Paper 65

Public Balls at the Crown & Anchor Tavern in the early 19th Century

Contributed by Paul Cooper, Research Editor

Most of the historical dancing that we've investigated in previous papers has taken place in elite Assembly Rooms and Ball Rooms. In this paper we'll consider something slightly different, the dancing at London's Crown & Anchor Tavern on The Strand. This location was a popular venue for dancing over many decades, in this paper we'll investigate the Tavern itself and some of the people who led the dancing there.

Figure 1. Upper Left image: front of the Crown and Anchor Tavern as seen from Arundel Street, 1852, image courtesy of the British Museum. Upper Right image: Entrance of Crown and Anchor Tavern as seen from The Strand, 1851, image courtesy of the British Museum. Lower image: the location of the Crown and Anchor Tavern on the Horwood map of 1792-1799.

The Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand

The Crown & Anchor Tavern, located on Arundel Street, just off the Strand, was one of the larger London venues available for public hire around the turn of the 19th century. It was situated just above the north bank of the river Thames in the vincinity of St Clement Danes Church (see Figure 1). It hosted balls, feasting, public meetings, political rallys and debates, clubs, concerts, lectures, and so forth. It was a popular and widely known London establishment, sadly it is no longer extant today. The origins of the tavern can be traced back to at least the first decade of the 18th Century, it was substantially enlarged in the 1780s however, it is from this date that it became a major venue. The modernised exterior can be seen in the upper left of Figure 1. It would be mentioned over the decades (in its capacity as a public venue) on an almost daily basis in the London newspapers following the redevelopment. It served as a home to a popular Glee Club and also to the Anacreontic Society; the Whig Club was especially associated with the venue. It featured in novels, in comic prints, even in political debate and imagination (see for example Figure 2 and Figure 3).

The Crown and Anchor was located on Arundel Street (see Figure 1, upper left), it also had a small entrance from the Strand which connected to the main building via a corridor (see Figure 1, upper right). It was located on the Estate of the Duke of Norfolk that had formerly housed Arundel House (after which Arundel Street was named). Thomas Simpkin was the proprietor of the significantly enlarged tavern from the late 1780s through to his death in 1805, whereafter the management passed to his sons. The 1815 Epicure's Almanack wrote of the Crown & Anchor that:

The Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand, we were going to say, is one of the largest and best houses in London. By its magnitude and magnificence it ensures to itself a great number of the public festivals, anniversary as well as special. Here are three saloons: in the largest, an area of 2969 square feet, covers are frequently laid for five hundred, and even for seven hundred guests. The second contains 1200 square feet; and the third 1500, which is called the Apollo, or South Room, generally used for grand concerts, balls, and masquerades. In this room the celebrated Anacreontic Society held their rational meeting. So characteristically and tastefully is the room fitted up, that it might form no unworthy temple of the god whose name it bears, or at least it might pass for that which he sent Polyhymnia to prepare for the sons of harmony. Here are numerous elegant rooms for small parties; and the larders, cellars, and offices, correspond in excellence with the other parts of this mansion of Comus. One of the partners in the concern is a considerable importer of wines and of course takes care to supply his friends with the very best.

In 1846 the building was renamed as the Whittington Club, it would subsequently be destroyed by fire in 1854 (see Figure 6). Later still it was rebuilt and would eventually become the Temple Club. The 1873 Old and New London by Cassell, Petter, & Galpin includes a description of the later years of the building should that be of interest.

Many of the events held at the Tavern were annual meetings of clubs or societies, often with banquetting involved. The daily newspapers included references to many such meetings. One in particular was especially celebrated in the public imagination; it was held in the year 1800 on behalf of the Farming Society by Sir John Sinclair (1754-1835). The details of their experimental meal was recorded in the 1834 Anecdote Library, it was to involve serving a multitude of roasted meats of various breeds, the guests would be able to compare the meats and gauge their relative quality. Simpkin wrote: I think that the meat should, in general, be roasted, as it is impossible to judge so well of its real quality, when dressed in any other way; and as it is not proposed to have the dinner sooner than the 13th of May, it will be in my power, before that time, to procure proper specimens of all the principal breeds of England, Wales, and Scotland. The society may rely on my best exertions for that purpose; and that I shall endeavour to obtain the best information I can, regarding the age of the different animals, and the manner in which they have been fed, as it is desirable that the different sorts should be as nearly similar in those respects as possible.. He went on to propose 12 types of beef and mutton, together with veal, lamb, pork, poultry and fish. Many types of vegetables and potatoes, dressed in all the numerous ways of which that article is capable. He concluded his thoughts: As this is the first dinner of the kind probably ever attempted, and as it will give me much pleasure to assist the views of so useful an institution, the society may rely on my best exertions to give them satisfaction. A list of the proposed dishes then followed. That this meal was still being written about over three decades after it happened is of some significance; it was even discussed in the 1875 History of Signboards.

It seems that the venue was hired out for one purpose or another most nights.

Dance events held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern

The Crown & Anchor was a popular venue for dancing, it hosted events on behalf of several of London's better known dancing masters including both Thomas Wilson and G.M.S. Chivers. We'll return to investigate the Wilson events in more detail shortly. First we'll consider some of the many other events to be held at the venue, in so doing we'll encounter a long list of prominent London based dance tutors who made use of the tavern. If there's a reference to dancing at the Tavern then that will be highlighted in bold.

Figure 2. O'Connell and the Minister at the Bar of the Crown and Anchor, 1828. A political satire supposedly depicting the bar at the Tavern. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

The first event we'll consider was hosted on Monday the 9th of March 1801 on behalf of a dancing master named Mr Lawler. Mr Lawler hosted a dance academy on Chancery Lane between at least 1797 (The Observer, 15th of January 1797) and 1805 (Morning Chronicle, 20th of March 1805). He also held at least two Annual Ball events at the Crown & Anchor in the years 1801 and 1802. These events are likely to have been ticketed gatherings which would feature performances by his students, together with general social dancing. The first was mentioned as part of a general advertisement of his dance tuition (Morning Post, 6th of February 1801), the note ended N.B. Mr Lawler's Annual Ball will be held at the Crown and Anchor, in the Strand, on Monday March 9. A year later the equivalent advertisement (Morning Chronicle, 6th of March 1802) ended The Annual Ball will be held at the Crown and Anchor, in the Strand, on Monday March 29. Presumably these annual events would attract a reasonable crowd, including such members of the public who responded to the advertisement, the Crown & Anchor was selected as a large enough venue for the activity. Lawler may have been using the tavern for many years prior to 1801 and after 1802, I know of no evidence either for or against the theory; he is however the first dancing master for whom I have direct evidence of favouring the Crown & Anchor with an annual event. Lawler's advertisement for 1801 read Mr Lawler and Sons respectfully inform the Ladies and Gentlemen that they continue to teach Minuets, Cotillions, and Hornpipes, in the most elegant style. Messrs Lawler will engage to complete any Lady or Gentleman in the English, Scotch, and favourite Irish Country Dances, for 2l 12s 6d. Scotch Reels, with the Address, included; and assure those whom they may have the honour to attend, that they will be capable of joining in the most polite Assemblies after a few Lessons. Ladies and Gentlemen attended at their own Residence on the most reasonable terms. The Assembly commenced on Monday, October 6, and continues every Monday during the Season.. Similar text was used for advertisements between 1797 and 1805.

The next dancing master we know to have held events at the Crown & Anchor was a Mr Burghall. Burghall was active as a dancing master in London between at least 1794 (Public Advertiser, 18th of January 1794) and 1803 (Morning Chronicle, 8th of January 1803). He operated his academy from his home at Lincoln's Inn Fields. We have briefly encountered the Burghall family in a previous research paper as he was related by marriage to a Dublin based dancing master named John Duval, you can follow the link to read more. Burghal held at least two balls at the Tavern in the year 1802. He issued an advertisement in the Morning Chronicle newspaper for the 16th of January 1802, he closed it by adding The Annual Subscription Ball is fixed for Monday, Feb 22, at the Crown and Anchor. A couple of months later he repeated the advertisement (Morning Chronicle, 6th of March 1802), this time adding N.B. Many of Mr Burghall's Friends having applied too late for Tickets at his last Ball at the Crown and Anchor, the Subscription being filled, and at the desire of several who were present, he respectfully announces another for Thursday, 22nd instant.. These events are likely to have been similar to those held by Mr Lawler, once again they were large approximately annual balls at which tickets would be sold to the public; they evidently sold out entirely for the first of the two events. Burghal wrote of his dance tuition on the 16th of January 1802 that: Mr Burghal respectfully presents himself to the notice of those who are desirous of acquiring the present fashion of dancing Scotch and Irish Reels, Strathspeys, Chantreuse, Cotillons, Minuets, the much admired Irish single and double Jigs, Country Dances, with a variety of easy Steps, particularly the manner of introducing the Irish ones, now so fashionable, to 9-8 tunes. A new Hornpipe, called the Union, which with every requisite for the Ball or Drawing Room they may acquire in Perfect Privacy at their own Hours on reasonable Terms, at his Academy. Similar text was used throughout the years that he advertised his tuition.

Another of London's dancing masters announced an event at the Tavern in 1803, this was Mr Montgomery. I don't know much about Montgomery other than that he hosted events at the Crown & Anchor in both 1803 and 1808. The 1803 announcement was unusually specific. It was reported in The Times for the 19th of March 1803 that: Mr Montgomery respectfully informs his Friends and the Public, that his Pupils' Ball is fixed for Monday the 28th inst. at the Crown and Anchor, Strand. The Dancing to commence at 8 o'clock. The Music of the various Minuets, Cotillions, Hornpipes, Strathspeys, Reels, Figure Dances, &c. composed and selected by Mr Sanderson. The Band will consist of some of the most eminent Performers.. His pupils' ball would be an event where his students would perform and demonstrate what he had taught them. The public would be welcome to attend, though it's likely that many of the tickets would have been sold to the parents of the pupils. The students were evidently performing social dances, along with choreographed Figure Dances. The music was being arranged by James Sanderson (1769-c.1841), one of the more successful stage composers at the time.

Figure 3. Detail from The Crown & Anchor libel, burnt by the public hangman, 1795. The image is part of a political satire and appears to show the entrance to the Tavern. Image courtesy of the British Museum.

Yet another of London's professional dancing masters made use of the tavern for an annual ball in 1803, this time it was Mr Allen. Allen was active between at least 1794 (Northampton Mercury, 18th of January 1794) and 1816 (Morning Post, 16th of April 1816) at Golden Square. He may have been active into the 1820s, another member of his family certainly was; it's unclear at what date he died, the 1820s references may be to his wife and son continuing the business in his absence. Allen appended a reference to his own annual ball to an 1803 advertisement (The Sun, 14th of April 1803): The Annual Ball, will be on the 4th of May, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand.. Once again we have encountered an annual ball being advertised on behalf of one of London's professional dancing masters. As with the previous examples, Allen may have held many such balls at the Tavern over many years, this is simply an example for which we have evidence. Allen's advertisement in 1803 read: Fashionable Dancing by Mr Allen, Privately taught to Ladies and Gentlemen of any age, who have never learnt this Accomplishment, or not in the improved modern style. ... They are taught on a Plan particularly calculated for those to whom it is an object to acquire it expeditiously, privately, and in the first style of fashion. Allen's reference to the improved modern style of dancing is of some interest, it's one of many clues to indicate that fashionable social dancing did in fact evolve over the decades and that dancers of the early 1800s were expected to have learned the modern techniques.

Our next reference to dancing at the Crown & Anchor is a little different. This time the event is known from a legal action rather than from an advertisement, the host was a dance teacher named Miss Henley and she was under the age of civil responsibility (which I presume to have been 21). The story of what happened was shared in the British Press newspaper for the 2nd of April 1803. They wrote of Birnam v. Henley: This was an action to recover the sum of 8l 18s 9d for several advertisements which had been put in the Newspapers. The Defendant was under age; but having neglected to plead her infancy, judgment was suffered to go by default. The case was briefly this:- Miss Henley, the Defendant, was a teacher of dancing, in which accomplishment she possessed great ability. Her friends had agreed to attend a ball, which was to take place for her benefit, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, and the Plaintiff was employed as her agent to advertise the specific time of such a meeting; in consequence of which he put the advertisement in the Herald, Times, Chronicle and Post; for which, and money he had expended on her account, the present action was brought. It was urged, on the part of the Defendant, that twelve tickets had been given to the Plaintiff for the ball, the value of which amounted nearly to the charge in question; but failing to prove such a transaction by evidence, the Jury gave a verdict for the Plaintiff for the whole of the charge.. I've yet to locate the advertisements in question in any of the named newspapers, nor do I know anything else of Miss Henley.

Next we encounter another professional dancing master to host a sequence of annual events at the Crown & Anchor, this time a Mr Horder. Horder was active between at least 1799 (Observer, 24th of November 1799) and 1821 (Morning Post, 18th of April 1821); he initially operated his Assembly Rooms at Cheapside and then from 1807 at Minories. He advertised annual balls to be held at the Crown & Anchor in at least the years 1804, 1805, 1807, and 1813. He might well have used the venue on many other occasions too. The brief advertisement for 1804 (Morning Post, 13th of April 1804) reads: Annual Ball - Mr Horder, most respectfully informs his friends and the public, his Annual Ball at the Great-room, Crown and Anchor, Strand, will be on Monday next, 16th April. Tickets to be had at his Subscription Assembly-room, No 8, Basing-Lane, Bread Street, Cheapside. N.B. His Rooms may be engaged for Private Assemblies. Similarly brief statements were issued for the other years too. Something singular occurred during the 1805 event however; Thomas Simpkin, the proprietor of the Crown & Anchor, fell to his death during a Horder Ball! It was subsequently reported of the inquest that (Bury and Norwich Post, 1st of May 1805): It appeared from the evidence of two waiters, that the deceased was coming down stairs, about half past eleven, in a great hurry, from the card-rooms, and, in the turn of the staircase, he lost his balance, and fell over the bannisters, by which accident he died in about four hours after. The jury immediately returned a verdict of Accidental Death. Mr Horder's event had to end early. He subsequently advertised a second ball (Johnson's Sunday Monitor, 19th of May 1805): Mr Horder's Second Ball, He has the Honour to inform his Friends, will be at the Great Room, Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Thursday next, 13d inst. at the particular request of several Ladies and Gentlemen who were present at the last; the Company having retired at an early Hour in consequence of the unfortunate Death of Mr Simpkin.. Business continued on at the Tavern despite Simpkin's untimely death; his sons issued a statement later in the year (Morning Chronicle, 21st of November 1805): In consequence of various reports lately circulated respecting this house, the public are respectfully informed the business is intended to be carried on as usual, by M. and H. Simpkin..

The next dancing master we encounter was Mr Cunningham who held a ball at the Crown & Anchor in 1807. Cunningham was active in London between at least 1805 (Ipswich Journal, 18th of May 1805) and 1820 (Morning Chronicle, 5th of May 1820), for most of that time he was based at a Hannover Square address. His family remained in the dance tuition business into at least the 1830s. In an 1807 advertisement (Morning Advertiser, 10th of December 1807) he promoted a subscription ball at the tavern: Mr Cunningham, (of the King's Theatre) Dancing-Master, respectfully informs the Nobility, Gentry, and his Pupils in general, that his Subscription Ball will be held at the Grand Room, Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Wednesday, the 16th Dec. 1807.. I don't know much more about Cunningham, except that he published a collection of unusual Quadrilles with improved figures in 1820.

Figure 4. The Ball Room at the Crown & Anchor as seen in 1848, from the Illustrated London News for the 19th of February 1848. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

The next event we encounter is particularly interesting as we have a review written by someone who attended. This event was held in 1807 by Mr Harbour. I know very little about Harbour, though I presume him to be the same Jacob Harbour who published several collections of dances in the 1780s and 1790s. The review (British Press, 24th of December 1807) reads: This Gentleman's annual ball was held in Tuesday evening last, in one of the Great Rooms at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand. The room was filled with elegant company; but the interesting part of the scene was an assemblage of young Ladies, from the age of five years to thirteen, pupils of Mr Harbour. They were all dressed alike, white slips and frocks, bound or mitred with white satin ribbon, sashes of the same, white kid gloves and shoes. Possessing youth and innocence, they wanted no adventitious aid from glittering ornaments. They executed Minuets, Quadrilles, Cotillons, Reels, and Hornpipes, with a grace and agility, that would not have disgraced a Sharp or Gatton. The young ladies of Mrs Harrison's seminary particularly distinguished themselves. They introduced a wreath dance, which had a beautiful effect. In this juvenile band the following young ladies particularly attracted notice.... We learn that much of the activity at this event consisted of performances by the dancing master's pupils, demonstrating what they had been taught. This included social dances (presumably in an idealised form of performance) together with stage dances and choreographed routines. It's quite possible that most of the annual balls held at the Tavern had a similar composition, it's fascinating that on this occasion we have slightly more information to work with.

Jumping forward to the year 1820 we find another dancing master hosting an assembly at the Tavern, this time Mr Levien. Levien was active as a dancing master between at least 1818 (Morning Chronicle, 22nd of January 1818) and 1824 (Morning Chronicle, 15th of March 1824). His academy was based in Bedford Square before moving Bloomsbury for 1823. Levien advertised in the Political Observer for the 23rd of January 1820 that: Mr Levien's select Assembly will take place at the Crown and Anchor, on Wednesday the 2d February; ... The Ball will be opened precisely at 9 o'clock, with the Minuet de la Cour and Gavot, by Mr Levien and Miss Smith, who will also in the course of the evening dance a Fandango, composed by Mr Levien. Once again we have a ticketed event for the public to attend, only this time the host would be opening the ball (along with a student or assistant) with a fancy couple dance. This was probably a common technique employed by dancing masters to demonstrate their skill at the beginning of an event, thereafter they could take up the role of master-of-the-ceremonies for the rest of the evening. The star pupil would perform a Fandango for the amusement of the guests later in the evening.

Yet another dancing master hosted an annual ball at the tavern in 1820, this time a Mr Nathan. I know very little about Nathan, the press clipping from the Morning Post for the 1st of February 1820 is the only source I've discovered for him. He wrote: Mr Nathan, Dancing Master, from the King's Theatre, Opera House, late Ballet Master and principal Dancer to the Surrey Theatre, respectfully informs the Nobility and Gentry, that his Annual Ball will be held in the Large Room, Crown and Anchor, Strand, on Wednesday, Feb 16. The Ball will be opened at Eight o'Clock precisely by Mr Nathan and a Young Lady (Pupil of Mr N's), with the Minuet de la Coeur and Gavott. Mr N begs to observe, that between every two Country Dances, Quadrilles, Waltzes, and Fancy Dances, will be introduced. The band will be numerous and complete.. Once again we find a dancing master opening a ball with a fancy display dance that is performed with a star pupil. On this occasion we're also told a bit about how the dancing will be organised; there will be a repeating pattern of two country dances, followed by something a little more exotic, throughout the event. Perhaps that is how most such balls were arranged.

Moving forward again to 1822 we find an event hosted by Mr Bemetzrieder and Mr Mather. Mather had held a ball at the Tavern a year earlier (The Times, 12th of December 1821) but it's the ball of 1822 held in partnership with Bemetzrieder that is of particular interest. They wrote in The Times newspaper for the 13th of December 1822 that: The Lovers of Quadrilles and other styles of Fashionable Dancing will have a complete bon bouch at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on the 23rd of this month (December). As the order of the dances contains almost every fashionable quadrille of the day, the band containing 6 harps and 20 wind and other instruments, most admirably selected for this noble room, which is capable of holding 800 persons, the Stewards and Directors who assist Messrs Mather and Bemetzrieder, the Conductors and Proprietors of this their Annual Ball, being determined to attend particularly to the prevention of a single individual but those of the most unquestionable respectability being admitted.. This event evidently consisted of a great deal of Quadrille dancing to the music of a 26 piece band.

Stepping back to 1821 we find yet another prominent London dancing master hosting an annual event at the Tavern, G.M.S. Chivers. Chivers was a prolific writer on dance related topics, as a result he is of great significance to modern scholarly understanding of historical social dance; his literary output being second only to that of Thomas Wilson himself. We've shared a biography of Chivers in a previous paper, you might like to follow the link to read more. Chivers, like Wilson, enjoyed inventing new forms of social dance, several would be danced at the Crown & Anchor Tavern. Chivers published an advertisement in the Morning Post for the 1st of March 1821 in which he wrote: Annual Assembly - Great Room, Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand. Mr and Mrs Chivers respectfully announce, that their Annual Ball will take place as above, on Monday, the 5th of March, 1821. ... The general order of the Dances will consist of Quadrilles, Spanish Dances, Contre Danses, la Valse, and les Ecossoises. In the course of the Evening, Les Lanciers and Les Cuirassiers Quadrilles will be introduced. Also several new Species of Dancing.. Chivers promised two full sets of Quadrilles, together with several newer styles of dancing (such as Spanish Dances), and some exotic new dances of his own.

Figure 5. The redecorated ball room at the Crown and Anchor, with the new orchestral gallery, as seen in 1850. From the Illustrated London News for the 7th of December 1850. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

The Crown and Anchor Tavern was evidently a popular venue amongst London's professional dancing masters. And yet, their advertised balls can only have been responsible for a handful of bookings over the 20 or so years that we've investigated, the ball room must have been used for many further events for which we have little evidence. One use would have been for general social dancing; for example, an organisation named the Cumberland Benevolent Institution held a fund raising ball (Morning Post, 26th of February 1824) at the Tavern in 1824, they didn't indicate who their Master of Ceremonies was intended to be, their fundraiser might be a specific example of a common use for the room. The Morning Herald for the 1st of December 1807 mentioned that an elegant ball would be held at the Tavern for the Benefit of a Widow Gentlewoman, I don't know who the beneficiary was or who organised the event, it could again be an example of a more general use of the room. Another Grand Ball was advertised in the Morning Post for the 9th of February 1808 with no clear host. A subscription ball was hosted by a Mrs Watkins in 1814 (Morning Post, 16th of February 1814) with no further details. A Highland Subscription Ball was held at the Tavern in honour of the peace in 1814 (Morning Post, 23rd of April 1814), maybe many other organisations hosted similar events over the years. We can only speculate about how the rooms were used most evenings, perhaps the grand ballroom really was empty most nights, it was clearly a useful venue however, it seems likely that it would have been in regular demand. Figure 4 shows the ball room as it was in 1848, the various reports of between 500 and 1000 people being able to dance in the room do not appear to have been exaggerated. Figure 5 shows the recently redecorated ball room in 1850, shortly before the 1854 fire that destroyed the building (for which see Figure 6). Figures 4, 5 and 6 are all images from the Illustrated London News, a newspaper that had its main office located on The Strand, just around the corner from the Tavern.

Thomas Wilson's Events at the Crown and Anchor Tavern

We've discovered that an extensive selection of both dancing masters and mistresses made use of the Crown & Anchor Tavern in the early 19th Century, especially for their Annual Balls. But one dancing master advertised his use of the venue to a far greater extent than any other, that was Thomas Wilson (1774-1854). Wilson is someone we've written about many times before, we've shared his biography in a previous paper and his bibliography in another. He was the most prolific writer on dance related subjects of his generation, it is to his works that we owe much of what we know today about Regency dancing. What's less well known is that Wilson was also a prolific advertiser and host of public balls. And for several years during the 1810s he used the Crown & Anchor as his preferred venue for large events. We will now review Wilson's use of the Tavern and discover what we can about the events he held there.

The first event that I know to have been hosted by Wilson at the Tavern was advertised in The Star newspaper for the 23rd of November 1813. He declared that his Fifteenth Annual and Sixty-First Public Ball will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Monday, November 29, 1813. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock, with the Minuet de la Cour et Gavotte, by Mr Wilson and a Gentleman, his Pupil; after which a Scotch Cotillion, by Eight Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr W.'s Pupils. In the course of this Evening will be danced by Mr Wilson, Miss Kleboe, and Two Young Ladies (Pupils to Mr W) a new Allemande, a new Fandango, and the Chantruse, the two former composed by Mr Wilson. Between the Country Dancing Waltzing and Reels will be general; and in the Waltzing will be introduced several new Waltzes, composed by Mr W to be danced by himself and Pupils.. In this statement we learn almost as much about the type of dancing to be experienced at Wilson's ball as we learn from all of the previously encountered advertisements combined! Wilson was hosting a public ball for which tickets could be purchased, though many of the dances would be performed by Wilson himself together with his pupils. He would open the event by dancing a Minuet and Gavotte together with a male pupil; Mr Levin would go on to do something similar for his ball in 1820, so too would Mr Nathan. If taken at face value we seem to have evidence of an entirely male public performance dance! It is however possible that there was a misprint and the opening dance was performed by Mrs Wilson and her pupil (we will discover this to be true of Wilson's next major event shortly). A fancy opening dance seems to have been a standard mechanism by which a dancing master would introduce himself to the company at a public ball. Eight of Wilson's adult pupils would then dance a Scotch Cotillion; exactly what this dance was is unknowable, it could have been an early example of a Caledonian Quadrille, or perhaps a regular Cotillion danced to Scottish themed music. Some favoured pupils would dance further performance dances during the course of the evening. The Country Dances would be punctuated with general waltzing and reels and they would be open to anyone who wished to have a go. Many of the fancy dances were choreographed by Wilson himself.

Figure 6. The remains of the Crown & Anchor after the fire of 1854, from the Illustrated London News for the 9th of December 1854. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

Later that year Wilson advertised another Ball. He wrote in The Sun newspaper for the 16th of December 1813 that he: had the honour to inform his Pupils and the Public, that his Waltz and Country Dance (being his 62nd Public) Ball, will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Monday, December 20, 1813. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock, by Mrs Wilson and a Gentleman, her Pupil, who, in the course of the Evening, will dance the Minuet de la Coeur and the Gavotte of Vestris, the Bolero, and a French Hornpipe. Mr Wilson and Miss Kleboe (one of his Pupils), will dance a new Waltz and a Caledonian Strathspey (both composed by Mr W). A Waltz de Trois, also composed by Mr W and which will be danced by Miss Kleboe and two Young Ladies, Pupils to Mr W together with a Spanish Fandango, by Mr Wilson. N.B. Such of W's Pupils as intend Waltzing are respectfully informed, that Tuesday night in each Week previous to the Ball, is set apart entirely for their practice.. Once again we find a Ball being opened with a Minuet and Gavotte; this time the lead dancer is clearly Mrs Wilson and the Gavotte in question is the celebrated variant performed by Vestris. There would not only be Waltzing involved but dancers were encouraged to practice their Waltzing beforehand. The more exotic dance to be performed at this event was the Caledonian Strathspey, probably a variant of the two-some reel (we've speculated as to what a Strathspey Dance was elsewhere). Evidently performance dances were an important part of Wilson's events.

Wilson advertised another such event a few months later in The Star newspaper for the 9th of February 1814. He wrote that: Mr Wilson's Valentine Second Waltz and Country Dance (being his Sixty Third Public) Ball, will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Valentine's Day, Monday next, February 14, 1814. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock, by Mr Wilson and Miss Kleboe, one of his Pupils, with a Medley Dance, consisting of Specimens of a great variety of Ball Room and other generally approved fashionable Dances; and in the course of the Evening will be danced several new Dances, composed by Mr Wilson, as expressed in the Bills.. For this event Wilson would open the evening's entertainments himself by dancing, once again, with Miss Kleboe.

A short while later Wilson advertised another ball in The Repository of Arts for May 1814: Mr Wilson's third Waltz and Country Dance (being his sixty-fourth Public) Ball, will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Monday, May 9, 1814. Later in the year he would advertise yet another ball in The Times newspaper for the 19th of December 1814: Ball at the Crown and Anchor. Mr Wilson ... most respectfully informs the Public that his Sixteenth Annual and Fifth Waltz and Country Dance (being his 65th public) Ball will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, tomorrow, the 10th instant; the Ball will be opened by Mrs Wilson and a Gentleman, his pupil, with the Minuet de la Cour, and the Gavotte of Vestris, by whom(?) will be danced the Bolero; a great variety of fashionable waltzes, and other new ball-room dances, by Mr Wilson and his pupils.. These two events are likely to have been similar in nature to the equivalent events of 1813.

Moving on to 1815, Wilson advertised another ball in The Times newspaper for the 19th of January 1815. He wrote that he: has the honour to inform his pupils and the public that his Christmas and 6th Waltz and Country Dance (being his 66th public) Ball, will take place in the Great Room, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Monday next, 23rd January, 1815. The Ball will be opened at nine o'clock by Mrs Wilson, and a gentleman her pupil. In the course of the evening Mr Wilson and his pupils will dance a variety of new Waltzes, and other fashionable ball room dances, and in the Waltzing will be introduced French Waltzing, and character and figured Waltzing. The card rooms will be thrown open at ten o'clock, the supper rooms at one o'clock, and the team and coffee rooms at four o'clock.. On this occasion we learn that a variety of different styles of Waltzing would be danced, we also learn that there would be alternative forms of entertainment for some guests (i.e. gambling) and that the event would continue throughout the night.

Next came another Valentine's Ball advertised in the Morning Post newspaper for the 14th of February 1815: Ball at the Crown and Anchor. Mr Wilson's Valentine and Seventh Waltz and Country Dance (being his 67th Public) Ball, will be given in the Great Room at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, This Evening, (Valentine's Day), Tuesday, February 14th, inst. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock by Mrs Wilson and a Gentleman, her Pupil. A variety of Waltz and other fashionable Ball-room Dances, by Mr Wilson and his Pupils; and by particular desire the Valentine Waltz, which was received with such general approbation at Mr Wilson's last year's Valentine Ball, will be repeated: the nominal letters of the word Valentine, in performing the Waltz, will be formed in succession by fourteen of Mr W's Pupils. Card Rooms will be thrown open at Ten o'Clock - Supper Rooms at One o'CLock - and Tea and Coffee Rooms at Four o'Clock.. The novelty at this ball would be a choreographed dance for 14 performers in which the word Valentine would be spelled out. This dance, and it's subsequent variations, is one that Wilson would continue including in his events for many years thereafter.

Figure 7. A Juvenile Ball in the rebuilt ball room as seen in 1859, from the Lady's Newspaper and Pictorial Times for the 15th of January 1859. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

A further ball was held later in the year, he advertised in Johnson's Sunday Monitor for the 9th of April 1815 that: Mr Wilson is now preparing for his Eighth Waltz and Country Dance, and 68th Public Ball, which will shortly take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand - due notice will be given of the day on which it is intended to take place. A little later still he advertised in The Statesman for the 27th of May that Mr Wilson's Waltz and French Dance Ball, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Tuesday Evening, May 30. French Waltzing will be generally danced, and at intervals will be introduced a variety of French Dances. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock.. The promise of French Dances is particularly interesting, it's likely that these were examples of what would go on to be named Quadrilles. A little later still Wilson advertised (in the Morning Post for the 29th of December 1815): his First Winter Ball, being his Tenth Waltz and Country Dance, and Seventieth Public Ball, will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Thursday next, 4th January 1816. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock, after which Waltzing and Country Dancing will be introduced, alternately interspersed by a variety of French and other Dances..

Wilson held another Valentine's day ball a few weeks later, he advertised in the Morning Post for the 10th of February 1816 that he: has the honour of announcing to the Nobility and Gentry, that his Eleventh Waltz and Country Dance, being his 71st Public Ball, will take place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Valentine's Day, Wednesday next, Feb 14. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock by Mr Wilson and a Gentleman, his pupil. In the course of the Evening, the Valentine Waltz, for the fourth time, will be introduced, and the several letters forming the word Valentine, will be successively displayed by the group of Ladies performing it. The Card Rooms will be thrown open at ten o'clock, the Supper Rooms at one o'clock, and Tea and Coffee at four o'clock.. Once again we're told that Wilson danced the opening dance with a male pupil, once again it's possible that there was a misprint. Wilson's next few balls passed either without advertisement, or without my being able to discover advertisements. He did however advertise a further Ball in mid 1817, he wrote in the Morning Post for the 16th of June 1817 that: Mr Wilson's Waltz and Quadrille (being his Seventy-fourth Public) Ball, will take place on Thursday, June 19, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'Clock, by Mr Wilson and a Young Lady (one of his Pupils) with the Waltz Minuet, composed by Mr Wilson. The Dancing will consist of English, French, and German Waltzing, Quadrilles, Spanish Dances, Cotillions, &c; with a variety of New Quadrilles, Fancy Waltzes, &c. composed by Mr Wilson, and danced by his Pupils. English Country Dancing, together with Mr Wilson's New Reels, will be occasionally introduced. Stewards will be in attendance, to prevent the intrusion of improper company.. This event evidently offered a rich variety of dancing but focussed mainly on Waltzing.

Wilson's next major event was somewhat interesting as a review from an attendee survives. Wilson wrote in The Times newspaper for the 15th of December 1817 that: Mr Wilson's Waltz and Quadrille (being his 95th [sic]) Ball, will take place on Wednesday next, Dec 17, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand; the Ball will be opened at 9 o'clock by Mr Wilson and a young Lady, one of his pupils, with the Waltz Minuet composed by Mr Wilson. Stewards will be in attendance to prevent the intrusion of improper company.. A week or so after the event a review was published in the Weekly Dispatch for the 28th of December 1817: Mr Wilson's Waltz and Quadrille Ball, on the 17th instant, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, was numerously and fashionably attended; the Quadrilles were very correctly danced; and in addition to those generally known, several new ones were introduced, composed for the occasion by Mr Wilson, which not only possessed some good music, but a great variety of new figures; these were danced with great effect, but chiefly by his own pupils. The circle of Waltzers occupied the whole extent of the room, and the different styles of waltzing were seccessively given with great precision. A variety of Fancy Ball Room Dances were also introduced, composed by Mr W, and danced by his pupils, which were very much admired, particularly the Quadrille Minuet, by four young ladies. Country dancing and reels by the company, closed the entertainment, which was kept up with the most enlivened vivacity until nearly eight o'clock in the morning. There are many fascinating details in this report: a variety of Quadrilles were danced, a large circle of waltzing couples filled the room, also a choreographed Quadrille Minuet was danced. We know a little more about the fancy dances introduced as Wilson referred to them in a further advertisement; he had made the instructions for them available for sale and wrote in the Weekly Dispatch (also for the 28th of December) that: Mr Wilson, Dancing-Master, has just published his New Quadrilles and other fancy Dances, as danced at his last Waltz and Quadrille (being his 75th Public) Ball, on Wednesday the 17th instant, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, consisting of L'Allemande, Le Pirouette, Le Moulinet, and Waltz Quadrilles, L'Etoile Cotillion, together with the favourite Spanish Contra Dance; the whole explained by Diagrams. Also the Waltz Minuet, as danced by Mr Wilson and a young Lady, one of his pupils, with the Quadrille Minuet by four young Ladies.. Sadly I know of no surviving copies of these works; if you know otherwise, do please get in touch!

Wilson continued using the tavern in 1818. He advertised in the Morning Post for the 11th of March 1818 that Mr Wilson's Waltz and Quadrille (being his 76th Public) Ball, will take place Tomorrow, March 12, 1818, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand. The Ball will be opened at Nine o'clock by Mr Wilson and a Young Lady, one of his Pupils, with the Waltz Minuet (composed by Mr Wilson). The dancing will chiefly consist of Waltzing, Quadrilles, Cotillions, Spanish Dances, Ecossoises, English Country Dances, and Fancy Ball Room Dances composed by Mr Wilson and danced by his Pupils.. He wrote more fulsomely of his next event in the Weekly Intelligence newspaper for the 12th of April 1818 that he: respectfully informs his Pupils and the Public, that his Waltz and Quadrille (being his 77th Public) Ball, will take place on Wednesday, April 22d, 1818, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand. The Ball will be opened at Half-past Eight o'Clock, by Mr Wilson and a Young Lady (one of his Pupils), with the Waltz Minuet, composed by Mr Wilson. The general dancing will commence at Nine o'Clock, and will consist of English, French, and German Waltzing, Quadrilles, Cotillions, Ecossoises, Spanish Dances, &c.; with the French Dances, La Batteuse, Boulanger, &c. Also a variety of new and admired Ball-Room Dances, as La Pirouette, La Moulinet, L'Allemande, and Waltz Quadrilles, L'Etoile, Cotillion, the Union and Fandango Waltzes; and also (by particular desire) will be repeated the Valentine Waltz - the nominal letters of the word Valentine will be formed in succession, by the Fourteen Young Ladies performing the Dance. Also the admired new Ecossoises, as danced at his last Ball; the Quadrille Minuet, &c. The whole composed by Mr Wilson, and will be danced by him and his Pupils. English Country Dancing, together with Mr Wilson's New Reels, will be occasionally introduced, that those of the Company who do not join in the Waltzing, Quadrilles, &c may partake of the general Amusement.. We read on this occasion that many of the same dances of the past would be enjoyed, we also note that he started the ball half an hour earlier than usual and made special provision for those dancers who do not partake of the Quadrilles and Waltzing. His 78th ball was advertised in the National Register for the 13th of December 1818, he repeated almost the same advert as used for the 77th Ball, except that he named it his Waltz Quadrille and Ecossoise Ball and included the Polonoise amongst the list of dances. That 78th public ball is the last Wilsonian event that I know to have been hosted at the Crown & Anchor Tavern, Wilson seems to have favoured other venues into the 1820s and beyond.

What might an evening at the Crown and Anchor have been like?

Wilson was a prolific self publicist, hence we know more of his events than of those of his contemporaries. My impression is that other contemporary dancing masters saw Wilson as their peer, not as the foremost master of his day. Thus I suspect that Wilson's balls were organised on a similar scale to those of other dancing masters and that they probably conformed to the same general pattern. Other hosts may have relied on word of mouth to promote their events, Wilson made a greater effort to reach out to the general public, his advertisements continue to exist in the historical record as a consequence. It's possible that Wilson placed greater emphasis on novelty for his events than did other dancing masters, thus non-Wilsonian events could have involved fewer innovations; there's insufficient evidence from which to reliably speculate. As far as I can discern, there's a probability that any London based dancing master would have held similar events to those that Wilson held, they'd just print fewer advertisements to the public.

Figure 8. The rebuilt ball room as seen in 1859, from the Illustrated News of the World for the 15th of January 1859.

One question that can be answered is how much a ticket to a public ball at the Crown & Anchor Tavern would have cost, some of the adverts include prices. Back in 1803 Mr Montgomery offered two types of ticket: a single ticket that cost 10 Shillings and 6 pence; and a double ticket that cost 1 guinea. A double ticket would admit either a Lady and a Gentleman, or two Ladies. A guinea was worth 21 shillings, a pound was worth 20 shillings, a shilling was worth 12 pennies. So the price was either 10.5 shillings for a single ticket or 21 shillings for two tickets (hereafter we'll normalise the ball prices into shillings to make the price comparisons simpler). Montgomery's ball was relatively expensive. Mr Horder's ball for 1805 cost only 10.5 shillings for a double ticket, the same was true for Mr Cunningham's ball in 1807. Thomas Wilson's balls cost the same 10.5 shillings for a double ticket (at least between 1813 and 1816), he also offered single tickets for 7 shillings. Wilson increased his prices from around 1817, they went up to 10.5 shillings for a single ticket and 12 shillings for a double ticket. Whereas Mrs Watkins in 1814 was rather more expensive, she charged Gentlemen 21 shillings to attend her ball and Ladies paid 15 shillings. Mr Levien in 1820 charged 10.5 shillings for a single ticket and 15 shillings for a double ticket, Mr Nathan that same year charged the same amount. Whereas G.M.S. Chivers offered a budget ball in 1821, he only charged 8.5 shillings for a single ticket, 12 shillings for a double ticket and 21 shillings for a party of four. The last ball for which I have prices was hosted by Mr Bemetzrieder in 1822, that ball cost 8 shillings for a single ticket and 13 shillings for a double ticket. There was a fair amount of variation across the period; Wilson's price increase in 1817 may (perhaps) be indicative of a greater demand for his tickets from around that date; some of the other dancing masters charged significantly more, others charged significantly less. And for that fee an attendee could enjoy an event that's likely to have lasted from around 9pm to perhaps 8am the following morning, a meal and refreshments would have been provided.

The great hall at the tavern is liable to have been full for these public events. The fanciest of display dances would be performed by the host and a favoured pupil, the host's students would perform further dances; the assembled company in general would participate in the Country Dances, Waltzes, Reels and similar social dances. The card rooms would also be open for other guests to enjoy themselves away from the dancing. The display dances would have been choreographed by the host, the public would be led to believe that they were examples of what was being danced in the most elite of Ball Rooms; whether that was genuinely the case or not is less certain. It's unlikely that many members of the nobility would attend a public ball, or even that the professional dancing masters who used the Tavern would have taught the aristocracy to dance. When a new dance such as the Waltz or Quadrille was known to have been danced by the elite, London's class of professional dancing masters would offer tuition in such dances to everyone else shortly thereafter; but whether their tuition matched what was being danced in elite circles is open to speculation. My own impression is that the professional dancing masters wanted the public to think that they had elite credentials, yet the truth was often rather different. Thus the dancing at a Public Ball might have been very different to that of an elite Ball Room of the same date.

And yet these grand public balls are only one type of event that the Tavern would host. It's difficult to know what would happen on any other evening, we simply lack the evidence to say. Logic suggests that there would be people using the hall several times a week, perhaps for a very different type of gathering.

The Crown & Anchor Tavern as a Booth at London's Fairs

The name Crown & Anchor is hardly unique, there are (and were) many Public Houses to have shared this name. Indeed, The Crown remains one of the more popular names for a Tavern in England. I've stumbled upon many other historical references to establishments with the name Crown & Anchor Tavern. In particular, it was the name selected for a booth (although temporary Ball Room would seem a better term) that appeared at various London-area Fairs in the 1820s and 1830s.

For example, the Morning Advertiser for the 9th of April 1822 reported of Stepney Fair that The greatest attraction in the Fair was a most magnificent erection, of nearly two hundred feet long, boarded at bottom from end to end, called the Crown and Anchor Tavern and Salle de Danse. The building was divided in two; one part was appropriated to drinking, and the other for the ballroom, in which were danced quadrilles and other fashionable dances. A professor of the art, named Disley, presided as Master of the Ceremonies, and dancing was kept up till a late hour. The ballroom was brilliantly illuminated with upwards of 4000 lamps in various devices.. It hardly seems possible that this temporary building would share the same name as one of the larger ballrooms in London by chance, what's unclear is whether the establishment on the Strand had any official involvement with the Fair.

Figure 9. George Cruickshank's 1836 illustration of dancing at Dicken's Greenwich Fair.

The Yorkshire Gazette for the 8th of June 1822 reported on a similar venue at Bow Fair: there was a booth called the Crown and Anchor Tavern, 360 feet long, and 70 feet wide. The ball-room was divided into sets, and at one time upwards of 1000 persons joined in the dance. The entrance to the assembly-room was guarded by peace-officers to prevent any disorder. The interior was splendid in the extreme, being illuminated with upwards of 6000 party coloured lamps, tastefully displayed in various devices. The orchestra was elevated, and consisted of a band of 18 musicians. The dances were conducted by two professional persons, who greatly conduced to the accommodation of the company. Quadrilles were the order of the night! Quadrilles at Bow Fair! Something new must be immediately invented at Almack's.. This booth may have been the same building (despite the differing dimensions that were recorded) as that at Stepney Fair, or at least was under the same management.

What was presumably the same booth showed up at Peckham Fair in 1825, the Berkshire Chronicle for the 27th of August 1825 recorded: we doubt much whether anything is to be found on the shores of the Adriatic, at all comporable in point of magnificence with the Crown and Anchor, the very Almack's of way-fairing people. A select and fashionable company, exceeding 700 in number, were there Terpsichorizing till a late hour, or rather an early hour this morning. The dances A mighty maze, and all without a plan. Exhibited at the same instant a coup d'oeil, in which were combined the various graces of the waltz, polonnaise, quadrille, contre dance, reel, minuet, &c. nor can we sufficiently admire the dexterity and execution of the musicians, who contrived so admirably to adopt the self-same air at the self-same moment, to the rigadoon, sink and slide, chassez, and double shuffle. The gossomery forms of maids that love the moon, revolved in endless gyrations round the attenuated spinster and more portly matron, themselves disdaining not to attitudinize in every possible shape which nerves and muscles would admit of. A less colourful description of the booth had been offered a few days earlier in the Morning Advertiser for the 23rd of August 1825: The spirited proprietor of the Crown and Anchor Tavern has erected his elegant booth in a style of splendour hitherto unequalled. The roof is built in an octagon shape, the greater part of which is tastefully arranged for the Salle de Danses, where bands for quadrilles, country, and Scotch and Irish dances, are provided. The interior of this structure is lined with scarlet, and the whole presents one blaze of light, there being a profusion of variegated lamps tastefully dispersed in various devices. Over the front entrance are six beautiful chandeliers, surmounted by the Royal Arms of England in variegated lamps. The expense of this erection must be very great, and we hope the proprietor will meet with the reward that is due to the taste he has displayed in its embellishment..

Of all the descriptions of this booth, the most famous is that offered by the novelist Charles Dickens in the 1830s. His description was first printed in the Evening Chronicle newspaper for the 16th of April 1835 (when he was 17 years old), it would subsequently be included as a chapter within his 1836 Sketches by Boz. An illustration of the dancing at the booth was commissioned to accompany the book, see Figure 9. Dickens wrote of Greenwich Fair that:

The grandest and most numerously-frequented booth in the whole fair, however, is The Crown and Anchor - a temporary ball-room - we forget how many hundred feet long, the price of admission to which is one shilling. Immediately on your right hand as you enter, after paying your money, is a refreshment place, at which cold beef, roast and boiled, French rolls, stout, wine, tongue, ham, even fowls, if we recollect right, are displayed in tempting array. There is a raised orchestra, and the place is boarded all the way down, in patches, just wide enough for a country dance. There is no master of the ceremonies in this artificial Eden - all is primitive, unreserved, and unstudied. The dust is blinding, the heat insupportable, the company somewhat noisy, and in the highest spirits possible: the ladies, in the height of their innocent animation, dancing in the gentlemen's hats, and the gentlemen promenading the gay and festive scene in the ladies' bonnets, or with the more expensive ornaments of false noses; and low-crowned, tinder-box looking hats, playing children's drums, and accompanied by ladies on the penny trumpet. The noise of these various instruments, the orchestra, the shouting, the scratchers, and the dancing, is perfectly bewildering. The dancing, itself, beggars description - every figure lasts about an hour, and the ladies bounce about with a degree of spirit which is quite indescribable. As to the gentlemen, they stamp their feet against the ground, every time hands four round begins; go down the middle and up again with cigars in their mouths and silk handkerchiefs in their hands, and whirl their partners round, nothing loth, scrambling and falling, and embracing, and knocking up against the other couples until they are fairly tired out, or half undressed, and can move no longer. The same scene is repeated again and again (slightly varied by an occasional row) until a late hour at night: and a great many clerks and 'prentices find themselves next morning with aching heads, empty pockets, damaged hats, and a very imperfect recollection of how it was they didn't get home.

Whether the Crown & Anchor Booth owed anything other than inspiration to the Crown & Anchor Tavern, Strand is unknown, the dancing there certainly sounds fun though!

Conclusion