Mermaid Tavern, Literary meeting place in Cheapside, London, England
The Mermaid Tavern was an inn located at the corner of Friday Street and Bread Street in London, featuring multiple entrances to serve its many patrons. The building was designed to accommodate large groups and could host various activities and gatherings within its walls.
The tavern began operating in the early 15th century and remained in business for more than 250 years until the Great Fire of London destroyed it in 1666. That catastrophic fire consumed large sections of the city and erased many historical buildings in a single day.
The tavern served as a gathering place for the Fraternity of Sireniacal Gentlemen, a literary group that brought together writers like Ben Jonson, John Donne, and Francis Beaumont for monthly meetings. These gatherings reflected how central such establishments were to intellectual exchange in the city.
The location of the former tavern sits near the corner of Bread Street and Cannon Street in central London, making it easy to find and visit. The area is well connected by public transport and sits within a busy commercial district.
The Star Chamber conducted trials against the Damned Crew, a rowdy group of patrons whose disturbances caused legal troubles at the establishment. These court proceedings reveal how lively and occasionally disorderly social life could be in such gathering places.
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