Pyed Bull Inn

Pyed Bull Inn

The site of the Old Pied Bull, at the opposite corner of Theberton Street, is historic. Taken down in the year 1827, the original tavern, an irregularly built house of timber and plaster with a thatched roof containing several windows, marvellously carved ceilings and chimney pieces and a stained-glass window depicting sea-horses, mermaids, parrots, etc., in allusion to a great navigator and discoverer of unknown countries, was believed to have been the town mansion of Sir Walter Raleigh after his return to these shores from Virginia. This appears the more probable seeing that at the time he held his royal mistress's authority "to make lycences for keeping of taverns and retayling of wynes throughout England," and the Queen's Head in the Lower (or Essex) Road, evolved out of the summer residence of Elizabeth's favourite, the Earl of Essex, and the occasional resort of Her Majesty, was the first inn so licensed by him and privileged to display the portrait of "Good Queen Bess" on the forecourt signpost. In the great bay window of the Queen's Head the introducer of tobacco into this country was wont to smoke his pipe, but the story of being discovered by his servant emitting smoke from his mouth and nostrils, and promptly deluged with a pailful of water (unless we accept the version of the "drawer" rather than the man-servant), could have related to no other place than the parlour of the subsequent Old Pied Bull.

As to whether this tavern or the one at Holloway bearing the same sign was the scene of the spread of the Great Plague from London Tower into the environs, the opinions of antiquaries are at variance. Defoe tells us of a sick citizen who broke out of his house in Aldersgate Street, and passing on to Islington, was refused a lodging for the night at the Angel and at the White Horse; and eventually contented himself with a garret at the Pied Bull. In the morning the maid found him stiff and stark in bed, and at once fell ill of sheer fright. The infection quickly spread to other houses, so that out of seventeen deaths in Islington the following week, fourteen succumbed to the dread scourge. Hence it is reasonable to assume that the altogether too distant Holloway inn or tavern, if, indeed, it existed during the days of the Merry Monarch, was not in Defoe's mind whilst writing his graphic "History of the Plague." When the south side of the Upper Street inn was open to public view, it bore a figure of a pied bull in stone relief and the date 1730, doubtless that of some addition to the original mansion. Concerning the Queen's Head in the Lower Road, which was demolished in the year 1829, the magnificent mantelpiece, surmounted by a bust of Queen Bess, the oak wainscoting and the carved ceiling were bought in at the sale of effects by Mr. Bird, its landlord, and most felicitously worked into the present-day tavern.

Old Pied Bull Inn

Behind Frederick-place, a row of modern houses, is the site of a famous mansion of olden time—the Pied Bull Inn—which was pulled down about fifteen years ago, and appeared to have been built in the reign of Elizabeth. The parlour, on the right of the entrance from the street, seems to have been a principal room, and was accordingly ornamented in the prevailing taste of that age: a window in it, looking into the garden, contained the arms of Sir John Miller, knight of Islington and Devon, impaling those of Grigg, of Suffolk; and in the kitchen were the reamins of the same arms, with the date 1624, and another coat; also several fragments of heraldry, which had been misplaced at different times, in repairing the windows. The first-mentioned arms in the parlour window were enclosed within an ornamental border, each side of which consisted of two mermaids, each crested with a globe; the upper part of the border, of two sea-horses supporting a bunch of green-leaves over the shield; and the lower part, of a green and grey parrot, the former eating fruit. Adjoining to this, in the same window, was another compartment, representing a green parrot perched on a wreath, under a pediment, within a border of figures and flowers, but which does not seem to have been intended for any ensign.

The chimney-piece of this room contained the figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with their usual insignia, in niches, surrounded by a border of cherubim, fruit, and foliage. The central figure, Charity, was surmounted by two cupids supporting a crown and head; beneath, a lion and unicorn couchant; a device probably introduced by the artist in compliment to the reigning sovereign, Elizabeth. The ceiling displayed a personification of the five senses in stucco, with Latin mottoes underneath, as follows: —1. An oval in the centre contained a female figure holding a serpent, twining round her right arm, and biting the hand, while in her left-hand was a stick, the point of which rested on the back of a toad at her feet: the motto of this was "TACTVS." Around the principal figure, in smaller ovals, were, 2. A female bearing fruit under her left arm, of which she was eating, as was also an ape seated at her feet, with the word "GVSTVS." 3. Another figure, holding a vizard; at its feet a cat and a hawk, with the motto "VISVS." 4. A figure playing on the lute, with a stag listening, and the motto "AVDITVS." 5. The last figure was standing in a garden, and holding a bouquet of flowers; at her feet was a dog, and the motto "OLFACTVS."

It is the general tradition, that this house was the residence of the brave, but unfortunate Sir Walter Ralegh, who was beheaded in the reign of James I.; and from the strength and antiquity of the story, which may be traced back a century and a half; and from the circumstance of the village having been frequented by his royal mistress, and inhabited by several worthies of that queen's time, there is great reason to believe that the tradition is not altogether without foundation. It is true that the arms of Sir Walter have never been found on the premises, while those of Sir John Miller (who certainly resided here in the reign of James) remained till the edifice was pulled down; these arms, however, bear date eight years after Sir Walter was beheaded, which was most likely the time when Sir John Miller came to reside there. If these premises were ever inhabited by Ralegh, it must necessarily have been previously to his commitment to the Tower in 1603, and therefore, it may be presumed, twenty-three years before the occupation of the house by Sir John Miller.

It is, indeed, not improbable that the arms of Sir Walter may have occupied the same border that afterwards contained the arms of the other knight, as such a change could have been easily effected at any time in a leaden casement window. This conjecture is somewhat strengthened by the nature of the border, which was composed of sea-horses, mermaids, parrots, &c., forming a most appropriate allusion to the character of Ralegh as a great navigator and discoverer of unknown countries; and the bunch of green leaves, before mentioned, has been generally asserted to represent the tobacco-plant, of which he is said to have been the first importer into this country.

The date of this illustrious man's residence here (if such a conclusion may be drawn from the circumstances we have stated) must have been when he was in high favour with his queen, and, perhaps, when his various avocations allowed him but little opportunity to be the permanent inhabitant of the place; or he might have built the house, at this period, for his future retirement, and never have inhabited it, which fact alone was sufficient for tradition to connect his name with the premises. The following circumstances are related by the author of a Life of Sir Walter Raleigh, published a century ago:—

"There is no farther from London than Islington, about a bow's shot on this side the church, which though, I think, it has no such evidences remaining upon its walls, ceilings, or windows, that will prove him to have been the owner, the arms that are seen there, above a hundred years old, being of a succeeding inhabitant, is yet popularly reported to have been a villa of his. For the present tenant affirms, his landlord was possessed of some old account books, by which it appears, beyond all doubt, this house and fourteen acres of land, now let at about 70l. per annum, did belong to Sir Walter Raleigh, and that the oldest man in the parish would often declare his father had told him Sir Walter had purposed to wall in that ground with intention to keep some of his horses therein; further, that some husbandmen, ploughing up the same a few years since, found several pieces of Queen Elizabeth's money, whereof they brought (whatever they might reserve to themselves) about four score shillings to their master, the said tenant, in whose hands I have seen of the said coin. As for the house, it is and has been for many years an inn; so that what it was is not clearly to be judged from its present outward appearance, it being much impaired or very coarsely repaired, and diminished perhaps from what it might be when persons of distinction lived in it. However, there are within side some spacious rooms. The parlour was painted round the uppermost part of the wainscoat, in about a dozen panels, with Scripture histories, but now so old and decayed as to be scarcely distinguishable. There is also a noble dining-room, the ceiling of which is all overwrought in plastick or fret-work, with representations of the five senses; and the chimney piece with the three principal Christian virtues. But the arms in the window as well as in that of the hall are by the present inhabitants erroneously called Sir Walter Raleigh's, there being a date under one of the coats which shows that it was anealed six years after his death; so that we are not sure the decorations aforesaid were done by his direction, or that others more rich and elegant were not in their stead before them."

Upon the whole, it appears that this house was originally either the property or residence of the illustrious Sir Walter Ralegh,—one who combined almost every variety of talent, whose scientific attainments were marvellous, and whose heroic courage and indomitable perseverance are almost without parallel. No difficulties could check and no failure chill his enterprise; and while he excelled in feats of arms and in strength of counsel, he surpassed also in thos arts which are the more exclusive produce of peace and retirement,—history, oratory, philosophy, politics, and poetry. In short, "a warrior both by sea and land—a statesman, a navigator, and discoverer of new countries,—an accomplished courtier, a scholar, and eloquent writer,—a sweet and true poet, and a munificent patron of letters,—there is scarcely one of the aspects in which we view him were he does not shine with a remarkable brightness." His unjust and cruel execution took place 29th October, 1618.

At what time this house was converted into an inn does not appear. The sign of the Pied Bull worked in relief on the front towards the south end bore the date 1730, which was probably the time when that addition was made to the building.

Pied Bull Inn, Islington.—"At the time [1603] King James passed through Islington, what is now the 'Pied Bull Inn' was the mansion of Sir Walter Ralegh." So declares Nichols (Progresses of K. James I., i. 140) in the year 1828. On the other hand Lysons (Op. cit. iij., 138) affirms this 'tradition' to be 'altogether groundless,' evidently basing this assertion on the following paragraph which he prints as a footnote:—

"Oldys, in his life of Sir Walter Raleigh in the Biographies Britannica, says there is no proof of it; and John Shirley of Islington, who wrote a life also of that celebrated man, says nothing of his residence there."

This statement of Lysons is erroneous and misleading. It is true that Shirley in his Life of Sir W.R., published in 1677, makes no mention of a residence at Islington, but then he omits all reference to any other. Again, Oldys did not write the life in the Biog. Brit., but the actual writer (v. 3475) quotes from Oldys 'that there is no good proof.' It is a very remarkable circumstance that notwithstanding the absence of positive information on the subject, Oldys so far from assenting to Lysons' opinion, appears to hold an exactly contrary one. Here is what he says:—

"There is a house no farther from London than Islington, about a bow's shot on this side of the Church, which, tho' I think it has no such evidences remaining upon its wall, cielings [sic], or windows, that will prove him to have been its ownder, the arms that are seen there, above a hundred years old, being of a succeeding inhabitant; is yet popularly reported to have been a villa of his. For the present tenant affirms, 'his landlord' (Justice Milner, late of Hatton-Garden) 'was possess'd of some old account-books, by which it appears beyond all doubt this house and fourteen acres of land, now let at about seventy pound per Ann., did belong to Sir Walter Ralegh; and that the oldest man in the parish' (Mr. Whitford, as I remember, lately deceas'd) 'would often declare his father had told him, Sir Walter purposed to wall in that ground, with intention to keep some of his horses therein." (Op. cit. lxxiij. iv.)

There is a full description of the house in Nelson's Islington (ed. 1823, 117–123), which contains so much that is interesting on this subject, and tends so greatly to confirm Nichols' opinion that I am tempted to make a long quotation from it:—

"The Old Pied Bull Inn, near the Green, appears from its architecture to have been built in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. The parlour on the right hand of the entrance from the street, seems to have been a principal room, and is ornamented accordingly, in the prevailing taste of that age. A window of this room, contains the arms of Sir John Miller, Knt. of Islington and Devon; impaling those of Grigg of Suffolk. In the kitchen are the remains of the same arms, with the date 1624. . . The first mentioned arms in the parlour window are inclosed within an ornamental border, consisting of two mermaids, each crested with a globe; as many sea-horses supporting a bunch of green leaves over the shield, and the lower part contains a green and a grey parrot, the former eating fruit. Adjoining to this is another compartment in the window, representing a green parrot perched on a wreath, under a pediment, within a border of figures and flower, but which does not seem to have been intended for any armorial design. . . It is the general tradition that this house was the residence of the brave, but unfortunate, Sir Walter Raleigh. . . From the popularity and antiquity of this tradition, which may be traced back for more than [a] century, together with the circumstance of this village being a frequented by his Royal mistress, and inhabited by several worthies of the time of Elizabeth, there is great reason to believe that the report is well founded. It is true that the arms of Sir Walter have never been found on the premises,while those of Sir John Miller, who, it is certain, resided here in the reign of James, are yet to be seen; these arms, however, bear date eight years after Sir Walter was beheaded, probably the time when Sir John Miller came to reside here. . . It is, indeed, not improbable that the arms of Sir Walter may have occupied the same border that now contains the arms of the other Knight, as such a change could have been easily effected at any time in a leaden casement window. This conjecture is somewhat strengthened by this very border; inasmuch as it is composed of sea-horses, mermaids, parrots, &c., which certainly bear an appropriate allusion to the character of Sir Walter, as a great navigator and discoverer of unknown countries. The bunch of green leaves before mentioned has been generally asserted to represent the tobacco plant, of which he is said to have been the first importer into this country." (pp. 117–120.)

(This latter is termed a tobacco plant in an article on the Pied Bull Inn in the Gents. Mag. called "Sir W. Rawlegh's House.") At p. 123, Nelson continues:—

"At what time this house was converted into an inn does not appear. The sign of the Pied Bull, worked in relief on the front towards the S. end, bears the date 1730, probably the time when this additional part was made to the building, for here it is not so ancient nor of the same elevation as the other part of the structure."

Defoe in his History of the Plague mentions it as an inn in 1665.

There is an engraving of the North side of the building (which "seems to have been originally the front") in Nelson's work, p. 117, and another in Thornbury's Old and New London, ij. 258. One taken apparently at a later date, when the house was divided into several tenements, is given in the Gents. Mag. for 1791, p. 17, a woodcut copy of which appears in Whitehead's Life of Sir W.R., p. 106.

There is no direct evidence of Sir Walter having resided in this house, but the tradition and facts above recorded, appear to testify strongly in favor of its probability.