The Queen's Head Tavern (later the Apollo Tavern) was located on Fleet Street to the east of the Temple Bar in London. It was already established in 1682 when it is mentioned in the diary of Narcissus Luttrell: "The 2nd, in the morning early, a fire broke out in the back part of the Queen's Head Tavern, by Temple Bar".[1]
Perhaps its most notable clientele were the members of a masonic music club that met there between 1725 and 1727, known as Philo-musicae et -architecturae societas Apollini; their musical director was the Italian composer and violinist Francesco Geminiani.[2]
The club's minute-book, now in the British Library,[3] reveals that during its residency at the tavern, the landlord Thomas Oliverson (d.1731) agreed to change the name of the tavern to Apollo, and a new tavern sign was painted by James Parmentier, a member of the club.[4]
The area of the tavern can be seen on John Rocque's Map of London, 1746, however the name of the tavern seems to have disappeared from the record by the end of the eighteenth century.[5]
Old Bank of England, on Fleet Street in 2009
The site of the tavern and the southern end of Apollo Court was cleared in the nineteenth century to make way for a branch of the Bank of England to serve the newly built Law Courts. The bank building later became a pub, The Old Bank of England. Present-day maps show that the northern end of Apollo Court is still evident on the ground and still accessible from Bell Yard.
ReferencesEdit
^E. B. Chancellor, The Annals of Fleet Street (London: Chapman and Hall Ltd, 1912), p. 308
^Andrew Pink, 'A music club for freemasons: Philo-musicae et -architecturae societas Apollini, London, 1725–1727'[dead link], Early Music, 38 (4), pp. 523–36, accessed 16 May 2016.
^The fundamental constitution and orders of the Society intitiled Philo-musicæ et Architecturae Societas with minutes of proceedings at meetings; 18 Feb. 1724[5]-23 Mar. 1726/7 British Library shelfmark Add MS 23202
^Andrew Pink. 'Geminiani and Freemasonry' in Christopher Hogwood (Ed) Geminiani Studies. Series: Ad Parnassum Studies, vol. 6 (Ut Orpheus: Bologna, 2013), pp. 369–398.
queen, head, tavern, later, apollo, tavern, located, fleet, street, east, temple, london, already, established, 1682, when, mentioned, diary, narcissus, luttrell, morning, early, fire, broke, back, part, temple, apollo, court, fleet, street, shown, john, rocqu. The Queen s Head Tavern later the Apollo Tavern was located on Fleet Street to the east of the Temple Bar in London It was already established in 1682 when it is mentioned in the diary of Narcissus Luttrell The 2nd in the morning early a fire broke out in the back part of the Queen s Head Tavern by Temple Bar 1 Apollo Court Fleet Street as shown on John Rocque s Map of London 1746Perhaps its most notable clientele were the members of a masonic music club that met there between 1725 and 1727 known as Philo musicae et architecturae societas Apollini their musical director was the Italian composer and violinist Francesco Geminiani 2 The club s minute book now in the British Library 3 reveals that during its residency at the tavern the landlord Thomas Oliverson d 1731 agreed to change the name of the tavern to Apollo and a new tavern sign was painted by James Parmentier a member of the club 4 The area of the tavern can be seen on John Rocque s Map of London 1746 however the name of the tavern seems to have disappeared from the record by the end of the eighteenth century 5 Old Bank of England on Fleet Street in 2009The site of the tavern and the southern end of Apollo Court was cleared in the nineteenth century to make way for a branch of the Bank of England to serve the newly built Law Courts The bank building later became a pub The Old Bank of England Present day maps show that the northern end of Apollo Court is still evident on the ground and still accessible from Bell Yard References Edit E B Chancellor The Annals of Fleet Street London Chapman and Hall Ltd 1912 p 308 Andrew Pink A music club for freemasons Philo musicae et architecturae societas Apollini London 1725 1727 dead link Early Music 38 4 pp 523 36 accessed 16 May 2016 The fundamental constitution and orders of the Society intitiled Philo musicae et Architecturae Societas with minutes of proceedings at meetings 18 Feb 1724 5 23 Mar 1726 7 British Library shelfmark Add MS 23202 Music club for freemasons op cit Andrew Pink Geminiani and Freemasonry in Christopher Hogwood Ed Geminiani Studies Series Ad Parnassum Studies vol 6 Ut Orpheus Bologna 2013 pp 369 398 51 30 50 N 0 06 42 W 51 5139 N 0 1116 W 51 5139 0 1116 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Queen 27s Head Tavern amp oldid 1175987108, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
