‘To Clapham’s I go’: a mid to late 18th-century Cambridge coffeehouse assemblage

Abstract

The recovery of a large closely dated assemblage that can be unambiguously associated with a mid-late 18th-century Cambridge coffeehouse provides the first opportunity for a detailed consideration of material associated with these significant institutions. A cellar in Cambridge, England, backfilled c. 1775-80 produced a substantial assemblage of over 500 items; principally ceramics, but also including vessel glass, clay tobacco pipes, animal bone and other material. Marked items and assemblage composition allows this material to be unambiguously associated with Clapham's coffeehouse, run by William and Jane Clapham c. 1746/48-79. There were a substantial number of ceramics associated with tea drinking, coffee drinking vessels were frequent but less common and there was relatively little evidence for chocolate drinking. A range of alcoholic drinks were also consumed and dining was common, with a particular emphasis on snacks, whilst smoking appears to have been uncommon. The assemblage is compared with other groups associated with coffeehouses, a series of groups from earlier inns in the vicinity and broadly contemporary domestic assemblages from Cambridge and inn groups from England. The archaeological evidence indicates that the materialities of coffeehouses were not significantly different from inns and challenges some currently held views of coffeehouses. Additional Information: Question Response Author Comments: The vast majority of the changes that I have made relate directly to the reviewers/editors comments. I have also corrected a few minor typos/errors that I spotted and added a few things that I have come across in the last few months. The latter includes material from Chapman and Kostro 2016 and my article 'Throwing Away Everything but the Kitchen Sink?: Large Assemblages, Depositional Practice and Post-Medieval Households in Cambridge', which I feel it is now appropriate to reference as it Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation has been formally accepted by Post-Medieval Archaeology. There are a few instances where I have not followed the reviewers/editors comments: 1) Changing 'Manganese mottled' to 'Staffordshire-type mottled ware'. I have found the former term more common and don't think the ware is particularly closely associated with Staffordshire. I would prefer to stick with the current term, unless there is some official PMA policy. 2) The dating of Manganese mottled ware. I am not aware of any good discussions of this topic, the information is derived from a whole range of publications and websites. Given the relative lack of the material in this assemblage I don't feel it appropriate to go into this in depth that would be required. 3) The term 'Bell shaped' tankard and 'making up names for vessel shapes'. This is a fairly widely used term and as far as I know and there is other more common term. 4) Fig 38.1: I can see why it looks Notts/Derby type stoneware in the photo, but the fabric clearly isn't. 5) Describing some of the tin-glazed earthenwar...

Moving in mysterious ways: the use and discard of Cambridge college ceramics

“…1750–1779, which has nine vessels marked with the proprietor’s initials, but also four vessels with other initials or names (Cessford et al . 2017). Two are from the Sun’s Coffee Room and the Rose Inn, and appear to be linked to coffee-house patrons ‘ordering out’ for meals or drinks from other establishments.…”

Corporate Branding and Collegiate Coats of Arms as Logos: Marked Ceramics and the University of Cambridge

“…The Rose was one of the largest and most significant 18th-century inns in Cambridge; it had 42 furnished rooms plus garrets and was a regularly frequented by the aldermen and common council men of the town corporation. Although the only known example of such a plate was discarded in a cellar in c. 1775-1780 (Cessford et al 2017), it is likely that the Rose Tavern was using moulded plates prior to Trinity College and may have acted as a form of inspiration. The moulded Rose plate served to demonstrate the wealth and size of the establishment, as with Trinity College it is unlikely that any of the Rose Tavern's local competitors were large enough to commission moulds for vessels.…”