Journee Dunbar

London Coffee Houses

In the mid to late 17th

century London,

coffee houses were

instrumental in

facilitating learning

and the spread of

new theories in

mathematics, among

other academic

disciplines.

Two of the most popular of the 82 coffee houses that had arisen were the Grecian and the

Rainbow. These two far surpassed the usual uses of a hub for the occasional merchant,

ship owners, and even the clergy. Without these coffee houses, some people would have

never been enlightened by some of the most brilliant minds of this time and never would

have boosted the coffee economy nearly as well.

It was said by Henry C Shelley in the Inns and Taverns of Old London that “men of science as well as scholars gave liberal patronage to the Grecian. It was a common thing for meetings of the Royal Society to be continued in a social way at this coffee-house, the president, Sir Isaac Newton, being frequently of the parties. Hither, too, came Professor Halley, the great astronomer, to meet his friends on his weekly visit to London from Oxford.”

The Royal

Society is most

formerly known

as

“a Fellowship o

f the world's

most eminent

scientists and

is the oldest

scientific

academy in

continuous

existence.”

The Royal Society

Before Sir Isaac Newton found a permanent home for the Royal Society, its meeting places were in coffee houses all around London purely focused on the progression of math and science. Without a place to meet, this society could have easily dissolved or would not have attracted nearly as many enlightened figures throughout the 17th century, which would have slowed down discoveries and advancements.

It was quite common for one to hold lectures of mathematics, science, literature, arts and the like by renowned people such as William Whiston, professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

The ‘Inn’ Club

Another person you may find would be Francis Hauksbee, assistant to Sir Isaac Newton who designed many electric generators.

Abraham de Moivre, of the de Moivre theory for the advancement of trigonometry could be found at Slaughter’s Coffee House when in need of mathematical advice or a good chess game.

Study Buddy John Harris of Oxford University gave lectures in mathematics and astronomy at the Marine Coffee House who is most well-known for Lexicon Technicum: Or, A Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences.

Before coffee houses, the enlightened thinkers were only including other colleagues in their ventures for

knowledge or would have kept to themselves entirely. Some were only tolerated because they

went to the coffee houses and were socially involved, but would have otherwise been outcasts for their views on religion that sometimes slipped

into their lectures.

On the Flip Side

Works Cited

O'Connor, JJ and EF Robertson. Historic Topic: London Coffee houses and mathematics. March 2006. web site. 1 March 2015.

The Royal Society. n.d. web site. 28 February 2015.