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 — John Shaqi
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
Some thirty years after, there occurred a scene which seemed to give
colour to the truth of the _Secret History_. On January 30, 1735,
"Some young noblemen and gentlemen met at a tavern in Suffolk-street,
called themselves the Calves' Head Club, dressed up a calf's head in
a napkin, and after some hurras threw it into a bonfire, and dipped
napkins in their red wine and waved them out of the window. The mob
had strong beer given them, and for a time hallooed as well as the
best, but taking disgust at some healths proposed, grew so outrageous
that they broke all the windows, and forced themselves into the house;
but the guards being sent for, prevented further mischief. The _Weekly
Chronicle_ of February 1, 1735, states that the damage was estimated
at 'some hundred pounds,' and that the guards were posted all night in
the street, for the security of the neighbourhood."
In L'Abbé Le Blanc's Letters we find this account of the
affair:--"Some young men of quality chose to abandon themselves to the
debauchery of drinking healths on the 30th of January, a day appointed
by the Church of England for a general fast, to expiate the murder of
Charles I., whom they honour as a martyr. As soon as they were heated
with wine, they began to sing. This gave great offence to the people,
who stopped before the tavern, and gave them abusive language. One of
these rash young men put his head out of the window and drank to the
memory of the army which dethroned this King, and to the rebels which
cut off his head upon a scaffold. The stones immediately flew from all
parts, the furious populace broke the windows of the house, and would
have set fire to it; and these silly young men had a great deal of
difficulty to save themselves."
Miss Banks tells us that "Lord Middlesex, Lord Boyne, and Mr.
Seawallis Shirley, were certainly present; probably, Lord John
Sackville, Mr. Ponsonby, afterwards Lord Besborough, was not there.
Lord Boyne's finger was broken by a stone which came in at the window.
Lord Harcourt was supposed to be present." Horace Walpole adds: "The
mob destroyed part of the house; Sir William (called Hellfire)
Stanhope was one of the members."
This riotous occurrence was the occasion of some verses in _The
Grub-street Journal_, from which the following lines may be quoted as
throwing additional light on the scene:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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