THE ROSE

ROSE OF NORMANDY.

43

"London Gazette," of January 11th, 1691, mentions Long's bowlinggreen at the "Rose" at Marylebone, half a mile distant from London.

A description of the bowling-green attached to the tavern called the Rose of Normandy in 1659, states that the outside was bounded by a square brick wall, set with fruit trees, and there were gravel walks over two hundred paces long and seven paces broad. The circular walk was nearly five hundred paces in circuit, and six broad; the centre was square; and the bowling-green was one hundred and twelve paces one way, and eighty-eight paces another. All these walks were double set with quickset hedges, kept in excellent order, and indented in imitation of battlements. A writer in 1699 says:-"Marybone is the chief place about town, but, for all its greatness and pre-eminence, it lies under the shrewd suspicion of being guilty of sharping and crimping, as well as the rest." Both of these bowling-greens were incorporated with the celebrated Marylebone Gardens.

THE ROSE OF NORMANDY.

Little seems to be definitely known as to the origin of this sign, but the house is supposed to have been established early in the 17th century,

and when Thomas Smith wrote his history of Marylebone (1833), it was the oldest inn then existing in the parish. It was in its early days a detached building connected with the bowling-green at the back. The entrance to the house was by a descent of a flight of steps, the level of the street having been raised. At several dates the house had been repaired, but the original form of the exterior was preserved, and the staircases and ballusters were coeval with the erection of the building.

There was, at the back of the house, an extensive yard on the level with the ground floor, which was laid out as a skittle ground. It is extremely probable that this was the skittle ground made famous by Nancy Dawson's association with

it.

The celebrated dancer and actress, of Drury Lane and Covent Garden fame, is supposed to have

been born near Clare Market. At an early age she lost her mother, and was forced to lodge with an old. Irish woman at Broad Street, St. Giles's. At the age of fourteen she lived in a cellar in Drury Lane with a sweep and his wife, and while quite a young girl Nancy Dawson is said to have been employed in setting up skittles at a skittle-alley

THE ROSE

OF NORMANDY
1840

in connection with a tavern in High Street, Marylebone, probably the Rose of Normandy.

Later in life, after many adventures with a variety of lovers (including Jack Pudding, a showman, and Mr. Griffin, his master), she used to dance at Sadler's Wells, where, in one way or another, she made a good deal of money. In 1760, she gained great applause for the part she took in dancing at Covent Garden Theatre. She died at Hampstead, in the year 1767, and was buried behind the Foundling Hospital.

THE QUEEN'S HEAD AND ARTICHOKE.

In olden times this was a well known house of entertainment, situated nearly opposite Portland Road, and about five

in a lane

hundred yards from the road that leads from Paddington to Finsbury. The accompanying illustration taken from an old engraving of the place, gives a view of the house opposite to the entrance, the door being on the other side of the bow-window. The barn alongside was well-known as Edmonson's Barn; it belonged to Mr. Edmondson, coach-painter to the Queen, in Warwick Street, Golden Square, where he used to

THE QUEEN'S HEA AND ARTICHOKE 1796

not any

execute the first part of his coach-painting. The lane was public road, only for foot-passengers, as it led into the fields towards Chalk Farm, Jews' Harp House, Hampstead, &c. On the other side the paling, was the lane and a skittle-ground belonging to the house. It was surrounded at the back and one side by an artificial stone manufactory, and several small houses with gardens attached to them.

Opposite Lisson Grove and on the south side of Marylebone Road, there used to be a very celebrated public-house known as the Yorkshire Stingo. From this house the first pair of London omnibuses. started on July 4th, 1829, running to the Bank and back. They were constructed to carry twenty-two passengers all inside. The fare was one shilling, or sixpence for half the distance, together with the luxury of

a newspaper. Mr. J. Shillibeer was the owner of these carriages, and the first conductors were two sons of a British naval officer.

As the name indicates, the house was noted for its ale-" Yorkshire Stingo"-but it was also as much noted for its tea gardens and bowling-green. It was much crowded on Sundays when an admission fee of sixpence was charged at the door. For that fee a ticket was given, to be exchanged with the waiters for its value in refreshments. This plan was very frequently adopted in these gardens, to prevent the intrusion of the lowest class, or of such as might only stroll about them without spending anything.

A good idea of the situation and surroundings of "The Old Farthing Pie House" House" may be gathered from a glance at Rocque's

Map of London (1741-6), wherein it is shown as a house occupying the north-east corner of a nearly square enclosed garden intersected by footpaths. The "Farthing Pye House," as it is there called, is shown. as being situated on the west side of "The Green Lane," almost opposite "Bilson's Farm," and at the point where that road was cut

by a road going east and west, where the "New Road" was afterwards made. The Green Lane extended from what is now the south end of Berner's Street towards Primrose Hill, and the boundary line between Marylebone and St. Pancras seems pretty nearly to indicate its old

course.

The exact site of the Old Farthing Pie House is represented by the Green Man, near Portland Road Railway Station.

THE JEW'S HARP.

This public house, which was formerly in Regent's Park, was perhaps chiefly remarkable for its odd sign-"Jew's Harp," or "The Jew's Trump." It was often called the "Jew Trump," and there is reason to believe that the name is a corruption of some foreign word. the low Dutch a tromp is a rattle for children. Another explanation which is more ingenious than probable, is that the house was called

In