Susannah McLaughlin's tavern in Fredericktown, Maryland.' The "Boston Evening Post" catered extensively to the provinces, and gave publicity to the inns of Mrs. Abigail Jarvice in Roxbury, Mary Perkins in Gloucester, Ann Slayton and Elizabeth Pike in Portsmouth, Sarah Cutler in Weston, Dorothy Cooledge in Watertown," Yetmercy Howland in Bristol, and Rebecca Wetherell in Plymouth.9 Around the middle of the eighteenth century, the idea gained credit that inns might be used for something else than the necessities of travel, and that they might have something more than the "comforts of home"; there is reason to fear that all too often in the earlier days they had had much less. A coffee house was first established in England in 1652, but the earliest use of the term noticed in the colonies was in 1745- Widow Roberts's Coffee House in Philadelphia. The following advertisement in the "Boston Evening Post" has an attractive ring: For the Entertainment of Gentlemen, Benefit of 1 Pennsylvania Gazette, May 19, 1763. 7 Ibid., February 20, 1775. ▲ Ibid., May 26, 1755. Commerce, and Dispatch of Business, a Coffee House is this day opened in King Street. All the Newspapers upon the Continent are regularly taken in, and several English Prints and Magazines are ordered. Gentlemen who are pleased to use the House, may at any Time of Day, after the manner of those in London, have Tea, Coffee, or Chocolate, and constant Attendance given by BOSTON December 8, 1755 their humble Servant MARY BALLARD Just this combination of physical and intellectual comfort is hardly available to the general public to-day. The British Coffee House, as it was called, must have been a success, as it is often mentioned. If Mrs. Ballard had a taste for romance, she had opportunity to gratify it, if we may judge from the following: 1 To the Ladies Any young Lady, between the Age of 18 and 23, of a middling Stature; brown Hair; regular features, and with a lively brisk eye; of good morals and not tinctur'd with anything that may sully so distinguishable a Form; possessed of 3 or 400 pounds entirely at her own Disposal, and where there will be no necessity of going through the tiresome Talk of addressing Parents or Guardians for their consent; such a one, on leaving a line directed for A. W. at the British Coffee House in King-street appointing where an 1 Boston Evening Post, February 26, 1759. Susannah McLaughlin's tavern in Fredericktown, Maryland.1 The "Boston Evening Post" catered extensively to the provinces, and gave publicity to the inns of Mrs. Abigail Jarvice in Roxbury,2 Mary Perkins in Gloucester, Ann Slayton and Elizabeth Pike in Portsmouth, Sarah Cutler in Weston, Dorothy Cooledge in Watertown,' Yetmercy Howland in Bristol, and Rebecca Wetherell in Plymouth.9 Around the middle of the eighteenth century, the idea gained credit that inns might be used for something else than the necessities of travel, and that they might have something more than the "comforts of home"; there is reason to fear that all too often in the earlier days they had had much less. A coffee house was first established in England in 1652, but the earliest use of the term noticed in the colonies was in 1745-Widow Roberts's Coffee House in Philadelphia. The following advertisement in the "Boston Evening Post" has an attractive ring: For the Entertainment of Gentlemen, Benefit of 1 Pennsylvania Gazette, May 19, 1763. 7 Ibid., February 20, 1775. Ibid., May 26, 1755. Ibid., January 4, 1762. 8 Ibid., April 2, 1744. Commerce, and Dispatch of Business, a Coffee House is this day opened in King Street. All the Newspapers upon the Continent are regularly taken in, and several English Prints and Magazines are ordered. Gentlemen who are pleased to use the House, may at any Time of Day, after the manner of those in London, have Tea, Coffee, or Chocolate, and constant Attendance given by their humble Servant MARY BALLARD BOSTON December 8, 1755 Just this combination of physical and intellectual comfort is hardly available to the general public to-day. The British Coffee House, as it was called, must have been a success, as it is often mentioned. If Mrs. Ballard had a taste for romance, she had opportunity to gratify it, if we may judge from the following: 1 To the Ladies Any young Lady, between the Age of 18 and 23, of a middling Stature; brown Hair; regular features, and with a lively brisk eye; of good morals and not tinctur'd with anything that may sully so distinguishable a Form; possessed of 3 or 400 pounds entirely at her own Disposal, and where there will be no necessity of going through the tiresome Talk of addressing Parents or Guardians for their consent; such a one, on leaving a line directed for A. W. at the British Coffee House in King-street appointing where an 1 Boston Evening Post, February 26, 1759. Interview may be had, will meet with a Person who flatters himself that he shall not be thought disagreeable by any Lady answering the above Description. N.B. Profound Secrecy will be observ'd. No trifling Answers will be regarded. It is tantalizing not to know whether any young lady felt that she answered the above description; and if so, whether indeed she found the modest young man not disagreeable. If the young ladies of Boston could only leave love letters at the British Coffee House, the damsels of Providence were soon to be better accommodated. The "Providence Gazette" for March 9, 1765 gave notice of this forerunner of the automobile inn: For the Convenient Reception and Entertainment of Gentlemen and Ladies, whenever they are disposed to recreate themselves by an Excursion into the Country, whether at Morning or Evening, On Monday next will be open'd by At the Sign of the White Horse, (the House of Jeremiah Williams, Cranston) THE RURAL TEA AND COFFEE HOUSE Very pleasantly situated about three miles from the Town of Providence, on one of the most delightful Roads in New England. |