Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

February 07, 2009

Subject: Family hear say.

Dear Mr Mackenzie,

My Name is Michael Mapp and I am a resident of Melbourne in Victoria. (Narre Warren)

It is with interest I write to you on hear say regarding the Mapp family, which goes as follows. "Mother Mapp was a famous bone setter for Nelson's sailors, this is painted on various shields and pub signs". The pubs are obviously in the UK, have you ever come across this hear say during your time in the Royal Navy and with its association.

I wondering if you would have any idea just where I would start to look and have this hear say confirmed as to being  true or false.

Any help in this matter would be gratefully received.

In anticipation I remain Yours faithfully

Michael J Mapp.

Michael,

Firstly Mackenzie is my first name and Gregory is the surname.

No I had neither heard of Mother Mapp nor come across that hear say during my time with the Royal Navy or many visits to UK post WW2, but see this piece I found: 

Devereux Court WC2
UG: Temple
Bus: 4 11 15 23 26 76 171A
On the south side of the Strand, opposite the Law Courts and the east end of St Clement Danes Church. It runs along side the George public house.

The court has a somewhat quaint atmosphere although the present buildings are mainly of mock Georgian, built in the 1950's. The Devereux Hotel was the old Grecian Coffee House, so labelled from having been started in 1652 by a Greek named Constantine. He not only served the beverage but held classes of instruction in the art of infusing the beans. Most of the great characters of Fleet Street, writers, poets, and plain talkers visited the Grecian Coffee House, but take the evidence from the first edition of the Tatler which gives an outline of the character of selected coffee houses: 'all poetry from Will's, all foreign and domestic news from St James', and all leaned articles from the Grecian.' The Grecian coffee house folded up in 1842.

Whilst the Devereux Hotel received a facelift in 1845 it remains elegant and has the appearance of a stately country hotel. The interior of the Devereux is well in keeping with its exterior, - oak panelling and some fine oak furniture. It is understandable that, with the Temple next door, its clientele come chiefly from the legal profession. It achieved fame many years ago as the consulting rooms of Mrs Sarah Mapp who was renowned for her bone setting techniques.

Regards,
Mackenzie.

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