Club Life of London, Vol. 1 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th CenturiesTimbs, John
History
Club Life of London, Vol. 1 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
Timbs, John
Clubs -- England -- London; Literary landmarks -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
The dates of the Club are thus summarily given by Mr. Hatchett, the
treasurer:--It was founded in 1764, by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Dr.
Samuel Johnson, and for some years met on Monday evenings, at seven.
In 1772, the day of meeting was changed to Friday, and about that
time, instead of supping, they agreed to dine together once in every
fortnight during the sitting of Parliament. In 1773, the Club, which,
soon after its foundation, consisted of twelve members, was enlarged
to twenty; March 11, 1777, to twenty-six; November 27, 1778, to
thirty; May 9, 1780, to thirty-five; and it was then resolved that it
should never exceed forty. It met originally at the Turk's Head, in
Gerard-street, and continued to meet there till 1783, when their
landlord died, and the house was soon afterwards shut up. They then
removed to Prince's, in Sackville-street; and on his house being, soon
afterwards, shut up, they removed to Baxter's, which afterwards became
Thomas's, in Dover-street. In January, 1792, they removed to
Parsloe's, in St. James's-street; and on February 26, 1799, to the
Thatched House, in the same street.
"So originated and was formed," says Mr. Forster, "that famous Club,
which had made itself a name in literary history long before it
received, at Garrick's funeral, the name of the Literary Club, by
which it is now known. Its meetings were noised abroad; the fame of
its conversations received eager addition, from the difficulty of
obtaining admission to it; and it came to be as generally understood
that Literature had fixed her social head-quarters here, as that
Politics reigned supreme at Wildman's, or the Cocoa-tree. With
advantage, let me add, to the dignity and worldly consideration of men
of letters themselves. 'I believe Mr. Fox will allow me to say,'
remarked the Bishop of St. Asaph, when the Society was not more than
fifteen years old, 'that the honour of being elected into the Turk's
Head Club, is not inferior to that of being the representative of
Westminster or Surrey.' The Bishop had just been elected; but into
such lusty independence had the Club sprung up thus early, that
Bishops, even Lord Chancellors, were known to have knocked for
admission unsuccessfully; and on the night of St. Asaph's election,
Lord Camden and the Bishop of Chester were black-balled."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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