United University Club
The United University Club was a London gentlemen's club, founded in 1821. It occupied the purpose-built University Club House, at 1, Suffolk Street, London, England, from 1826 until 1971.
Formation and membership
The club was founded at a meeting held at the Thatched House Tavern on 30 June 1821 and held its first Annual General Meeting at Willis's Rooms on 27 April 1822, under the chairmanship of Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh.[1]
It was agreed that the club would admit no more than one thousand members and former members of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, five hundred from each. This limitation remained in place for more than one hundred years.[1] As a result, only eight years after the club's foundation, its waiting list was so long that a second club was formed, called the Oxford and Cambridge Club.[1]
The initial entrance-fee was set at twenty-five
Premises
The club's premises, called the University Club House, were at 1, Suffolk Street, London near
The club was re-built on a grander scale in 1906, with Reginald Blomfield as architect.[5] In 1906, friezes by Henry Alfred Pegram RA (1862–1937) were also commissioned.[6] An extension was added on the north side of the building in 1924 (again designed by Blomfield) and another extension on the east side in 1939–40.[5]
Sir Nikolaus Pevsner described the development as "Sir Reginald Blomfield’s essay in Champs Elysées style".[7]
Merger with New University Club
A third club for members of the two Universities, founded in 1864 and called the New University Club, had its rooms at 57 St James's Street. This amalgamated with the United University Club in 1938.[1]
Merger with Oxford and Cambridge Club
After the
Uses of the Club House since 1973
Number One Suffolk Street was occupied from 1973 until 1980 by the bankers
Distinguished past members
- William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), prime minister[10]
- Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (1867–1947), prime minister[11]
- John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes (1883–1946), economist[12]
- Arthur Peel, 1st Viscount Peel (1829–1912), Speaker of the House of Commons 1884–1895[13]
- Viceroy of India 1916–1921[14]
- John George Dodson, 1st Baron Monk Bretton (1825–1897), politician[15]
- Alexander Staveley Hill KC MP (1825–1905), barrister and politician[16]
- Douglas Freshfield (1845–1934), mountaineer[17]
- Punch 1906–1932[18]
- Herbert Trench (1865–1923), poet[19]
- Sir Herbert Brent Grotrian, 1st Baronet (1870–1951), barrister and politician[21]
- Geoffrey Winthrop Young (1879–1958), mountaineer and poet[22]
- Percy Herbert, Bishop of Norwich (1885–1968)[23]
- Sir Ivor Jennings (1903–1965), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge[24]
- J. C. C. Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson (1889–1970), politician[25]
See also
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
References
- ^ a b c d e f Club History Since 1821 Archived 2007-12-31 at the Wayback Machine at oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ a b Peter Cunningham, Hand-Book of London (1850)
- ^ a b Charles Dickens Jr., Dickens's Dictionary of London (1879)
- ^ William Wilkins, Neoclassical Architect - UK Buildings at e-architect.co.uk (accessed 14 January 2008)
- ^ a b c d University of Notre Dame London Centre at nd.edu (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ Henry Alfred Pegram RA (1862–1937) at tiscali.co.uk (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus, The Buildings of England: London 6: Westminster
- ^ Oxford & Cambridge Club newsletter No. 110, March 2006: Fitness Issue Archived 2006-10-05 at the Wayback Machine online at oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk (accessed 19 January 2008)
- ^ "University of Notre Dame London Centre". University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ GLADSTONE, Rt Hon. William Ewart[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ BALDWIN of Bewdley, Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ KEYNES, John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ PEEL, Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ CHELMSFORD, Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ MONK BRETTON, John Dodson, 1st Baron[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ HILL, Rt Hon. Alexander Staveley[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ FRESHFIELD, Douglas William[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ SEAMAN, Sir Owen, 1st Bt.[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ TRENCH, Herbert[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ SCOTT, Rt Hon. Sir Leslie (Frederic)[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
- ^ GROTRIAN, Sir Herbert Brent, 1st Bt.[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 10 January 2008)
- ^ YOUNG, Geoffrey Winthrop[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 10 January 2008)
- ^ HERBERT, Rt Rev. Percy Mark[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 10 January 2008)
- ^ JENNINGS, Sir (William) Ivor[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 10 January 2008)
- ^ DAVIDSON, John Colin Campbell Davidson, 1st Viscount[permanent dead link] in Who Was Who 1897–2006 online (accessed 9 January 2008)
Further reading
- Graves, Charles, Leather Armchairs: The Chivas Regal Book of London Clubs (London, Cassell & Co. Ltd, 1963, with foreword by P. G. Wodehouse).
- Thole, John, and Matthews, Stephen, The Oxford and Cambridge Clubs in London (London, Alfred Waller, 1992). ISBN 978-1-872474-01-4.
- Lejeune, Anthony, Gentlemen's Clubs of London, ill. Malcolm Lewis (London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1979). ISBN 0-8317-3800-6.
- Thévoz, Seth Alexander (2022). Behind Closed Doors: The Secret Life of London Private Members' Clubs. London: Robinson/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-47214-646-5.
- United University Club, victorianlondon.org.