the travellers’—oriental—st. james’—turf—marlborough —isthmian—windham—bachelors’—union—carlton—junior carlton—conservative—devonshire—reform
though, as has before been said, the majority of west end clubs have been obliged by force of circumstances to relax the exclusiveness which was formerly one of their most salient features, a few still manage to retain that social prestige which was the pride of quite a number in the past.
a conspicuous instance is the travellers’, a club which from the days of its foundation has always been somewhat capricious in electing members. the list of public men who have been blackballed here is considerable. the late mr. cecil rhodes was rejected in 1895, and at different times the late lord sherbrooke, the late lord lytton, lord randolph churchill, and other public men have met with the same ill fate.
the travellers’ club was founded in the second decade of the nineteenth century by lord castlereagh, the present club-house being built by barry in 1832. considerable amusement was aroused by the qualification for membership (which still exists). this laid down that candidates must have travelled 210out of the british isles to a distance of at least 500 miles from london in a straight line.
the supposed partiality of members for exploration was amusingly set forth by theodore hook in the following lines:
“the travellers are in pall mall, and smoke cigars so cosily,
and dream they climb the highest alps, or rove the plains of moselai.
the world for them has nothing new, they have explored all parts of it;
and now they are club-footed! and they sit and look at charts of it.”
the club-house would appear to have been little altered since its erection, with the exception that a recess for smokers has been contrived in the entrance hall. the building, it should be added, narrowly escaped destruction on october 24, 1850, when a fire did great damage to the billiard-rooms. these were, by the way, an afterthought, and an addition to the original building; but they were by no means an improvement upon the first design, for they greatly impaired the beauty of the garden front.
the library at the travellers’ is a delightful room, most admirably designed, with a fine classical frieze. a relic preserved here is thackeray’s chair; but as the only connection of the great novelist with this club appears to have been a blackballing, the presence of such a memento seems rather strange.
except the dining-room and the library, the interior of the travellers’ club is somewhat cold and bare. no pictures decorate its walls, and the general appearance of the place, whilst highly decorous, is hardly calculated to delight the eye.
the travellers’ still clings to certain rules framed 211in a more formal age, and smoking is prohibited except in certain rooms. it is rather curious that, in days when ladies tolerate cigarettes in their very boudoirs, not a few clubs should still treat smokers in the same way as prevailed in the days when tobacco was only tolerated in one or two uncomfortable apartments.
several distinguished men have belonged to this club, the membership of which includes many high government officials—heads of departments, ambassadors, and chargés d’affaires. the general tone here is one of solemn tranquillity; and though in former days there was a regular muster of whist-players, which included talleyrand, no game of cards seems now to be played.
during the season of autumnal renovation the travellers’ extends its hospitality to one or two other clubs. a dashing young soldier, becoming in this way a visitor, and being desirous of playing bridge, called for a couple of packs of cards and a well-known racing paper. to his intense disgust the astounded waiter who took the order, after making inquiry, reported that the cards would have to be obtained from outside, and the travellers’ did not take in the paper asked for.
though in a certain way a sociable club—for a large proportion of the members are acquainted with one another—the travellers’ is principally given up to reading, dozing, and meditation. of conversation there is but little.
another club which was founded during the same epoch as the travellers’ was the oriental.
a hundred years ago there were several institutions 212connected with the east in the west end. such were the calcutta club, the madras club, the bombay club, and the china club, frequented chiefly by merchants and bankers. these, however, were in reality associations rather than clubs.
the bombay club was located at 13 albemarle street, and consisted of one large news-room and an anteroom. it opened at ten in the morning and closed at midnight, light refreshments being obtainable of the porter, whilst smoking was strictly prohibited.
the need for a regular club-house where anglo-indians and others might meet in comfort gradually came to be felt, and in july 1824 the oriental club was started at 16 lower grosvenor street. the original club-house, it may be added, has now become business premises, being occupied by messrs. collard and collard. it is said that when the owner of this house gave it up to the club he sold some of its furniture and effects to a certain mr. joseph sedley, afterwards immortalized by thackeray as the pseudo-collector of boggley wallah.
the first steward of the oriental was a mr. pottanco, who had long been employed by sir john malcolm, probably in the east. members presented books and pictures, and one, sir charles forbes, cheered the hearts of the anglo-indians by sometimes sending a fine turtle to be converted into soup.
the first chairman of the oriental club was sir john malcolm, a very popular figure in society. sir john was a great talker, on account of which 213he had been nicknamed “bahawder jaw,” it was said, by canning. there were ten malcolm brothers, two of them admirals. all ten seem to have possessed the same characteristic, for when lord wellesley was assured by sir john that he and three brothers had once met together in india, the governor-general declared it to be “impossible—quite impossible!” malcolm reiterated his statement. “i repeat it is impossible; if four malcolms had come together, we should have heard the noise all over india.”
some of the members of the oriental club in old days, no doubt owing to having resided for prolonged periods in the east, had eccentric ways. one member was dissatisfied with the gruyère cheese, calling it french, not swiss, and insisted that the waiter who brought it to him should taste it. the waiter demurred, upon which the member complained of his misconduct to the committee. the latter, however, took the waiter’s part, rightly conceiving that it was no part of the waiter’s duty to act as cheese-taster. in another case, a member removed his boots before the library fire, and presently walked off in his stockinged feet into another room. the library waiter, finding the ownerless boots, took them away, and the member on his return was so greatly annoyed that he stormed at the waiter, speaking to him, according to the waiter’s evidence, “very strong.” here again the committee, to whom it was referred, sided with the waiter.
there was no provision for smoking in the original club-house of the oriental, and permission to 214smoke within the walls was not accorded for some forty years, although it was a constant source of dispute between opposing factions.
there are about thirty portraits in the oriental club; several of them of a high class have been copied for public buildings and institutions in india, where the individuals portrayed passed most of their careers.
the iron duke, lords clive, cornwallis, wellesley, lake, hastings, gough, warren hastings, major-general stringer lawrence, sir john malcolm, sir henry pottinger, sir david ochterlony, and sir james outram are amongst the distinguished men whose portraits adorn this club, which also possesses a painting of considerable historical interest, representing the surrender to marquis cornwallis of the sons of tippoo as hostages for the fulfilment of the treaty of 1792. this was painted by walter brown in 1793, and presented to the club in 1883 by o. c. v. aldis, esq.
besides paintings and busts which have been presented, there is here a silver snuff-box, the gift of a member, and a handsome silver candelabrum presented to the club by mr. john rutherford on the completion of fifty years of membership in 1880.
in the strangers’ dining-room hangs a stag-hunt by snyders, the figures by rubens. the busts in this club include sir henry taylor, by d. brucciani; and sir jamsetjee jejeebhoy, by baron marochetti; whilst a curious coloured print after p. carpenter shows the ground of the calcutta cricket club on january 15, 1861. a number of fine heads and sporting trophies presented by members decorate the 215interior of the house. it should be added that the library at the oriental, though not a large one, is of considerable interest, as many of its books have been written and presented by members.
though the st. james’ club, at 106 piccadilly, was not, like the travellers’ and the oriental, founded for those who wander far afield, its membership, owing to the club’s connection with diplomacy, generally embraces many with an intimate knowledge of foreign countries, and even the far east.
the club-house of the st. james’ was formerly the abode of the coventry club, a somewhat bohemian institution, where there was a good deal of gambling and a free supper. it seems to have been an amusing place, to which many diplomatists belonged. this club was established at 106 piccadilly—formerly coventry house—in the early fifties of the last century, and lasted a very short time, being closed in march 1854. in 1860 the house became the residence of count flahaut, the french ambassador, who added the eagles now to be seen amidst the decorations of the dining-room ceiling of the present st. james’ club.
the fine mansion was originally built for sir hugh hunlock by the architect kent, on the site of the old greyhound inn, and was bought by the earl of coventry, in 1764, for ￡10,000, subject to the ground-rent of ￡75 per annum. sir hugh must have found the expenses of completing the house too much for him, for he does not seem ever to have lived there, and, according to tradition, lord coventry bought the building before the roof was on.
216nevertheless a relic of sir hugh still remains in the area, and may be seen from piccadilly; this is a very fine leaden eighteenth-century cistern, which is embellished with some moulding of good design and the letters “h. h., 1761.”
it is said that when the house was built it was the only mansion standing west of devonshire house.
up to 1889 there were no pictures or engravings in the st. james’ club, but in that year, when considerable additions were made at the back of the building, a number of prints were presented by the various embassies and legations. the most valuable gift received was a water-colour drawing by turner of the village of clunie, near lausanne, given by the late sir julian goldsmid. some fine heads, a picture by herbert schmaltz, and more prints were presented by other members. a certain number of bedrooms exist for the use of the members, and from the point of view of comfort the club leaves very little to be desired.
the principal artistic feature of interest in the house is the magnificent ceiling in the large dining-room, which is enriched with a number of small paintings by angelica kauffmann. the centre painting is surrounded by a number of cartouches set amidst a decorative design of considerable artistic merit, probably the work of the brothers adam.
here and in the adjoining smaller dining-room (where, most sensibly, smoking is allowed after lunch and dinner) hang modern chandeliers of admirable design. both rooms were judiciously restored twelve years ago, at which time some fine mahogany doors were rescued from the rubbish heap.
217special features of coventry house in old days were two octagon rooms, both of which had fine marble mantelpieces (now covered up) immediately beneath windows. the octagon room on the first-floor—a boudoir—was, as its remains still show, a triumph of eighteenth-century ornamentation. indeed, the exquisite taste exhibited on the walls, over-door, and ceiling, give great cause for regret that such a perfect example of english art should have been defaced in order to form the serving-room which it now is. the carpet had been worked by barbara, countess of coventry, wife of the original owner of the mansion; and when the house ceased to belong to the coventry family, they took with them this carpet, which in course of time was divided into two, the separate portions going to different branches. the portion belonging to the present earl was some years ago once more completed by the addition of a new half worked at the school of art needlework, and now forms the centre of the drawing-room carpet at croome.
worked in cross-stitch, it is of many colours on a neutral-tinted ground; garlands and wreaths tied up with ribbons form part of the design of this curious heirloom, which has been comparatively uninjured by time.
in connection with the st. james’ club, it should be added that, according to tradition, an underground passage once ran beneath piccadilly into the park opposite, where the lady coventry who has just been mentioned is supposed to have had a garden. this story was probably suggested by the fact that the ranger’s lodge was nearly opposite, 218and it is possible that there was some communication between that structure and coventry house.
the st. james’ is one of the most agreeable and sociable clubs in london, and still maintains much of that spirit of vitality which seems within the last two decades to have deserted so many london clubs.
in the early days of the st. james’ it was located in bennett street, st. james’, and was later moved to no. 4 grafton street, now the abode of the new club. this is a fine old house, which still retains some of the features it possessed when it was the residence of lord brougham.
in the same house in bennett street first originated the turf club, which was evolved from the arlington.
of the turf, which is probably the most exclusive club in london, there is little to be said; for it is of quite modern foundation, and the club-house, though comfortable in the extreme, has no particular interest from an artistic point of view. like the athen?um, the turf employs a design taken from an antique gem on its notepaper, a centaur having very appropriately been chosen.
the lighting of the turf was formerly by candles set in the chandeliers. the latter still remain, but, now that electric light is used, the candles are no longer lighted.
another fashionable club is the marlborough, opposite marlborough house in pall mall. this was originally founded as a club where members should not be restricted in their indulgence in tobacco at a time when a number of regulations 219as to this habit existed in other clubs. king edward vii, then prince of wales, interested himself in the foundation of the marlborough club, having sympathized, it was understood, with the attempt made in 1866 to modify a rule at white’s which forbade smoking in the drawing-room. the motion was defeated by a majority of twenty-three votes, for the old school were bitterly opposed to such an innovation. in consequence, the prince, though remaining an honorary member, ceased to use the club, the newly-founded marlborough proving more congenial to his tastes.
at the present day the marlborough is used chiefly as a lunching club. at night, like many other clubs, it is now generally more or less empty.
the club-house, being quite modern, contains little to call for mention. in a former club, however, which stood on the same site, there was in the days of high play a special room downstairs where money-lenders used to interview such members as necessity had made their clients. the room in question was known as the “jerusalem chamber.”
the club-house of the isthmian, at no. 105 piccadilly, has known many vicissitudes. at one time it was the pulteney hotel, and afterwards it became the abode of lord hertford. subsequently the house passed into the hands of the late sir julian goldsmid, who possessed an example of the work of every living royal academician, as well as masterpieces by sir joshua reynolds and romney. his collection of works of art was very fine.
in its early days, when the club-house was in 220grafton street, the isthmian was nicknamed the “crèche.” it was originally founded as a club for public-school men, and some of its members were very young—a fact which gave rise to the humorous appellation in question. from grafton street this club migrated to walsingham house, where it remained until that short-lived building was pulled down to make way for the palatial ritz hotel.
the isthmian, it should be added, following the example of two or three other modern clubs, reserves a portion of its club-house for the entertainment of ladies, who are allotted a special entrance of their own in brick street.
the nickname of the “crèche” applied to the isthmian in its early days was rather exceptional in its wit, for most of the attempts at humorous club names have missed their mark. another amusing instance, however, was a suggested title for the now long-defunct lotus, an institution which was founded for the lighter forms of social intercourse between ladies of the then flourishing burlesque stage and men about town. this was the “frou-frou”—a delicate allusion alike to the principal founder, mr. russell, and the fairer portion of the membership.
old mansions in piccadilly, now clubs.
from a drawing of 1807.
a pleasant social club which has recently been structurally improved, bedrooms having been added, is the windham, no. 11 st. james’s square. this club owes its name to the fact that the mansion was once the residence of william windham, who was considered a model of the true english gentleman of his day. though william windham was a great supporter of old english sports, including 221bull-baiting (which he defended with such success in the house of commons that only after his death could a bill against it be passed), he was at the same time an accomplished scholar and mathematician. dr. johnson, writing of a visit which windham paid him, said: “such conversation i shall not have again till i come back to the regions of literature, and there windham is ‘inter stellas luna minores.’”
in this house also lived the accomplished john, duke of roxburghe; and here the roxburghe library was sold in 1812. lord chief justice ellenborough lived in the mansion in 1814, and subsequently it was occupied by the earl of blessington, who possessed a fine collection of pictures. the windham, it should be added, was founded by lord nugent for those connected with each other by a common bond of literary or personal acquaintance.
the club-house, which is very comfortable, contains a number of prints, but, as the vast majority of these are modern, they scarcely call for mention.
the bachelors’, at the corner of piccadilly and park lane, is essentially a young man’s club. only bachelors can be elected, and any member who becomes a benedict must submit himself to the ballot in order to be permitted to remain a member, being also obliged to pay a fine of ￡25. ladies may be introduced as visitors, but, it is almost needless to add, their introducer is responsible for his guests being of a standing eligible for presentation at court.
the same hospitable usage prevails at the orleans in king street, a pleasant little club decorated with 222sporting engravings, which has always prided itself upon the excellence of its cuisine.
the wellington, like the bachelors’ and orleans, is another sociable club which offers its members the privilege of entertaining ladies in a portion of the building specially set aside for their use. in the club-house is a collection of fine heads, trophies of the successful big-game shooting expeditions of sporting members.
a long-established non-political club, essentially english in tone, is the union, at the south-west angle of trafalgar square. the original home of this club was cumberland house, where it was first started in 1805, the chairman then being the marquis of headfort. george raggett, well known as the manager of white’s, became club-master in 1807, and at that time the membership was not to be less than 250. the dukes of sussex and york, together with byron and a number of other well-known men, joined the club in 1812. nine years later it was decided to reconstitute the club and to build a new club-house, and sir robert peel and four other members of the committee selected the present site. by that time the membership had increased to 800, and it was the first members’ club in london. the fine club-house in trafalgar square, built by sir robert smirke, r.a., was opened in 1824. a most comfortable club, the union well maintains its long-established reputation for good english fare and carefully selected wines. in old days its haunch of mutton and apple tart were widely celebrated, and many gourmets belonged to it. amongst these was sir james aylott, a two-bottle man, who was one 223day shocked to observe james smith (part author of “the rejected addresses”) with half a pint of sherry before him. after eyeing the modest bottle with contempt, aylott at last burst out with: “so i see you have taken to those d——d life-preservers!”
most of the furniture at the union is that supplied by dowbiggin, the celebrated upholsterer, seventy or eighty years ago, and there are some good clocks by the royal clockmaker, vulliamy. a good deal of the club plate is silver bearing the date 1822, and there is a good library. no pictures hang on the walls. the union has been, ever since its institution, an abode of solid comfort, and it prides itself upon keeping up the old traditions of a london club-house as these were understood a century ago.
amongst london’s political clubs, the carlton unquestionably takes the first place. originally founded by the great duke of wellington and a few of his most intimate political friends, it was first established in charles street, st. james’s, in the year 1831. in the following year it removed to larger premises, lord kensington’s, in carlton gardens. in 1836 an entirely new club-house was built in pall mall by sir robert smirke, r.a.; this was small, and soon became inadequate to its wants, though a very large addition was made to it in 1846 by mr. sydney smirke, who in 1854 rebuilt the whole house, copying sansovino’s library of st. mark at venice.
this club contains members of every kind of conservatism, many of them men of high position in fortune and politics.
224the carlton has been the scene of many important political consultations and combinations.
it was in the hall here that lord randolph churchill learnt of the appointment of mr. goschen to the chancellorship of the exchequer, which, it is said, he had just resigned under the impression that, being the only possible man for the position, he would be begged to reconsider his decision.
he was in the hall with a friend, when a boy came through to put up a slip of telegraphic news. lord randolph stopped him and read the telegram, after which he said: “all great men make mistakes! napoleon forgot blücher—i forgot goschen.”
a well-known figure at the carlton some years ago was mr. andrew montagu, known to his intimate friends as “the little squire,” whose death created a considerable sensation; for, as was well known, he had rendered great financial assistance to his party. he had, indeed, played a more important part in the secret history of his own times than was realized by the outside world. it has been asserted that about two millions of his money was out on mortgage—partly advanced to important politicians, and partly distributed amongst institutions connected with tory organizations. mr. montagu was a most generous and open-handed man, and would always use his interest to assist young aspirants to place and position, though he himself cared nothing for these. he was, it is said, frequently offered a peerage; but as the particular title which he desired was claimed by someone else, to whom it was eventually given, he died plain 225mr. montagu, which he had been perfectly content to remain.
the library upstairs contains a large number of volumes, and a most complete collection of books necessary to the politician. smoking is allowed in the larger room, but not in the small library adjoining.
a number of oil-paintings representing celebrated conservative statesmen decorate the walls of the carlton. in the large entrance hall are portraits of lord north, lord chatham, lord castlereagh, and the great sir robert peel; on the staircase a portrait of the first lord cranbrook; whilst the first-floor is adorned by fine full-length pictures of the late lord salisbury by sir hubert herkomer, and of lord abergavenny by mr. mark milbanke. the dining-room at the carlton also contains several portraits, amongst them lord beaconsfield,[6] after millais. mr. balfour, by sargent, subscribed for by members, has been added within recent years. owing to an entirely new scheme of colour decoration, the interior of this club-house is now very much improved. the conversion of the great central hall into a comfortable carpeted lounge with chairs is also an innovation of a most convenient kind.
6. one of the dining-room chairs bears the inscription: “lord beaconsfield’s chair.”
the carlton possesses a quantity of good silver, and in the way of comfort stands in front of almost all clubs in the world. nowhere, perhaps, are the minor details of everyday life so well looked after; every kind of notepaper is at the command of members, whilst the facilities for reference are unequalled. 226this club has a fine library, which is presided over by a librarian.
perhaps the most prosperous club in london is the junior carlton, which owns its own freehold. the property is said to be worth over ￡200,000. this palatial club-house is modern in style, but in a small room off the hall is a fine old mantelpiece, which was originally in one of the houses pulled down to make way for the new building.
statues of lord beaconsfield and the fourteenth earl of derby decorate the hall, whilst the pictures in the club-house include full-length portraits of the late queen victoria by sir hubert herkomer, and of the late king edward by the hon. a. stuart-wortley. this was painted when the king was prince of wales. in the smoking-room hang portraits of lord beaconsfield, lord derby, lord abergavenny, the iron duke, and other statesmen. a few pictures also hang on the staircase and elsewhere.
the picture of the duke of wellington originally represented him standing in the house of lords, but for some reason or other the background of benches was painted out by the artist. within recent years, however, the upper chamber has once more asserted itself by bursting through the coat of paint.
the library at the junior carlton club is one of the most delightful rooms in london—an abode of restful peace which was highly appreciated by the late lord salisbury, who was often to be observed here reading. it was said that he frequented this room because he was sure of finding undisturbed 227quiet. huge placards, on which are printed the word “silence,” are on each of the mantelpieces, and the reposeful atmosphere of the place is seldom troubled by any sound louder than footfalls on the soft carpet or the turning over of book-leaves.
a round table in this club, used for private dinner-parties, is said to be the biggest in london; twenty-five people can sit at it.
the conservative club, which occupies a portion of the site of the old thatched house tavern (pulled down in 1843), 74 st. james’s street, was designed by sydney smirke and george basevi, 1845. the upper portion is corinthian, with columns and pilasters, and a frieze sculptured with the imperial crown and oak wreaths; the lower order is roman-doric, and the wings are slightly advanced, with an enriched entrance porch north and a bay-window south. the interior was painted in colour by mr. sang, by whom, after long years, it has since been redecorated. this happened a few years ago, when, after considerable discussion, it was decided to restore the original scheme of decoration which some little time before had been discarded in favour of plain white marble.
a bust of the late queen victoria is on the landing of the very handsome staircase of the conservative club, and on the first-floor are other busts, together with a full-length statue of lord beaconsfield. a picture of the piazza san marco at venice, by canaletto, hangs in the large smoking-room upstairs.
a feature of this club is the excellent library, 228which is especially rich in county histories. it is a quiet, restful room, and has everything necessary to render it an ideal resort for lovers of books.
the dining-tables in the conservative club date from its foundation, and are of mahogany. the pleasing old custom of removing the tablecloth after dinner still prevails. unfortunately, about eleven years ago the great majority of these little tables were sent to have their surfaces planed down! the committee of that day (who must have been totally devoid of any vestige of taste) were of opinion that the surface was becoming too “old-looking.” the result is, that it will require a great number of years before these tables regain the beautiful patine which still distinguishes those—about eight in number—which happily escaped renovation.
the devonshire club, in st. james’s street, though originally a liberal or rather a whig club, now includes many shades of opinion, liberal unionists being plentiful. there is a good library here. the club-house, it is interesting to remember, was once a magnificent temple of chance, over which presided the celebrated crockford.
crockford’s in 1828.
from a drawing by t. h. shepherd.
the present building is, with some alterations, the same as the one constructed in 1827—on the site of three houses then demolished—for the famous ex-fishmonger by the brothers wyatt. the decorations alone, it is said, cost ￡94,000, and consist of two wings and a centre, with four corinthian pilasters and entablature, and a balustrade throughout; the ground-floor has venetian windows, and the upper story large 229french windows. the entrance hall has a screen of roman-ionic scagliola columns with gilt capitals, and a cupola of gilding and stained glass. the staircase was panelled with scagliola, and enriched with corinthian columns. the grand drawing-room was in the style of louis quatorze, as it was understood at that day; its ceiling had enrichments of bronze-gilt, with door paintings à la watteau. upon the opening of the club-house, it was described as “the new pandemonium.” the gambling-room (now the dining-room of the devonshire club) consisted of four chambers: the first an anteroom, opening to a saloon embellished to a high degree; out of it a small curiously-formed cabinet or boudoir, opening to the supper-room. all these rooms were panelled in the most gorgeous manner, spaces being adorned with mirrors, silk or gold enrichments, and the ceilings as gorgeous as the walls. a billiard-room on the upper floor completed the number of apartments professedly dedicated to the use of the members. whenever any secret man?uvre was to be carried on, there were smaller and more retired places, whose walls might be relied upon to tell no tales.
crockford, next to the late m. blanc, of monte carlo fame, was probably the most efficient manager of a gambling establishment who ever existed.
he possessed great tact, and thoroughly understood how to humour his clients, most of whose money eventually drifted into his pockets.
a newly-elected member one night, during a lull in play, jokingly said to crockford: “i will bet a 230sovereign against the choice of your pictures, of which there are many hanging round the walls, that i throw in six mains.” to this he consented. the member took the box, and threw in seven times successively, and then walked round the room to make his selection. there was a st. cecilia, by westall, which he had before admired, and that he chose, which of course provoked a good deal of laughter. other members then followed his example; the result being that they won several of the oil-paintings, which they bore triumphantly away.
the cook, louis eustache ude, was celebrated throughout europe, as was his successor francatelli. crockford’s policy was to run his establishment on the most luxurious lines, making no profit except on the gambling; and therefore the dinners, though perfect, were very reasonable in price. in addition, all the dainties of the season, fish, flesh, and fowl, were cooked after the most approved parisian models, and were tortured into shapes that defied recognition. one of the favourite dishes was boudin de cerises à la bentinck—cherry pudding without the stones—which was named after lord george, a frequent visitor to the club. no one was charged for ale or porter, until one day a hungry member dined off the joint and drank three pints of bottled ale, after which crockford made a change in the charges, with the remark that “a glass or two was all very well, but three pints were too much of a good thing.”
on one occasion, in the list of game on august 10, appeared some grouse. the marquis of queensberry, 231a great sportsman, summoned ude to bow street, and had him fined for infringing the game laws. the following day lord queensberry looked at the bill of fare, and no grouse appeared in it. he was about to sit down to dinner, when a friend came in, who proposed joining him. each selected his own dishes. when they were served, there was a slight hesitation in ude’s manner, but they attributed it to the fine he had recently paid. an entrée followed some excellent soup and fish, ude saying, “this is my lord’s,” uncovering a dish containing a mutton cutlet à la soubise, “and this sir john’s,” placing the latter as far from the noble marquis as possible. “have a cutlet,” said lord queensberry. the baronet assented. “and you in return can have some of my entrée.” at last it came to the moment when sir john’s dish was to be uncovered. “what on earth is this?” asked ude’s prosecutor, as he took up a leg of the salmis; “it cannot be partridge or pheasant; bring the bill of fare.” the waiter obeyed. “why, what does this mean? ‘salmis de fruit défendu!’—grouse, i verily believe.” ude apologized, declaring that the grouse had been in the house before he was summoned. the marquis chose to believe his statement, and allowed the matter to drop.
some members were very particular and trying to the patience of the world-famed french cook. at one period of his presidency, the ground of a complaint formally addressed to the committee was that there was an admixture of onion in the soubise. this chef was sensitive as to complaints. 232colonel darner, happening to enter crockford’s one evening to dine early, found ude walking up and down in a towering passion, and naturally inquired what was the matter. “no matter, monsieur le colonel! did you see that gentleman who has just gone out? well, he ordered a red mullet for his dinner. i made him a delicious little sauce with my own hands. the price of the mullet was marked as two shillings, and i asked sixpence for the sauce; this he refuses to pay. the imbecile must think that the red mullets come out of the sea with my sauce in their pockets.”
the devonshire club possesses some relics of crockford’s in the shape of an etching by r. seymour, which hangs in the corridor smoking-room, where are also six of the original chairs used in the old gaming-room. the etching of crockford was presented by captain shean; the chairs, in 1902, by another member—mr. t. j. barratt.
interior of the reform club.
from a drawing of 1841.
the reform club, in pall mall, took its name from the great reform movement, which it was founded to promote, in opposition to the carlton. its virtual founder and first chairman was edward ellice, who drew his wealth from the hudson bay company, and his political influence from his long representation of coventry and from his energy in supporting reform. it was said that he had more to do with the passing of the reform bill of 1832 than any other man. the club was established in 1836, to be a nursery of the great political idea which that bill represented. for a few years it was domiciled in gwydyr house, whitehall. at the house in pall mall, some years previously, the 233temporary national gallery had remained in the house of mr. angerstein, whose pictures were the nucleus of the national collection. while, therefore, the reform club was rising to accommodate its members, the national gallery was being built in trafalgar square to receive the pictures.
the architect of the new building was instructed to do his best to produce a club-house finer than any yet built. the reform is mostly italian in style, copied by barry in some respects from the farnese palace at rome, designed by michael angelo. the chief feature of the interior is a hall running up to the top of the building, an italian cortile surrounded by a colonnade, half ionic and half corinthian. the reform is about the only one of the older clubs which provides bedrooms for its members—a convenience much appreciated by members.
let into the walls of this hall are a number of portraits of liberal politicians of the past. amongst them are bright and palmerston. there are also some busts of former great lights of the party, such as mr. gladstone. a graceful statue of elektra is another conspicuous ornament of this well-proportioned hall.
like the carlton, the reform club possesses a quantity of silver plate, dating from the time of its foundation.
the kitchen of the reform was long presided over by alexis soyer, one of the great cooks of history. he came to england on a visit to his brother, who was chef to the old duke of cambridge, son of george iii, and afterwards was cook to 234several noblemen, till eventually appointed chef of the club. soyer created a great sensation in culinary circles by introducing steam and gas. he cooked some famous political banquets for the club, among them a dinner to o’connell, another to ibrahim pasha, and a third to lord palmerston. soyer, indeed, became quite a public character, being sent to ireland during the great famine, to teach the starving people how to dine on little or nothing; and at the worst period of the crimean winter it was hoped he might make amends for a defective commissariat.
madame soyer was as clever as her husband in another line: a woman of considerable artistic attainments, she painted quite prettily in water-colours.
both she and the great chef sleep their last sleep in kensal green cemetery, where a sort of mausoleum bears the appropriate inscription: “soyer tranquil.”
one of the reform club’s triumphs was the breakfast given there on the occasion of the queen’s coronation, which won high commendation. the excellent cooking imparted celebrity to the great political banquets given at the reform.
soyer was a man of discrimination, taste, and genius. he was led to conceive the idea of his great book on cookery—“gastronomic regeneration”—he declared, by observing in the elegant library of an accomplished nobleman the works of shakespeare, milton, and johnson, in gorgeous bindings, but wholly dust-clad and overlooked, while a book on cookery bore every indication of 235being daily consulted and revered. “this is fame,” exclaimed soyer, seizing the happy inference, and forthwith seized his pen.
john bright was often at the reform, where it was said he passed his time indulging in billiards and abstaining from wine. other well-known men who were members were douglas jerrold, sala, william black, james payn, and thackeray, who became a member in 1840. he used to stand in the smoking-room, his back to the fire, his legs rather wide apart, his hands thrust into his trousers pockets, and his head stiffly thrown backward, while he joined in the talk of the men occupying the semicircle of chairs in front of him. it is said that on one occasion, observing beans and bacon on the evening dinner list, he cancelled without hesitation a dinner engagement elsewhere, on the ground that “he had met an old friend he had not seen for many a long day.”
at one time a small group of men, which bernal osborne nicknamed “the press gang,” met daily for lunch at a table in one of the windows looking out upon the gardens in front of carlton terrace. this group was originally composed of james payn and william black, j. r. robinson of the daily news, j. c. parkinson, and sir t. wemyss reid, but as time went on others joined. at these luncheons there was always a great deal of pleasant and harmless chaff, with some more serious talk, although by mutual agreement politics were generally tabooed. james payn was the life and soul of the party, and dedicated one of the best of his novels—“by proxy”—to the group which he had 236so often enlivened. another lively spirit here was william black, who, though not as brilliant a talker as payn, could cap his jests with an epigram or quaint joke of much flavour.
bernal osborne occasionally attended these lunches, where, however, he curbed that mordant wit which was known to all and feared by most. at the reform lunches he was always harmless, though unable to resist referring to black’s habit of drinking a pint of champagne at luncheon. he would point to the bottle, and say: “young man, in ten years’ time you will not be doing that.” ten years later, however, black recalled bernal osborne’s warnings, and dwelt with pride upon the fact that he had survived his censor.
the very large political clubs, such as the constitutional, the junior constitutional, and the national liberal, hardly come within the scope of this book. it may, however, be mentioned that, whilst the national liberal has an ingeniously contrived system (the idea of which was originally conceived by mr. arthur williams, sometime m.p. for glamorgan) whereby very young men are attracted to join the club, nothing of the sort seems to have been attempted by any similar institution purporting to further the spread of conservative principles.
