Page 85 - Ian Marshall - London Coffe Houses - Standing Display January 2016

New England Coffee House

Behind the Royal Exchange, 61, 60 and 61 Threadneedle Street

(1720 - 1839)

This coffee house indulged in "omnibus" titles at various addresses
during its long history. First mentioned in 1720 located "behind the Royal
Exchange" as the place "an exact Numerical Book where all persons may
know the prizes in the present State Lottery every hour gratis". In 1760
the "Public Ledger" mentions for the first time "New England, New York
and Quebec Coffee House" probably at the time it removed for a short
period to Lombard Street before returning to Threadneedle Street in 1763
at No. 61. The house was frequented by merchants, brokers, owners and
commanders of ships concerned with trade to America, Nova Scotia and
New England. In 1796 its name changed to American & New England
Coffee House when its proprietor was G. Greenhough. In 1799 the name
reverts to New England Coffee House. In 1798 the Post Office
established the Ship Letter Office but the then proprietor, Mr. Bourne,
wrote that the Post-Masters General did "not possess the means to
sufficiently secure and facilitate the conveyance of all correspondence
now carried by private ships" and that the Post Office Packet Service for
the conveyance of letters was "so evidently defective as to render the
mode of sending them by private vessels and private persons
indispensable". Many coffee houses in the City kept bags for the
collection of letters to be forwarded by merchant ships, and this traffic in
private hands assumed vast proportions, although the practice was
contrary to the law. In 1809 the Post Office admitted to not being able to
to enforce the law on the subject. However, in 1818 the Post Office
prosecuted the keeper of the New England Coffee House "for the illegal
collection of letters" which was settled by the payment of a penalty of £5.
The proprietor, Jas. Davies, in probable celebration of this "victory"
started marking letters handled by him with a cachet reading "Jas. Davies,
New England Coffee House, Threadneedle Street, LONDON." Its earliest
know usage was in 1820. In directories of 1838 the address has changed
to 59 Threadneedle Street but No. 60 is shown as the site of the North &
South American Coffee House - both under the proprietorship of Jas.
Davies, although the following year they merged going forward under the
new name at No. 60.