,
I'll have a party at the Bedford Head."
2nd Sat. of Horace, 2nd Bk.

"When sharp with hunger, scorn you to be fed
Except on pea-chicks, at the Bedford Head?"

Pope, Sober Advice.

Walpole refers to a great supper at the Bedford Head, ordered by Paul Whitehead, for a party of gentlemen dressed like sailors and masked, who, in 1741, on the night of Vernon's birthday, went round Covent Garden with a drum, beating up for a volunteer mob; but it did not take.

Bedford Head, "a noted tavern for eating, drinking, and gaming, in Southampton Street, Covent Garden."¹ It existed as early as 1716, when it is referred to in an advertisement as "The Duke of Bedford's Head Tavern in Southampton Street, Covent Garden."² In 1760–1770 it was kept by Wildman, the brother-in-law of Horne Tooke, and at one time an intimate friend of John Wilkes. His commission to purchase "a little Welsh horse," for which Wilkes never paid, figures in the letter from "Junius to the Rev. Mr. Horne" of July 24, 1771. In his defence Wilkes says, "I had long known Mr. Wildman and for several years belonged to a club which met once a week at the Bedford Head."³

I believe I told you that Vernon's birthday passed quietly, but it was not designed to be pacific; for at twelve at night, eight gentlemen dressed like sailors, and masked, went round Covent Garden with a drum beating up for a volunteer mob; but it did not take; and they retired to a great supper that was prepared for them at the Bedford Head, and ordered by Whitehead, the author of Manners.—Walpole to Mann, November 23, 1741.

Let me extol a cat on oysters fed;
I'll have a party at the Bedford Head.
Pope, 2d Sat. of Horace, B. ii.

When sharp with hunger, scorn you to be fed,
Except on pea-chicks at the Bedford Head?
Pope, Sober Advice.

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¹ Edmund Curll (1736), note on Pope's Sober Advice.
² London Gazette, June 23–26, 1716.
³ Letters of Junius, vol. i. p. 367.

[Bedford Head Tavern.] If the testimony of Pope is to be trusted, the cuisine of the Bedford Head, which was described in 1736 as "a noted tavern for eating, drinking, and gaming, in Southampton Street, Covent Garden," was decidedly out of the ordinary. In his imitation of the second satire of Horace he makes Oldfield, the notorious glutton who exhausted a fortune of fifteen hundred pounds a year in the "simple luxury of good eating," declare,

"Let me extol a Cat, on oysters fed,
    I'll have a party at the Bedford-head."

And in another poem he asks,

"When sharp with hunger, scorn you to be fed,
Except on pea-chicks at the Bedford-head?"

There is an earlier reference to this house than the one cited above, for an advertisement of June, 1716, alludes to it as "the Duke of Bedford's Head Tavern in Southampton Street, Covent Garden." Perhaps the most notable event in its history was it being the scene of an abortive attempt to repeat in 1741 that glorification of Admiral Vernon which was a great success in 1740. That seaman, it will be remembered, had in 1739 kept his promise to capture Porto Bello with a squadron of but six ships. That the capture was effected with the loss of but seven men made the admiral a popular hero, and in the following year his birthday was celebrated in London with great acclaim. But in 1740 his attempt to seize Cartagena ended in complete failure, and another enterprise against Santiago came to a similar result. All this, however, did not daunt his personal friends, who wished to engineer another demonstration in Vernon's honour. Horace Walpole tells how the attempt failed. "I believe I told you," he wrote to one of his friends, "that Vernon's birthday passed quietly, but it was not designed to be pacific; for at twelve at night, eight gentlemen dressed like sailors, and masked, went round Covent Garden with a drum beating for a volunteer mob; but it did not take; and they retired to a great supper that was prepared for them at the Bedford Head, and ordered by Whitehead, the author of 'Manners.'" At a later date it was the meeting-place of a club to which John Wilkes belonged.

In all London there is probably no thoroughfare of equal brief length which can boast so many deeply interesting associations as Maiden Lane, which stretches between Southampton and Bedford Streets in the vicinity of Covent Garden. Andrew Marvell had lodgings here in 1677; Voltaire made it his headquarters on his visit to London in 1727; it was the scene of the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1775; and while one tavern was the rendezvous of the conspirators against the life of William III, another was the favourite haunt of Richard Porson, than whom there is hardly a more illustrious name in the annals of English classical scholarship.

[Bedford Head Tavern.] Of the eighty building leases for Bedford Ground, twenty-six were granted to persons unconnected with the building trade, doubtless as nominees of the undertakers who actually built the houses. These undertakers, to whom the remaining leases were granted, were builders,² some of whom had been engaged to build the Duke's own houses in Southampton Street. Two taverns are known to have been built, the Bedford Head on the south corner of Tavistock Street and Southampton Street, and the Salutation in Tavistock Street.¹⁶

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² Bricklayers, John Curtis of St. Martin's, William Diamond of St. James's, Thomas Martin of St. Martin's, John Phillips, citizen of London, John Prince junior of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, and of St. Giles's; carpenters, Thomas Barlow of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, John Foltrop, Abraham Jordan, Benjamin Payne, citizens of London, Thomas Rathbone of St. Marylebone, William Sudbury of St. Mary le Savoy; glazier, Thomas Harriott of St. Anne's; joiners, John Chaplin of St. Anne's, citizen of London, Thomas Sams of St. Clement Danes; painter, John Pincke of St. Paul's, Covent Garden; plasterer, John Blenco, citizen of London; plumber, Gray Sambach of St. Paul's, Covent Garden. The surveyor, Nicholas Launce, took two leases in which he was described as of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, gentleman.

¹⁶ E/BER, Tavistock Street, lease of 14 May 1708 to W. Holmes; Southampton Street, leases of 10 April 1708 to F. Oakeley, 14 May 1708 to W. Holmes; R. B.; G.L.R.O.(M), LV(W) 12/9, 16.

[Bedford Head Tavern.] From c. 1708 there was a tavern at the south corner with Tavistock Street called the Bedford Head¹² (No. 14 on fig. 32). In 1745 it was used for masonic lodge meetings¹³ and in November 1749 'The Grand Clubb for promoting the Arts of Drawing painting etc' met there 'to settle the preliminaries for the Establishment of an Accademy in London' but nothing materialized from the meeting.¹⁴

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¹² Ibid. [E/BER, Misc. Estate Papers], Southampton Street, lease of 14 May 1708 to W. Holmes.
¹³ Bryant Lillywhite, London Coffee Houses, 1963, p. 671.
¹⁴ Walpole Society, vol. 30, 1955 (George Vertue Note Book VI), p. 150; Sidney Hutchinson, The History of the Royal Academy 1768–1968, 1968, p. 31.

Three of the Gentlemen concern’d in the Action at the Duke of Bedford’s Head Tavern in Tavistoke Street, where the Drawer was run thro’ on Saturday Night last, are in Custody, and we hear there were two more belonging to the Company, who made their Escape, and that he who actually did the Fact is dangerously ill in Prison, being himself very much wounded by one of the Servants of the House.—Daily Post 11, Thursday, October 15, 1719.

Mr. Jephson, Master of the Bedford-Head Tavern in Bedford-street, Covent Garden, is appointed one of the principal Purveyors of Wine to his Majesty’s Houshold.—London Evening Post 1075, October 8–10, 1734.

Last Week was married Mr. Wildman, Master of the Bedford-Head Tavern, Covent-Garden, and the Long Room at Scarborough, to Miss Horn of Newport-Market, an agreeable young Lady with a handsome Fortune.—London Evening Post 4211, November 5–7, 1754.

Simons from Almack's, begs Leave to acquaint the Nobility, Gentry, &c. that he has taken the Bedford Head Tavern, in Southampton-Street (late Wildman's) and most humbly hopes to be favoured with their Commands.—Gazetteer and London Daily Advertiser 10 870, Thursday, January 19, 1764.

To be Sold by Auction by Mr. Langford and Son,At their House in the Great Piazza, Covent-Garden, in a few Days,
The Lease of a large Messuage or Tenement, situate in Southampton-Street, Covent-Garden, commonly called and known by the Name of
     The Bedford-Head Tavern
The said Messuage is in good Repair, genteely fitted up and held of his Grace of Bedford, for a Term of Years, which expires at Lady-Day, 1798, subject to a Ground-Rent of 30l. 15s. per Annum, out of which Land-Tax is allowed; and also to a Rector's Rate, payable in Lieu of Tythes. The Premises are now under Lease to Mr. Hartley, for the Term of 7, 11, or 21 Years, from the Christmas 1767 (determinable at the Option of either Party, at either of the three different Periods) at the yearly Rent of 130l. Land-Tax deducted.
     Further Notice of the Days of Viewing and Sale will be given in this Paper.
Daily Advertiser 13010, Thursday, September 3, 1772.

Last Friday died Mr. Hartley, master of the Bedford Head Tavern in Southampton-street, Covent Garden.—London Chronicle 2781, October 4–6, 1774.