The Assembly Rooms at King Street Almack's

the building unpretentious.

following success of william almack s establishment @ no. 49 & 50 pall mall, began engage in further speculation in field of fashionable amusement. in september 1764 , march 1765 granted leases of 4 small houses on south side of king street. 2 of these houses on west side of rose , crown yard , 2 on east; total frontage, including entrance mews, seventy-three feet. acquired lease of stables , coach-houses on west side of mews. on 25 september 1765 john phillips, carpenter, granted him 993-year lease of ground west of these houses; plot had frontage of sixty feet, , abutted king s place (now pall mall place) on west side.the assembly rooms erected on site between may 1764 , february 1765; architect robert mylne, advised almack on bargain latter struck aristocratic patrons.

on 5 april 1764 mrs. elizabeth harris wrote son (later first earl of malmesbury) almack going build magnificent rooms behind house [in pall mall], 1 larger @ carlisle house in soho square. on 30 may mylne wrote in diary attended mr. james , crewe club in kings street. attended mr. almack on bargain between him , club in kings street. mr. james perhaps haughton james, west india proprietor , member of brooks s 1764 1813. crewe john crewe, member of parliament many years after 1765 , member of brooks s 1764 until death in 1829; created baron crewe in 1806.

on 30 september mylne noted gave plan of assembly rooms in king street duke of york mr. almack. on 14 november mylne wrote advert, mr. almack inserted latter in public advertiser on following day. addressed ladies , gentlemen, subscribers assembly in king street st. james s, whom informed building erected, , finishing purposes of meeting, in such forwardness, every thing done time proposed; , @ rate, there more sufficient time number of balls, given in latter end of winter. conscious of truth, beg leave mention, work in point of strength, convenience, , elegance, is, , shall executed in best, neat, , richest manner. advertisement described rules of new establishment. 7 ladies had each of them opened subscription book , each of contain names of 60 subscribers . each subscriber pay ten guineas admission twelve balls given each season. entertainment of each night consist of ball, in room 90 feet long, 40 feet broad, , 30 feet high; tea , cards in separate rooms; , supper in room 65 feet long, 40 feet broad, , 20 feet high, concert of music separate orchestra. these rules show number of fashionable patronesses provided almack indispensable initial support needed venture; therefore had right despotic powers of admittance assemblies later exercised on fashionable world.

the assembly rooms opened on 12 february 1765, although not completed until 1767. tickets of admission designed robert mylne. despite aristocratic patronage, project appears have been risky venture. almack held twenty one-year lease of part of ground on building erected, , new assembly direct challenge teresa cornelys s entertainments, had been established @ carlisle house in soho square since 1760. in december 1764 horace walpole noted mrs. cornelys, apprehending future assembly @ almack s , enlarging , redecorating rooms, while mrs. harris thought there commodious place, [almack s] seems unnecessary piece of extravagance.

in letter of 14 february 1765 lord hertford, horace walpole described opening of new rooms. new assembly room @ almack s opened night before last, , magnificent, empty; half town ill colds, , many afraid go, house scarce built yet. almack advertised built hot bricks , boiling water—think rage there must public places, if notice, instead of terrifying, draw thither. tell me ceilings dropping wet, can believe me, when assure duke of cumberland there? . . . there vast flight of steps, , forced rest 2 or 3 times.

despite unpropitious start assembly rooms became firmly established. in letter of 22 february 1765 gilly williams refers 3 elegant new-built rooms in almack provided twelve weekly balls. there between 3 , 4 hundred subscribers; ladies lend tickets, men s tickets not transferable, so, if ladies not us, have no opportunity of changing us, must meet same persons ever. in following month gilly williams reported our female almacks flourishes beyond description. . . . almack s scotch face, in bag-wig, waiting @ supper, divert you, lady, in sack, making tea , courtseying duchesses. great room said have been completed in 1767. in letter dated 15 january 1768 george selwyn refers dancing in new blue damask room, way intended cards . advertiser of 12 november 1768 carries following notice:— mr. almack humbly begs leave acquaint nobility , gentry, subscribers assembly in king street, st. james s, first meeting thursday, 24th inst [this month]. n.b. tickets ready delivered @ assembly room.

william almack died on 3 january 1781, bequeathing house in pall mall widow , residue of property, including assembly rooms, son william. on 28 february 1781 other surviving child, elizabeth, married dr. david pitcairn, scottish physician. william almack, son, barrister; short leases of part of ground on assembly rooms stood renewed him , appears have managed business until 1792. time, prosperity of rooms in decline (probably due opening of pantheon in oxford street in 1772) , william almack compelled mortgage them. died unmarried , intestate on 27 october 1806 , property passed sister elizabeth pitcairn. husband, dr. pitcairn, paid off mortgages, , died in 1809. elizabeth pitcairn appears ratepayer 1809 1817, , may have managed rooms during period. in will, proved in 1844, left large fortune, , residue of estate (including assembly rooms) bequeathed grandniece , adopted daughter, elizabeth campbell. latter married edward calvert of thurstonbury , descendants retained freehold (which had been acquired @ unknown date) until 1920.

in 1792 ratebooks show james willis occupant or manager of rooms. james willis had been proprietor of thatched house tavern in st. james s street since 1770 , on 18 august 1768 had married elizabeth tebb, niece of william almack senior. @ time of death in 1794 held twenty-one-year sub-lease of assembly rooms. descendants continued manage rooms (except perhaps years 1809 1817) until 1886–7. whole of period willis family tenants of almack s descendants. in nineteenth century rooms referred willis s rooms.