Rainbow Coffee House

1047 Rainbow Coffee House Cornhill 1702–60s; No. 34 1767–c1830s. Rainbow Tavern 76 Cornhill 1826–27.

1047. Rainbow Coffee House, Cornhill. No. 34 (1767): No. 76 (1826).

1702–14

Is included in Ashton's list who mentions the first advertisement on 1709 life insurance noted by him, dated 1709: 'The Office of Assurance of Money upon Lives is at the Rainbow Coffee House in Cornhill, where Men or Women may Subscribe on their own Lives for the benefit of their Children, or other Person's Lives for the benefit of themselves, and have them approv'd without their Knowledge, paying 10s. Entrance, and 10s. towards the first Claim, for each life, and shall have a policy for £1,000 for each Life subscribed upon the said Society. This Office may be proper for such Persons as have Annuities, Estates, or Places for Life; and for such Persons to make Assurance upon Lives where Debts are dubious if the Person die. This Office will assure Money much Cheaper per cent than private Persons.'

1719–20

The 'Weekly Journal' January 1719–20, quotes various projects being advertised at taverns and coffee-houses to attract investors in the 'bubble' schemes of the time. Included are the following: 'For granting annuities by way of survivorship, and providing for widows, orphans, &c., at the Rainbow Cornhill—£1,200,000.' 'For settling and carrying on a trade to Germany—£1,200,000, at the Rainbow.' 'For importing oils and materials for the woollen manufactory, permits 10s. each—Rainbow.'

1721

'Daily Post' 12 Sep. 1721: A Kitt, a small violin in a case for the pocket was lost on Friday the 8th instant in the road between Whitechapel Church and Mile End. If the person who has found it will bring it to the Rainbow Coffee House in Cornhill he shall have three half crowns reward.

'Daily Post' 18 Oct. 1721: Any person that is disposed to put their son or friend apprentice to a goldsmith in London may be informed at the Rainbow Coffee House in Cornhill of a person of good business that wants one.

1742

John Vere, Corn-cutter, at the 'White Peruke' three doors from May's Buildings, advertises his attendance at the Rainbow Coffee-house, Cornhill, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 'cutting and curing of Corns, cutting of Nails, and also infallibly cures Warts of any kind, having great Skill therein'. (Quarterly Review—1742.)

1744

'London Daily Post' 21 Feb. 1744: This Day is published ... Pharmacopoeia Reformata. ... Printed for and sold by R. Willock, at Sir Isaac Newton's Head, in the Front of the Rainbow Coffee-house in Cornhill.

1748

The Rainbow was destroyed in the fire on Cornhill on 25th March, 1748 Its site is shewn on the Plan of the Fire, on the south side of Cornhill, two doors west of Birchin Lane, and coupled with the name of 'Willocks, Books'. The fire is reported in contemporary press, and the 'Gentleman's Magazine', March, 1748. Three days later 'At a court of common Gouncil a motion was made. That the court of Lord Mayor & Aldermen be empowered to permit as many non-freeman in the building business, to be employed in rebuilding the houses destroyed by the late fire in Cornhill as to them shall seem necessary: any law, to the contrary notwithstanding.'

1753

The Rainbow was rebuilt, and appears in the directories for 1753, but what became of the coffee-house during the rebuilding, I have not yet discovered. The Proprietor was probably accommodated nearby.

1753–1830s

The directories consistently list the Rainbow Coffee-house for the 1754–57 next 77 years or so. The George Masonic Lodge met here 1754–57.

1767

On the numbering of houses in 1767, Kents directory lists the Rainbow as No. 34, Cornhill. The house was undoubtedly popular and a busy one. Its frequenters engaged in shipping and mercantile business; traders listed in the directories using the house as a business address are mostly described as merchants, or brokers, with a sprinkling of miscellaneous titles such as factors, silk-brokers, &c.

1772

Advertisements for the 'Morning Post & Daily Advertising Pamphlet' were taken in at the Rainbow Coffee House. The issue for 6 Nov. 1772, advertises a Warehouse to Let 'apply for particulars to the Rainbow Coffee House, Cornhill'.

1786

Tickets for the Lord Mayor's Ball on Easter Monday, and his feast and ball on the 9th November, were to be had 'by applying to any alderman or common council man. They are now and then to be purchased by applying to John the Waiter, at the Rainbow Coffee House, Cornhilr. (Besant, 1902.)

1788

An interesting advertisement appears in the 'Gazetteer & New Daily Advertiser' 26 Feb. 1788. A Sale by Mr. Christie: 'On the Premises this Day, All the remaining Stock in Trade, models, pieces of machinery, particularly Winstanley's Perpetual Motion, improved; pictures, china, books, glass-cases, nest-of-drawers, tools, &c. &c., of the late Mr. Christopher Pinchbeck, deceased. At his dwelling house Cockspur Street, Charing Cross. The whole to be sold without reserve, the present Possessor removing to Bond-street ... Catalogues may be had at the Rainbow Coffee-house, Cornhill....'

1793–95

Roach's London Pocket Pilot, 1793: 'If the stranger has a curiosity to behold a modern copy of Old Jerusalem, let him turn into the Rainbow and the twelve tribes of Israel strikingly epitomized will present themselves, dark beards and dirty faces in abundance.' Two years later, mention is made to 'Honest Jerry the High Priest' at the Rainbow, described as 'frequented by Jews'.

1796

The closing years of the 18th century was marked by the coffee-houses competing for the auction-sale business. As at Garraway's in nearby Exchange Alley, auction sales at the Rainbow were almost a daily feature, Mr. Christie favoured the Rainbow, and 'The Times' for 9 Nov. 1796, carries no less than nine advertisements announcing sales to be conducted by him. The items include an unexpired Lease & contents of a property opposite Hyde Park; contents of a house at Bromley, Kent; a freehold property near Chelmsford; a freehold at Mickleham, Surrey; and other properties. Another sale by Mr. Christie advertised 'at his great Room Pall Mall' for 10th November, a freehold in Norfolk 'particulars to be obtained at the Rainbow'.

1797

In 1797, the British Director: Rainbow Coffee House by Jeremiah Hargrave in Cornhill is frequented by the principal Merchants and brokers in general, but in particular by those in the drug trade. [Note—Jeremiah Hargrave is possibly 'Honest Jerry the High Priest' mentioned in 1795.]

1803

In 1803, the Rainbow is described as 'Frequented by merchants and brokers in general. Dinners at four o'clock. Good wines and Lodgings.'

1809–13

In 1809–11 the Proprietor is given as Legge. The directories for 1813 list the Rainbow as the address of Thos. Wakefield, Drug-Broker. Pigot's directory 1826–27 gives Rainbow Tavern, 76, Cornhill. Proprietor—Robert Sugden. Rainbow Coffee-house is still mentioned in 'Picture of London' 1833 edition; not always reliable.

1840

In Tallis's Plan of the houses in Cornhill about 1840, No. 34, Cornhill which housed the Rainbow, is shewn to be occupied by 'Waghorn & Co. India and Australia Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.—Waghorn & Co. Egyptian offices.'

Thomas Fletcher Waghorn developed the Overland Route for mails to India and the East. His plans brought him into contact with the Post Office authorities; Waghorn himself was a frequenter of the Jerusalem Coffee House a few yards from No. 34 Cornhill. The directory listing of the Rainbow Tavern in 1826-7 at No. 76 Cornhill may indicate a removal of the house to the north side of Cornhill, as Horwood's map 1799 shews No. 76 east of Finch Lane. But there still remains the 1833 listing of Rainbow Coffee-house.

More information is needed to connect the Rainbow at No. 34 with the one at No. 76, and to determine the end of the Rainbow Coffee-house of which I find no trace in directories from 1833 to 1840.