London Clubs

In 1800 there were only a few gentleman's clubs functionging in London, Whites, Brookes's, Boodles, the Cocoa-Tree, and Grahams. There were also a number of other clubs that operated without premises but many of these were ephemeral in nature, see The Earl of Barrymore for more details on the nature of young Bucks of the late eighteenth century and their amusements.

Most clubs of this time used public places such as coffee-houses or Taverns for weekly or monthly meetings. The early Nineteenth century sees a steady growth in club membership and the growth of the numbers of clubs that had permanant and exclusive premises. It is estimated that in the Regency period only around 1,200 men were members or these clubs although many held dual membership to a number of clubs.

As a gaming club with an attraction for the Macaroni's in the eighteenth century, it had been in Pall Mall where the stakes had been high, it had been customary for gamblers to play for rouleaus of coins worth 50 pounds and there was often 10,000 pounds on the table. Charles Fox and his brothers had been known to lose many thousands of pounds in a single night of gaming there playing hazard. Each gambler had a small neat stand by him to hold his tea, or a wooden bowl with an edge of ormulu to hold the rouleaus.

In its new lease of life it was the exclusive marriage mart for eligible daughters of the ton. The Assembly room were on the South side of King Street in St James's and were opened on February 12, 1765 with an Assembly. At the time the subscription was ten guineas for which there was a ball and supper each week for the twelve weeks of the season.

There was a large Ball room of 100 feet by 44 feet decorated in gilt columns and pilasters. The largest assembly at the rooms is recorded to be 1,700.

Brookes's was regarded as a Whig Club and was for a while favoured by the Prince of Wales over Whites. He changed his preference to Whites when they blackballed his close friend, Jack Payne.

The club was originally kept by Macall (see the entry of Almack's above) and later taken over by Brooks who gave the club its name. It was a gambling haven for the gentlemen of the time with a betting-book similar to the one held at White's with many odd entries.

Early members of the club included Charles Fox, Lord Crewe (a founding member), Lord Robert Spencer, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Garrick, and Sheridan. In Regency times membership was limited to no more than 550.

By the early nineteenth century it was a respectable club for superb drivers. At its peak it only had some 30-40 members.

It was often also called the Four-in-Hand Club, the Whip Club or the Barouche Club - the last from a description in "The Sporting Magazine" of Feburary 1809.

Club rules stated the the barouches should be yellow bodied with 'dickies', the horses should be Bays, with rosettes at their heads and the harnesses should be silver-mounted. However Mr Annesley - a club member, drove roans, Sir Henry Peyton drove Greys so the colour of the horses wasn't as strictly enforced as the colour of the carriage.

The uniform of the club was strictly enforeced. A drab coat that reached to the ankles with three tiers of pockets and mother of pearl buttons as large as five shilling pieces. The waistcoat was blue with yellow stripes an inch wide, the breeches of plush with strings and rosettes to each knee. It was fashionable that the hat should be 3 1/2 inches deep in the crown.

The first meeting of the Four-Horse club was held in April 1808 and subsequent days of meeting were the first and third Thursdays in May and June. The members assemble at Mr Buxton's house in Cavendish Square and drove to Salt Hill to dinner at the Windmill first and then the next time at The Castle alternating between the two. There was rather a long complicated time when the club could not decide which hostelry to provide give their full membership too and alternated until the matter was decided by the Windmill on one broiling hot day.

The cloth had been cleared and the wine placed before them when a waiter entered and asked each man to rise, the chair was removed and cool one put in its place. This attention to detail decided the Four-Horse club in its favour.

The procession was always the same. Club rules stated that each member in single file, no overtaking was allowed, and no one to exceed a trot. The procession set out from London to Salt Hill at noon, following along the Bath Road. It was 24 miles to Salt Hill so the club lunched at the Packhorse on Turnham Green and then took further refreshment at the Magpies on Hounslow Heath. They ran to Salt Hill where they remained overnight.

There popularity of the Four-Horse club began to wane around 1815 and it was disbanded in 1820. It was revived briefly in 1822 and finally died out in 1824.

The Four-in-Hand club was another driving club completely which was not established until 1856. It based on the old rules of the the BDC or Bensington Driving Club. The BDC was the great rival of the Four-Horse club during the Regency era.

"the eternal joints or beefsteaks, the boiled fowlwith oyster-sauce, and an apple tart."

He rented a house on the corner of Bolton Street and Piccadilly which had been used by a singing club. Watier provided the club with its official name and his excellent food. Brummell and his friends joined and soon the clubs entertainment turned to gambling. Brummell was the perpertual president of this club. He laid down the law on dress and appearance, down to the nifty snuff boxes he manipulated with practised skill using only his left hand.

The usual game at Watier's was Macao, a variety of 'vingt et un'. Fortunes were won and lost in but a nights play at Watier's.

The nickname of the 'Dandy's Club' came from Byron who said "I like the Dandies, they were always very civil to me." Amongst the members in the early days were Mildmay, Alvanely, Brummell and Pierrepont.

The club had a very short life eventually fading out in 1819, it had become the haven for 'blackguards' and fortunes were being lost to a 'common bank' that had been set up by a group of members and guaranteed ruin for others - the bank most commonly wins after all.

Whist had been voted a dull game by the members and deep gambling was made in hazard, faro and other games of pure chance. The betting book, like the one at Brooks's, was always open on the table for bets of the most trivial nature to be laid at any time.

The following is from Henry Luttrell's "Advice to Julia"