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
Although the high fashion of the old place has long since ebbed away,
its theatrical celebrity remains; and the locality is storied with the
dramatic associations of two centuries. The Sublime Society of Steaks
have met upon this hallowed ground through a century; and some thirty
years ago there was established in the street leading from the
north-west angle of Covent-Garden Market, a Club, bearing the name of
our greatest actor. Such was the Garrick Club, instituted in 1831, at
No. 35, King-street, "for the purpose of bringing together the
'patrons' of the drama and its professors, and also for offering
literary men a rendezvous; and the managers of the Club have kept
those general objects steadily in view. Nearly all the leading actors
are members, and there are few of the active literary men of the day
who are not upon the list. The large majority of the association is
composed of the representatives of all the best classes of society.
The number of the members is limited, and the character of the Club is
social, and therefore the electing committee is compelled to exercise
very vigilant care, for it is clear that it would be better that ten
unobjectionable men should be excluded than that one terrible bore
should be admitted. The prosperity of the Club, and the eagerness to
obtain admission to it, are the best proofs of its healthy management;
and few of the cases of grievance alleged against the direction will
bear looking into."
The house in King-street was, previous to its occupation by the
Garrick men, a family hotel: it was rendered tolerably commodious, but
in course of time it was found insufficient for the increased number
of members; and in 1864, the Club removed to a new house built for
them a little more westward than the old one. But of the old place,
inconvenient as it was, will long be preserved the interest of
association. The house has since been taken down; but its memories are
embalmed in a gracefully written paper, by Mr. Shirley Brooks, which
appeared in the _Illustrated London News_, immediately before the
removal of the Club to their new quarters; and is as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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