Cocoa Tree Chocolate House

262. Cocoa Tree Chocolate House, Pall Mall. On the south side until 1757 when removed to the site of No. 46 on the north side; between 1787 and 1793 removed to No. 64 Pall Mall. In 1799 removed to No. 64 St. James's Street until about 1835; in 1837 the premises were empty. Re-established certainly by 1853 and ended its existence in 1932.

1799–1835

In 1799, the Cocoa Tree removed from Pall Mall to No. 64, St. James's Street, where it remained until about 1835 or a little later.

1799–1810

The L.C.C. Survey gives William Newton as Proprietor, 1799–1810. In 1803 'Picture of London' the house is described as the Cocoa Tree Subscription House St. James's Street, 'frequented by Members of Parliament and others'.

1809–35

William Newton, Proprietor till 1810, is succeeded by R. Holland until 1817 according to the L.C.C. Survey, but Holden's directory 1809–11 gives Joseph Chase. John Raggett is listed in Pigot's 1822–24; the Survey gives John Raggett 1818–1831, and John Parton Raggett 1832–35.

1822

The 1822 'Picture of London' gives Cocoa Tree Coffee House, St. James's Street; this may indicate a public room in part of the Club premises.

1835–37

From 1835, the later history of the Cocoa Tree is obscure and it may have ceased to exist for some years, or removed.

1837

A letter in my 1837 collection dated 9 Sep. 1837, addressed to Messrs: Griffith & King, st. John Street Square, in which the writer 'Will King' asks: 'Would you object to let those Premises late 'The Cocoa Tree Club House' for the Business of an Eminent Coachmaker. ...' The reply to Wm. Nutter (or Rutter) Messrs: Knapp & Co., 21, Grosvenor Street, Grosvenor Sq., dated 15 Sep. 1837 from 9 St. John's Sqre, says: '... there is no objection to lettipg the house in St. James's Street for a coachmakers business, but that under the circumstances in which the property is placed we have no power to offer any commission for letting of it. ...'
     I find no trace in the 1838–40 directories, of the Cocoa Tree. The above mentioned letter clearly indicates the premises at No. 64 were empty in Sep. 1837, but whether the coachmaker pursued the matter is unknown to me. Robson's directory 1838, omits No. 64 completely. Walford in 'Old & New London' (1897) remarks: ' ... although the recent establishment bearing the name dated its existence only from the year 1853... .' and this may be confirmation that the Cocoa Tree ceased to exist after 1835–37.

1853

The L.C.C. Survey mentions 1853 and cites Whitaker's Almanac 1872 as the source.

1891

Wheatley writing in 1891 says 'The Club still flourishes. Its members are limited to 350, who pay an entrance fee of 10 guineas and an annual subscription of 4 guineas.'

1897

Walford (1897) writing on St. James's Street says that 'No. 64 ... was until recently the "Cocoa Tree Club" ...' seems to indicate that the Cocoa Tree which 'dated its existence only from 1853' was in fact at No. 64, and further that it no longer existed in 1897, or had removed elsewhere. It is known that No. 64 was empty in 1837 and the interval of sixteen years from then until 1853 remains unexplained.

1919

In 1897 Walford writes as if the Cocoa Tree ceased to exist, yet Chancellor mentions: 'in December 1919, a portion of the Cocoa-Tree Club, together with stables and garages abutting on Blue Ball Yard, was offered by auction.' Elmes 1831, says Blue-Ball-Yard St. James's Street 'is on the right from 163, Piccadilly'. Horwood's Map 1795, omits No. 163 Piccadilly, and where it should be is No. 48, St. James's Street. This is some distance from No. 64.

1932

The L.C.C. Survey draws attention to the 'Daily Mail' 11 August, 1932 which records the end of the Cocoa Tree.
     More information is needed to identify the Cocoa Tree of 1853–97 with the earlier house known from 1698 to 1837, as well with the house known as the Cocoa Tree after 1897 to 1932.

Cocoa Tree Chocolate House

After the eighteenth century, however, political views do not seem to have been of much importance at the Cocoa Tree, for the Prince of Wales, Sheridan (fn. 49) and Byron (fn. 50) were all habitués, and in the early nineteenth century the club seems to have been chiefly noted for heavy drinking. William Newton remained proprietor until 1810, when he was succeeded by R. Holland, who remained until 1817. From 1818 to 1831 the proprietor was John Raggett, and from 1832 to 1835 John Parton Raggett, (fn. 18) who were presumably relations of George Raggett, the proprietor of White's.

The later history of the club is very obscure. Whitaker's Almanack for 1872 gives the date of its establishment as 1853, which may perhaps be the date of its reconstitution as a members' club. Later editions of Whitaker's Almanack give the date of establishment as 1746, which has sometimes been given as the approximate date of its conversion from a chocolate house to a proprietary club. (fn. 51) In the twentieth century the greater part of the ground floor of the house was occupied by a gunsmith's shop (fn. 52) and in 1926 the club's premises were severely damaged by fire. (fn. 53) The club closed its doors in 1932. (fn. 54)

Tallis's street view of c. 1839 (pocket, drawing C) shows that the house had three main storeys and a garret, with a continuous iron balcony railing at first-floor level and a bandcourse at the level of second-floor sills. The bottom storey was irregular, having a modest square-headed front entrance door between a wide square-headed passage entrance on the north, leading to Blue Ball Yard, and a three-light sash window on the south. Three round-headed windows, the central one emphasized by being placed in a shallow roundheaded recess, gave light to the second storey. This central motif was repeated on a smaller scale in the third storey, where it was flanked on either side by a single square-headed window. The result was to over-emphasize the centre, and give a slight touch of pretentiousness to an otherwise modest front. Tallis shows an inscription—Universal Literary Cabinet—immediately below the second-floor bandcourse. The house was refronted at the end of the nineteenth century (fn. 55) and was completely rebuilt shortly after the club's demise. (fn. 53) A feature of the club was the large ornamental golden tree in one of the principal rooms. (fn. 56)

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18. R.B.
49. Memorials and Correspondence of Charles James Fox, ed. Lord John Russell, 1854, vol. iii, p. 427.
50. Thomas Moore, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron, 1833, vol. i, p. 385.
51. John Timbs, Clubs and Club Life in London, 1872, p. 69.
52. B.A. 17295; P.O.D.
53. E.S.99953.
54. The Daily Mail, 11 Aug. 1932.
55. W.P.L., photographs of adjoining premises.
56. Notes and Queries, vol. CLXXII, 1937, p. 171; Ralph Nevill, London Clubs, 1911, p. 128.