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
A waitership at a club sometimes led to fortune. Thomas Rumbold,
originally a waiter at White's, got an appointment in India, and
suddenly rose to be Sir Thomas, and Governor of Madras. On his return,
with immense wealth, a bill of pains and penalties was brought into
the House by Dundas, with the view of stripping Sir Robert of his
ill-gotten gains. This bill was briskly pushed through the earlier
stages; suddenly the proceedings were arrested by adjournment, and the
measure fell to the ground. The rumour of the day attributed Rumbold's
escape to the corrupt assistance of Rigby; who, in 1782, found
himself, by Lord North's retirement, deprived of his place in the Pay
Office, and called upon to refund a large amount of public moneys
unaccounted for. In this strait, Rigby was believed to have had
recourse to Rumbold. Their acquaintance had commenced in earlier days,
when Rigby was one of the boldest "punters" at White's, and Rumbold
bowed to him for half-crowns. Rumbold is said to have given Rigby a
large sum of money, on condition of the former being released from the
impending pains and penalties. The truth of this report has been
vehemently denied; but the circumstances are suspicious. The bill was
dropped: Dundas, its introducer, was Rigby's intimate associate.
Rigby's nephew and heir soon after married Rumbold's daughter. Sir
Thomas himself had married a daughter of Dr. Law, Bishop of Carlisle.
The worthy Bishop stood godfather to one of Rumbold's children; the
other godfather was the Nabob of Arcot, and the child was christened
"Mahomet." So, at least, Walpole informs Mann.[10]
Rigby was a man of pleasure at White's. Wilkes, in the _North
Briton_, describes Rigby as "an excellent _bon-vivant_, amiable and
engaging; having all the gibes and gambols, and flashes of merriment,
which set the table in a roar." In a letter to Selwyn, Rigby writes:
"I am just got home from a cock-match, where I have won forty pounds
in ready money; and not having dined, am waiting till I hear the
rattle of the coaches from the House of Commons, in order to dine at
White's.... The next morning I heard there had been extreme deep play,
and that Harry Furnese went drunk from White's at six o'clock, and
with the ever memorable sum of 1000 guineas. He won the chief part of
Doneraile and Bob Bertie."
The Club has had freaks of epicurism. In 1751, seven young men of
fashion, headed by St. Leger, gave a dinner at White's: one dish was a
tart of choice cherries from a hot-house; only one glass was tasted
out of each bottle of champagne. "The bill of fare is got into print,"
writes Walpole, to Mann; "and with good people has produced the
apprehension of another earthquake."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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