Song and Supper rms

The Cyder Cellars

Situated at No.20 Maiden Lane, at the western corner and on the south side. This place, in the height of its fame, or disrepute, in 1840, had already been a home of music and song for well over a century. It was a great haunt of the celebrated Professor Porson.(Whoever he was FD)

At this time it had a reputation for devilled kidneys, oysters, Welsh Rarebits, cigars, brandy, brown stout and cider, all of the very best quality. The entertainment was the opposite. Though it purveyed a certain amount of good songs it revelled in dirt and grim, sordid horror, but it was enormously popular and always packed.

The man who controlled the Cyder Cellars in the days when it was crowded nightly by revellers who sang, ate, drank and made the money fly was William Rhodes, a brother of the proprietor of the Coal Hole. At his death, his widow carried on without success, so it closed down, became a school of arms and then a synagogue.

Condensed from The Melodies Linger On by W Maqueen-Pope