The Thatched House Tavern - for sale!

 

James Willis, the elder, had the lease of the Thatched House Tavern from about 1770. The inn dated back to about 1711 and it was located in St James’s Street, Westminster, just down the road from St James’s Palace and round the corner from Almack’s Assembly Rooms in King Street. A very desirable location and convenient for the upper classes. When James Willis died in 1794 the business, together with the assembly rooms, was carried on by two of his sons, James the younger and William (our ancestor). 

There’s a lot to write about the Thatched House Tavern and I’ll be writing some more stories in the future, but for the time being I’m going to skip to the end - I think that the following newspaper advertisement gives a very good view of the scale of the operation. 

William Willis died in 1839 and it seems that James Willis decided to retire in 1840. William’s son, Charles, and James’s son, Frederick, continued to run the assembly rooms, which became known as Willis’s Rooms. The Thatched House Tavern was put up for sale. 

I found this advertisement while searching for something else entirely!

MORNING ADVERTISER 7th of July 1840.

Thatched House Tavern, St James’s-street, with possession.

MESSRS. WARLTERS and LOVEJOY will Sell by Auction, at Garraway’s, Change-alley, Cornhill, on WEDNESDAY, July 22nd, at Twelve (unless disposed of by private contract), by

order of Mr. James Willis, retiring from the business, the valuable LEASE and BUSINESS of those very superior and well-known Premises, the THATCHED HOUSE TAVERN, St James’s-street, opposite Pall-Mall, with a frontage to St James’s-street of 99 feet., by a depth of 250 feet., including 

six shops in front of St James’s-street; nine houses of ten rooms each at the back, called Thatched House-place; and a valuable public house. The Tavern possesses every accommodation for conducting business in the first style to any extent, held for 28 years at a moderate rent. May be viewed till the sale.

Particulars on the Premises; at Garraway’s; and of Messrs Warlters and Lovejoy, Farringdon-street.

Chris says that the Morning Advertiser is still going strong as a trade magazine for the pub and brewery sector and is the go-to source for business news. It used to be delivered to his offices in Eastbourne, Alcester, and Brighouse and was much read!

The original building was demolished in 1843 to make way for the new Conservative Club building and the Thatched House was was relocated to an adjacent building. It finally closed in 1865. I’m not sure whether the Willis family did end up selling, I’ll have to look into that.

Coming soon (unless something else turns up!) Spode and Willis pattern china.