Jamaica House, Bermondsey

Map

The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:

Open location in Google Maps: 51.499673, -0.061626

Summary

The map location is approximate. The building was at the Cherry Gardens that were once on this spot.

3 Annotations

First Reading

Mary  •  Link

The Jamaica House and Tea Gardens.

This establishment was still extant in Millpond Row, Bermondsey in the 18th century, but by the 19th century had been re-designated 'The Jamaica Tavern.'

The current address of the Jamaica Tavern is 495 Southwark Park Avenue, Bermondsey.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The parish of Bermondsey -- which Pepys & family visit

Savory or St. Saviour's Mill Stairs, East Stairs now East Lane Stairs and Cherry Garden Stairs, as well as Marygold Stairs to the west of the last-named, led to the river. Fort Road is said to have derived its name from the fort by Kent Street made in 1642–3 by order of Parliament. A building of Jacobean architecture called Jamaica House stood in Cherry Garden Street until about 1860. This, which was named from the newly-acquired Jamaica and was probably a place where limes, oranges and rum were to be had, was apparently connected with the pleasure garden called Cherry Garden. Pepys writes in April 1667, 'To Jamaica House where I never was before, together with my wife and the Mercers and our two maids; and there the girls did run wagers upon the bowling green: a pleasant day and spent but little.' http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Jamaica Road must have been so called from it. Five Foot Lane, now Tanner Street, which joins Bermondsey Street to St. Saviour's Dock, existed in 1544. At that date there is mention of meadows called Sextenes, Curdons and Flymede. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1667