Savage Club
The Savage Club is one of the most famous London gentlemen’s clubs .
It was founded in 1857, a. a. were among the founding members of the Austrian writer Gustav von Franck (1807–1860), the brothers William Brough (1826–1870) and Robert Brough (1828–1860) and GL Strauss (1807? –1887). It owes its name to the actor and playwright Richard Savage , although the meaning of the name ("wild") is often played with. The club's headquarters have been relocated several times throughout its history and are now located at 1 Whitehall Place.
The club divides its members into six categories according to their profession or interests, namely art , drama , law , literature , music and science . Its most famous members included Henry Irving , Sergei Rachmaninov , Mark Hambourg , Alexander Fleming , Dante Gabriel Rossetti , Mark Twain , Edgar Wallace , Peter Ustinov , Charlie Chaplin, as well as Lord Louis Mountbatten and his nephew Prince Philip . As with many traditional clubs, membership in Savage's is still reserved for men today, but women are allowed in as guests on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. They are also invited to special events that take place several times a year.
As is customary in gentlemen's clubs, great importance is attached to good food and drink as well as a wide range of entertainment at Savage's.
Savage Masonic Lodge
The Savage Club has a special relationship with Masonic Lodge No. 2190 , which was founded in 1887 as the club's lodge at the suggestion of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII .
In 1882, the then Prince of Wales was made an honorary member of the club. He appreciated the informal atmosphere and attended the club's events with great interest. He suggested the establishment of a Masonic Lodge , which he believed would be a good addition to the facilities of the Savage Club.
On December 3, 1886, Thomas Catling, editor of Lloyd's News , wrote the following lines to the Secretary General of the United Grand Lodge of England :
A long-held thought on the part of many members of the Savage Club has taken shape: the establishment of a Masonic Lodge. The Savage Club is an institution for the association of gentlemen who are professionally connected to literature, art, theater and science. The club now has a full 400 members, a quarter of whom are Freemasons.
Attached to the letter was a formal petition to the Grand Master for the establishment of the new lodge. The signatories were u. a. Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott, President of the Society of Artists of Great Britain and later the first Lodge Master of the new Lodge, and Sir John Somers Vine, Secretary of the Savage Club.
The Savage Club Lodge was very successful in its founding phase. Eleven meetings were held in its first year and an additional ten the following year. By the end of 1890 the number of members had risen to 124. The Prince of Wales was proposed to become an honorary member. Although he declined this offer, he gave the lodge a ceremonial hammer for use at meetings and temple work . This hammer had been used by Queen Victoria at the laying of the foundation stone for the Imperial Institute in South Kensington .
To date, there is no formal association between the Savage Club and the Savage Masonic Lodge. The Savage Lodge and its visitors enjoy traditional Savage Bohème and use the club location in Whitehall. The lodge members are also involved in the meetings in Covent Garden. Members of the lodge are also always invited to the frequent club events.
The founders of the Savage Club Lodge:
- Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott
- John Maclean
- Sir JR Somers Vine
- Thomas Catling
- Sir Henry Irving
- Archibald McNeill
- WE Chapman
- Raymond Tucker
- Thomas Burnside
- Earl of Dunraven, PC , KP
- John Paige
literature
- Aaron Watson, Mark Twain: The Savage Club. A medley of history, anecdote, and reminiscence . Unwin, London 1907.
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 22 " N , 0 ° 7 ′ 27" W.