18th century Lewes Russell's Tavern

HENRY BROOKE AND RUSSELL'S TAVERN

Early 18^th century, Lewes, a creek deep enough to accommodate the days sailing vessels,

with a few dozen small frame houses which lined the two streets that parralled Lewes Creek, called

the 'courthouse' on second street the most important building in town. Next to it, at the corner of

Second and Mulberry was the hottest spot in town, Phillip Russells tavern.

Russells Tavern was the scene of heavy drinking and had been hauked into court several times

for “suffering persons to play at cards”.

In all likelihood, the British Port Collector, Henry Brooke, was a regular patron at the

Russells Tavern. Henry was a member of a well to do British family who had sent him to Oxford, where, between carousing and bouts of drinking, had learned to read the works of Greek and Latin

ancient writers. However, his extracurricular behavior, caused the family to 'banish' him to America ,

where he was appointed Lewes Port Collector.

In time, Brooke began to mellow and the Oxford dropout took to spending more time in his

library reading and writing poetry. By 1717 he had developed a reputation as a respectiful man of

knowledge, was Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Lower Counties, then in 1721 he

was appointed to the Governors Council and within five years he was a judge in the colonial Supreme

Court. During this time he had met the Rev. William Becket, rector of St. Peters Episcopal Church which was close to the courthouse and Russell's Tavern. Becket and Brooke shared the interest in reading the Latins and Greek litature and the writing of poems, the two became very good friends.

As Becket began to hold service at St. Peters, Phillip Russell sold his tavern to a new come

merchant, Ryves Holt. For several decades, Lewes activities focused around Second, Market and

Mulberry Streets.

Ryves holt came to Lewes from Philadelphia where he was engaged in the West Indies Trade and came to Lewes to accept the appointment as a Naval Officer of the port. Holt, like Brooke, held

many government positions, Chief Justice of Delaware Supreme Court, Holt also fell in with Becket and Brooke with their endeavours.

Source: September 27, 2017, Coast Press, Michael Morgans Delaware Diary. Abstract by Harrison.