In commenting on the fact that Seven Stars was a common name for taverns, usually referring to a plough or the Big Dipper constellation, I made reference to the Seven Stars pub in Holborn.
I’ve been informed by one of a reader, fellow tweeter @dgbdgb from Footprints of London, that “Seven Stars pub in Carey Street in Holborn is supposedly linked to the Seven Provinces of the United Provinces now the Netherlands.”
A little more digging and I found this on CAMRA’s pub guide website:
“Formerly known as the League of Seven Stars after the seven provinces of the Netherlands; amongst its first customers were Dutch sailors who had settled in the area. Shakespeare performances took place nearby in Middle Temple and the playwright himself may even have drunk here. Later on, the novelist Charles Dickens is thought to have used the pub as a model for The Magpie & Stump featured in Pickwick Papers.”
Of course, there is a modern day, real-life Magpie & Stump, from which people would watch the public executions at Newgate.
So, once again, I’ve been taught not to take anything for granted when it comes to London street names.
thestreetnames 
One response to “Update to Seven Stars Yard in London’s number streets: from Four Dials to Twelvetrees Crescent”
Always good to know that readers are around to ‘add value’ to posts. Thanks for the update, Elizabeth.
Best wishes, Pete.