Antiques Dealer Guide - Articles
Coffee Houses
The first coffee house was opened in Oxford in 1650 and was known as Jaccob's (the name of the proprietor). Two years later he moved to Holborn, London, where his concept was so immediately popular that by 1663 there were 81 other coffee houses in the city (and by the end of the century 500 were registered under their owners names). They offered coffee (as well as tea and chocolate), pamphlets and newsletters, and basic accommodation where customers could sit and enjoy conversation. They quickly became places where like-minded people met, and were the foundations of the gentlemen's clubs of the next generation.
On Tuesday 4th January 1698 John Castaing, a broker published the first “Course of the Exchange, and Other Things”, basically the first stock-market report, “at his office at Jonathans Coffee-house”; those whose interests lay in insurance frequented Mr Lloyd's. One problem was that coffee houses were so crowded that it was often difficult to get served. Rather than having customers waving money in the air it became the custom to fix a moneybox on the counter or a post with the words “To Insure Prompt Service”. This was the “TIPS” box and the origin of our word for quality service today.
Due to its immense popularity, the coffee house created yet further demand for pots, cups, mugs, and other paraphernalia from the pewterers, silversmiths and potters.
On Tuesday 4th January 1698 John Castaing, a broker published the first “Course of the Exchange, and Other Things”, basically the first stock-market report, “at his office at Jonathans Coffee-house”; those whose interests lay in insurance frequented Mr Lloyd's. One problem was that coffee houses were so crowded that it was often difficult to get served. Rather than having customers waving money in the air it became the custom to fix a moneybox on the counter or a post with the words “To Insure Prompt Service”. This was the “TIPS” box and the origin of our word for quality service today.
Due to its immense popularity, the coffee house created yet further demand for pots, cups, mugs, and other paraphernalia from the pewterers, silversmiths and potters.