CLUB. A word said to be derived from the Saxon eleofan, to divide—a club being an asso ciation, the expeusss of which are shared among the members. Societies of somewhat the same nature existed in ancient Greece and Rome, and mention of them is made in Aristotle, Cicero, Plutarch, and other ancient writers. The mod ern club, however, had its origin in the London taverns and coffee-houses. Thomas Oceleve, who wrote in the reign of Henry IV., mentions 'La Court de Bonne Compagnie,' of which he was a member: but the first celebrated club in London is that to which belonged Shakespeare, Fletcher, Raleigh, Beaumont, and other brilliant men of letters who met at the Mermaid Tavern in Bread Street. Ben Jonson founded a club which met at the Devil Tavern, for which he is supposed to have written his Leges Conririales. The Calves' Head, so named in allusion to Charles was a famous London club, which existed in the latter part of the seventeenth century and the early part of the eighteenth century, and whose mem bers banqueted on January 31 on a calf's head.
In 1659 the first political chub, the Rota, was established and met at the Turk's Head in New Palace Yard. The famous 'October ale' served at the October Club was another political institu tion of which Swift became the leading spirit after his conversion to Toryism. The Literary Club. established in 1764 by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Dr. Johnson, of which Goldsmith, Gibbon, Garrick, Burke, and other celebrated men of let ters were members, afforded a meeting-place for congenial spirits, where they could freely dis cuss the merits of the contemporary literary pro ductions and their authors. Its membership was limited, and Garrick found it difficult to gain ad mission. This club still exists in London. It is usually called the Literary Club, but its mem bers have always claimed for it simply the title of "tie Club.' The King's Head Club, founded by the unscrupulous Shaftesbury. and the Mug House Club, so called on of the ale-mugs used by its members, were noted political clubs of the early part of the eighteenth century. The Kit-Kat, established about 1700, was named after Christopher Katt, a noted mutton-pie man. Its members toasted some cele brated beauty. whose name was inscribed on the toasting-glass in verse. The Dukes of Marlbo rough and Devonshire, Sir Robert Walpole, Con greve, Granville, and Mdismi were members of the Kit-Nat. About the same time existed the Tattler's Club in Shire Lane. and the famous Beefsteak Society, whose members wore badges inscribed with the motto, 'Beef and Liberty! Its members were called 'Steaks.' Hogarth. Fox, Sheridan, and the Duke of Clarence were among its noted members. As already said, these club; had their origin in the taverns and coffee-houses of London. To this class belonged Almack's, established in 1764, and White's, established in 1698. as White's, Chocolate House, and removed in 1755 to Saint James Street. Brooks's was established in 1764, and Boodle's, a famous re sort for country squires and bunting-men, in 1762.
It is, of course, very easy to understand the genesis of clubs such as White's and Brooks's. In those days men's personal associations de pended chiefly on party affiliation. Tories lived with Tories, and Whigs with Whigs. Intermar iiages between persons of different political families were not common. Hence, men flocked to those taverns and public-houses where they would meet members of their own party. The next step was easy and obvious. The proprietor would agree, of course for a consideration, to exclude persons whose company would not be agreeable to the habitus of the place. It was thus that White's and Brooks's were formed, White's being a Tory and Brooks's a Whig club. These clubs are known as 'proprietary clubs,' to distinguish them from those of which the mem bers were the owners. The latter class of clubs is, of course, the more recent.
About 1815, after the termination of the Na poleonic wars, the restaurant or dining-room was introduced into the clubs. Many army and navy officers, being no longer needed in active service, were placed on half pay, and were thus com pelled to observe a strict economy. By combin ing their resources, they could live well and conch more cheaply than when having their meals alone. From that time on, the number of clubs in England increased, until at the present day there are more than one hundred prominent clubs in London. These may be roughly divided into the following classes: Purely social clubs, to which belong Arthur's (established in 1765), with a membership of 600: the Bachelor's Club (established in 1881), with a membership of 920, admitting ladies as visitors; the Gros venor (established in 1883), with a membership of 3000: the Junior .Athememn (established in 1864), with a membership of 500; the Piccadilly (established in 1893). with a membership of 1500, admitting ladies as visitors; the Union (established in 1822), with a membership of 1000; the Wellington (established in 1885), with a membership of 1400: the Travellers' Club (established in 1819), with 800 members. To this last club no one may belong who has not traveled for 500 miles in a direct line from Lon don. This rule was made just after the cessation of the Napoleonic wars, during which traveling on the Continent was difficult. Among the clubs whose main purpose is political is the Carlton (established in 1832). which has a membership of 1800, and is Conservative; the Conservative (established in 1840), with a membership of 1300: the Constitutional (established in 1883), with a membership of 6500: the Junior Carlton (established in 1864), with a membership of 2100. and strictly Conservative. The Junior Conservative and the Junior Constitutional have each a membership of 5500, and are Conserva tive: the Primrose, established in 1886, has a membership of 5000. and is Conservative; the Reform, established in 1837, has a membership of 1400, and is Liberal; the City Liberal, estab lished in 1S74, has a membership of 000, and is Liberal.