Public Houses, Inns, Ordinaries, and Taverns of the 18th Century

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

This page links to interior and exterior scenes from 18th century taverns and inns. I've included some images of related establishments as well.

Elsewhere on this site, you can find my notes on 18th century beer and 18th century mead, including period recipes. There's also a page on medieval taverns and alehouses.

Some additional artwork of interest: A victualler, or, Publican : erected out of his own implements without [the] assistance of Nature (after 1757).

Interiors of 18th century inns and taverns

Pehr Kalm describes village inns in his 1748 Account of His Visit to England:

The men consequently think it no more than reasonable that they should sometimes take a little rest. We staid here at the Inn, where the host kept ale and brandy for sale, and into which the men of this village very often came, to pass some hours over some Pint beers. There were seen, sometimes both before and after dinner, a number of labouring men and others killing time in this way. Still, the evenings after six o’clock were especially devoted to this, after the carls had finished their regular labour and day’s-work. I often wondered how some of them could have their means of subsistence in such a way, the more so because ale and brandy were here very dear; but most of all I wondered over this, that folk who could only provide food for themselves, their wives, and children, out of daily wages, could spend time and money in this way. It was, however, not unusual to see many sit the whole day at the inn.

• In the tavern, 17th or 18th century
• Young couple in a rural tavern
• Figures in a tavern or coffee house, c. 1725 or after 1750
• Interior of an Inn by Egbert van Heemskerck the Younger, first half of the 18th century
• A Rake’s Progress: The Rose Tavern by William Hogarth, c. 1732-1735; see Hogarth’s Modern Moral Series for a description of what's going on in this scene
• The Wapping Landlady and The Humours of a Wapping Landlady, c. 1743
• The Seduction
• The Power of Music and Beauty, c. 1750s
• Sea captains carousing in Surinam by John Greenwood, c. 1752-1758
• The Humours of an Election: An Election Entertainment by William Hogarth, c. 1755 (see also William Hogarth’s Election series)
• Interior of the Tavern of Ramponneau, c. 1758
• Interior of an inn with a musician
• Tavern interior by John S C Schaak, 1762
• A satire on Vice and Folly, 1766? - note the tavern-keeper’s tally board
• Settling the Affairs of the Nation (and another version)
• Jonathan Wild by Paul Sandby, c. 1770
• The Pretty Bar Maid, 1778
• Pub interior by Léonard Defrance
• Officers recruiting in an inn by Léonard Defrance
• The Contrast, 1783
• Long Sermons and Long Sieges are apt to Lull the Senses, 1784
• Card players in a tavern by Jan Ekels, 1784
• Smithfield Sharpers, or the Countrymen Defrauded, 1787
• The country club by William Dickinson, 1788
• Inn interior with a woman and baby, 1788
• Scene at the inn by Aleksander Orłowski, 1794
• Inside of a Country Alehouse, 1797
• Characters in a Village Alehouse, 1797
• Country Characters: Publican, 1799-1800
• Interior of a country inn by George Morland
• Caricature Ornaments for Screens by George Cruikshank, 1800
• Rainbow Tavern in Fleet Street in 1800 by Thomas Rowlandson
• A new way to find out a customer!! by G.M. Woodward, 1800
• Bachelors Hall, 1800
• Knavish Pat — A Tale, 1804
• A French Ordinary, 1804

Exteriors of 18th century inns and taverns

Even when they appear in satirical illustrations, these exterior scenes are useful for looking at the architecture of 18th century inns as well as the details of inn signs. Several of these establishments are serving customers outdoors.

• Hob continues dancing in spite of his father by John Laguerre, c. 1725
• The Village Party by Pieter Angillis, 1727
• A Harlot’s Progress: Moll arrives at the Bell Inn by William Hogarth, 1731
• De Misleyden by Cornelis Troost, c. 1739-1750
• Bob-cherry, 1746
• The stage coach, or, The country inn yard by William Hogarth, 1747
• An Exact Representation of Maclaine the Highwayman Robbing Lord Eglington on Hounslow Heath on the 26th of June 1750
• Beer Street (1751) and Beer Street (1759) by William Hogarth
• Satire on false perspective by William Hogarth, 1754
• The Humours of an Election: Canvassing for Votes by William Hogarth, 1754-1755 (see also William Hogarth’s Election series)
• Winter landscape by Rienk Jelgerhuis, 1765
• A Rescue or the Tars Triumphant, after John Collett, printed 1768
• Gezight buyte Harelem
• Near Hackney
• The Hurdy Gurdy Player by John Collet
• Departure from a French Inn: An Illustration for Sterne's Sentimental Journey by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm, 1775
• A Humorous Scene at the Regatta, 1775
• Beating up for Fencibles by Graham Stewart
• Eagle Tavern and Coffee House, c. 1780
• An Engagement in Billingsgate Channel, between the Terrible and the Tiger, two First Rates, 1781
• A block fo the wigs, or, The new state whirligig by James Gillray, 1783
• Feeling, 1784
• How to Avoid the Horse Duty, 1784
• Gilpin going farther than he intended, 1784
• Travellers outside the Bull Inn, with a rainbow in the sky by Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, 1784
• An Inn on a Common by Paul Sandby
• A Wayside Inn by Paul Sandby
• Administring the Oath at Highgate
• A relish by Laurie & Whittle, 1794
• A halt of a soldier and his family by George Morland, c. 1795-1800
• A promenade to a rout on a fair evening by Woodward, 1797
• A Sea Captains Description of a Fox Chace by Laurie & Whittle, 1797
• A story of a little parson and the sailor by Richard Newton, 1797?
• Sleepy characters at Torrington by Woodward
• Riders Outside an Inn by Samuel Howitt
• The Inn Door by Thomas Rowlandson (read more about link boys)
• The bookmaker and his client outside the Ram Inn by Thomas Rowlandson
• At the Inn Door by Henry Singleton