References
Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.
1661
- May
1662
- Apr
1664
1665
- May
1666
- Jul
1667
1668
1669
- Mar
King's Head (Islington)
Map
The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:
- Built-up London – London before the Fire
- City of London wall and Great Fire damage – London after the Fire
Open location in Google Maps: 51.538539, -0.103086
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6 Annotations
First Reading
David Quidnunc • Link
"Famous for its cheesecakes"
according to a note at L&M for 23 June 1661 (Vol. II, p. 125).
On 1 April 1663, Pepys calls it the "cheese-cake house" (L&M renders it "Chescake-house").
Cheesecakes of some sort have a long history. This site claims they were known in Ancient Greece:
http://inventors.about.com/librar…
The ancient Romans had them, and various cultures make a similar dessert in various ways, according to this site:
http://www.foodmuseum.com/ask.html
And in 17th-century England, of course they had cheese cake recipes, such as this one:
http://www.godecookery.com/engrec…
Interesting parallel, of a sort: In the U.S. today, there's a nationwide chain of restaurants called "The Cheesecake Factory" begun by a couple with a great cheesecake recipe in Los Angeles, which confirms (just as Pepys does) that the cheesecake is a strong foundation on which to build an eatery's reputation.
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.c…
David Quidnunc • Link
CHEESECAKE QUOTES AND LINKS
at this post:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
nix • Link
Online reviews of the present-day King's Head in Islington --
http://www.beerintheevening.com/p…
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Islingtom is written vertically in the NE corner of this segment of Cary's map. The King's Head is not labeled.
http://www.motco.com/map/81001/Se…
Bill • Link
Islington was famous for its dairies, brick-kilns, houses of entertainment with their tea-gardens and ducking-ponds, cheesecakes and custards, and fields, the favourite Sunday resort of rural-minded citizens.
---London, Past and Present. H.B. Wheatley, 1891.
San Diego Sarah • Link
The ’old house’ was an Inn named the Kings Head. There has been a pub which includes entertainment on this site since the 1500s. It was probably called The Kings Head because Henry VIII would stop in for a pint on his way to see his one of his many mistress.
The current building dates from 1860, and is known for its music and its theatre in the back which has accommodated West End and Broadway shows, boxing matches, rhythm and blues, rock, soul, jazz and swing and has been the starting ground for many great bands.
To paraphrase a Latin tag: ‘the crowd in the Kings Head is always the same age.’
https://www.kingsheadtheatrepub.c…