Page 40 - Ian Marshall - London Coffe Houses - Standing Display January 2016

Davis's Coffee House
King's Bench Prison, St. George's Fields, Borough

(1808 - 1829)

This Coffee House, in all probability, succeeded the one known as King's
Bench Coffee House which operated from 1754 to 1808. These premises
were within the debtors prison known as King's Bench Prison and which
also included two public houses. Following several Acts in the reign of
Queen Victoria, abolishing arrest for debt, the prison was closed although
it was subsequently used as a military prison - but found to be unsuitable
and closed. The site was sold in 1879 and cleared. During the Queen's
reign it was referred to as the Queen's Prison. \

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·:.;:- >-~ ----=-C-<2~ M:·addresse~/ ~" -
A letter written from Davis's Coffee House - mis-written as Davey's

C--z ~~·r~ _ Coffee House- by Mr. Manley on 2~0ofmueJrusleyt.1815 Ma~ey to Philip
Hancock, Fo:d near 'Yivelscoi;ribe, IS clearly
eJ>e- out a Bond

incarcerated m the pnson and IS asking for help m sortmg of

someone who has died but is nevertheless hopeful that he will be

discharged "in the course of a week" and that "I look forward to se~ing

my friends in the West in the course of 10 days". The letter has a femt

lboxed red handstamp which a previous owner has said is the Debtor's
Prison R. H. mark