When the verb precedes a subject compounded of singular and plural, some questions of more interest than importance may arise. There were a table and some chairs in there; were is better because the compound subject is compact. ---Fowler's Modern English Usage

The verb following there may be singular or plural. According to the rules, it is plural if the meaningful subject of the sentence is plural, and singular if it is not, as in there were friends who told him and there was one in particular. There is a strong tendency today to use only a singular verb after there, even with a plural subject. This is now acceptable English when the word closest to the verb is singular, as in there was a man and two women. A singular verb is often heard before a plural word, as in there was two women, but this offends many people and is condemned by most grammarians. ---A Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage by Bergen Evans & Cornelia Evans, 1957

2 There can express the idea of existence: What is there to eat? There seem to be only eggs. Before a plural, it should correctly be there are/were, although there is is common in spoken English: There's two experts in the studio. When there introduces a list of items of which the first is singular, usage is divided: There are/is Bill and the children to consider. Here are is correct, though it may be felt to sound odd before the singular Bill. ---Longman Guide to English Usage, 1988