Gentlemen Club’s were social gathering places for many men
in Regency England. Unlike the clubs in
the U.S. today, there were no exotic dancers.
Women were not allowed. Men in
Regency England often belonged to one or more of these establishments. Nevertheless, these clubs were more than just
places to escape female society and partake in gaming and gossip. These clubs served as meeting places for
business, political strife, or social climbing.
Party leaders, artists, poets, publishers, barristers, and people with
many common interests met in these places to speak “off the record” and to
network with like-minded individuals of influence.
In my time travel, Destiny Series, the three lords purchased
an old coffee house and refurbished it into The Back Room Gentlemen’s
Club. Inside one of the club’s rooms,
there lies a time portal. This portal
brings travelers from past and future and drops them in the center of the men’s
club in the early 19th century.
These establishments were luxurious with rich upholsteries,
marble fireplaces, and thick carpets.
The club was a place filled with gambling, gossip, and indulgent
behavior. Where the food is top quality
and the membership is exclusive.
The three most famous clubs of Regency England were White’s,
Brook’s, and Boodle’s. The common
denominator between these three clubs is the fact that they were the clubs that
allowed gambling. All clubs had their
own bylaws and rules on conduct and behavior, which had to be followed or you
could lose membership and be permanently blackballed.
But like all establishments, these top three clubs were each
known for certain clientele.
White’s is
the oldest and most exclusive gentlemen’s club in London. The Italian immigrant, Francesco Bianco,
originally established the club off of Curzon Street in Mayfair in 1693. It was called Mrs. White’s Chocolate House
and they sold hot chocolate. The club
began to sell tickets to events in town for the King’s Theatre and the Royal
Theatre on Drury Lane. This selling of
tickets led to the transformation of White’s to an exclusive club by 1736. In 1753, White’s relocated across the street
after the original club burned down. White’s
was moved to 37-38 St. James Street, and from 1783 it was known as the
unofficial headquarters for the Tory party.
Due to its growing popularity, a second club was formed called the Young
Club, the two clubs merged in 1781.
The structure is built of Portland stone with a slate
roof. Consisting of three stories, it is
the Victorian version of the Palladian style, with French elements.
White’s was perceived as the intellectual leader and the
most exclusive of the three. Although
White’s was also considered by some to be the bane of the aristocracy, for many
men lost more than they could afford to lose, bringing shame and poverty to
their families. While, White’s catered
to the Tory party, Brook’s catered to the Whig party. There were, however, some men that belonged
to both clubs. Members were elected and
voted upon by using a system of white and black balls secretly deposited into a
special box at each election. A single
black ball denied you membership, hence the term to be blackballed. The Prince of Wales once favored White’s
until his friend Jack Payne was blackballed.
In many romance novels, I have read of White’s infamous bow
window and the table that sits there. This
window was added to the structure in 1811, and this privilege seat is mentioned
in one of my novels. It was a table that
could be seen by passer-byers and used by the club’s most socially
influential. Beau Brummell was known to
be a constant ornament to this special table until he moved to the continent to
avoid debtor’s prison. Lord Alvanley
took the honor after Brummell’s departure.
I should also mention the infamous White’s betting book, where men bet
on sports, political developments, and who’d beget the first heir between
friends. Brook’s also had a betting book,
and I’m sure other clubs recorded similar wagers.
The members of White’s deemed whist a dull game and gambled
deeply in hazard, faro, and other games of chance.
Brook’s
Gentlemen’s Club was founded in March 1764, by twenty-seven prominent Whig
nobles. The clubhouse was built in
yellow brick and Portland Stone in a Palladian style. The interior is neoclassical in design. It is located on St James Street, London,
England and is one of the oldest gentlemen clubs in London.
Brook’s was known
to have a political atmosphere, due to the young, founding members whose
fathers’ were deeply entrenched in the Whig party. Through fatherly influence, these twenty-something
year olds were indoctrinated in politics and the concept of liberalism from an
early age. As you can imagine, hopeful Whig
politicians began to flock to Brook’s, and within a few years it was an unofficial
headquarters for the Whig party.
Due to the vastness of the founders’ wealth and influence,
Brook’s gained a reputation for wild behavior and excessive gambling.
The Prince of Wales joined Brook’s so that he could talk to
Charles James Fox and enlist his support in Parliament, which speaks of the
clubs political influence.
Boodle’s
was founded by Lord Shelburne, the future Marquis of Lansdowne and Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom, in 1762 and located at 49-51 Pall Mall,
London. The club was moved in 1782 to
the clubhouse at 28 St. James Street, London, England. The club’s namesake is taken from the
headwaiter that worked there named Edward Boodle.
Boodle’s is second to White’s as London’s oldest gentlemen’s
club. This club was said to have been frequented
by country squires and the fox hunting set.
Heavy gambling took place at Boodle’s, but the club was not associated
with a political party.
Other Regency Clubs
The Royal Society was
known as a meeting place for scientists, engineers, explorers, botanists, and
astronomers of their day. It was also
frequented by soldiers, poets, bishops, musicians, and writers.
Alfred
Club was said to attract men of letters and writers. Lord Byron was a member of this club to which
he found it, “Literary, pleasant, and sober.”
In 1811, the Alfred Club had 354 men on their waiting list.
Four
Horse Club was known to cater to the young set who knew how to handle
the ribbons of horses with expert skill and they tended to race around
recklessly at high speeds. At its peak,
the club only held 30-40 members.
Watier’s
was founded by the Prince of Wales chef in 1807. The club was known for its fare and deep
gambling, but closed in 1819. From what
I’ve surmised, the closing was due to the high level of gambling.
A special thanks to Venetia Murray, An Elegant Madness
