Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/399

 us. vii. MAY n, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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of politics, men who combined, a gaiety of temperament with earnestness of purpose. It has been said that if Hansard's ' Debates ' were interleaved with the reminiscences of Orillion's Club dinners, no one would believe the accuracy of both.

Although the origin of this Club has been referred to college friendships, it really must be attributed to the earlier school intimacy between Stratford Canning and J. N. Fazakerley, of whom only Fazakerley was at Christ Church.

"John Nicholas Fazakerley, son of John of Wasing, Berks. Ch. Ch. matric. 24 Jan., 1805, aged 17. M.P. Lincoln, Grimsby, Tavistock, Peterboro. Died 16 July, 1852."

" It may well be conceived how I revelled in the society of my late schoolfellows Knight [H. Oally Knight] and Fazakerley. Years have passed since the grave closed over them, but as long as they lived our friendly intercourse continued."
 * Memoirs,' by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe.

Between 1812 and 1822 there was no settled name for the Club, and it wavered between several appellations, though always meeting at Grillion's Hotel in Albemarle Street. Lord Dartmouth, an original mem- ber, writes to Sir Harry Inglis, May, 1812 : " My dear Inglis, The annual dinner of the old Christ Church Debating Society took place at Grillion's on Saturday," &c. For a brief period it was called " The Wednesday Club " and " The Club at Grillion's." Many other suggestions were made, and at one time (1813) it was proposed to name the Club after some of the eighteenth-century periodicals The Freeholder, The Guardian, <fec. An anonymous letter was received containing the proposition of a member that it should be called the Guinea Club ;

" .... express the price of our dinner. .. .but this would not fail of exposing us to the anim- adversions of Mr. Wilberforce and the African Institution, who have an exclusive Property in those regions."

The earliest documentary record of the Club is a manuscript circular letter issued in 1813, containing a list of the original members. It is endorsed : " The very first record of the Club. J. B. E." [Sir James Buller East]. " Take great care of this. T. D. A." [Sir Thomas Dyke Acland]. The names of the original members, taken from this piece of paper, are Sir T. D. Acland, S. Canning, G. R. Chinnery, Lord Dartmouth, Lord Desart, Hon. F. S. N. Douglas, J. B. East, C. Grant, Viscount Hamilton, G. Har- topp, Hon. J. Hewitt, R. H. Inglis, H. G. Knight, Hon. H. Legge, R. Price, Sir J. M. Riddell, R. Wellesley, R. Wilmot,

The year 1813 must be considered the starting-point of the Club as now con- stituted, and the first meeting Was held at Grillion's Hotel on 15 Feb., 1813, when important resolutions were passed. On 9 May, 1813, the final settlement of the constitution of the Club was made at a meeting held at the Albany. It was then ordained

" that the number of members of the Club be limited to thirty, and that the Club do meet at dinner on every Wednesday during the sitting of Parliament. Dinner on the table at seven o'clock," &c.

Much merriment prevailed at the Gril- lion's Club dinners. The members had fits of generosity, and it became the custom for them to present appetizing gifts to the Club, accompanied with sallies of humour.

23 Feb., 1825, resolved:

" That the thanks of the Club be, and they are hereby, presented to the Honble. Seymour Thomas Bathurst, for his munificent and mag- nificent promise of all that he may receive as Colonial Agent for Malta, including Bed Oranges."

15 Feb., 1826 :

" That the thanks of the Club be presented to Mr. Wilmot Horton for his promise of Turtle this year, and that he be respectfully reminded of the said promise next summer."

" Mr. Wilmot Horton bets Lord Granville Somerset a pair of Turtles (not Doves) that Mr. George Robertson and Mr. W. Cobbett do not severally and respectfully come into Parliament at the next Election; one of the said Turtles to be more lively, if possible, than the said Mr. George Robertson, and the other to be more fat, if possible, than the said Mr. W. Cobbett."

8 May, 1827, resolved : " To seize the person of Mr. Wilmot Horton, and to detain him at Grillion's till he shall dis- close the remainder of bis stock of Turtle ; they propose therefore to present him to his Creditors on those days, a measure to which, it is trusted, the Creditors will not object, as it is the only hope of obtaining anything valuable. He will be required at the time to surrender all his other stock in trade, Speeches, Pamphlets, Projects, and Poems, and his large and invaluable collec- tion of Impromptu's. On the last of the two days, viz., on the 23rd, there will be an auction of the unredeemed pledges of the Club : every promise will be sold without reserve, no person to advance more than Qd.

" T. D. ACLAND *)

" R. WELLESLEY [-Assignees.

" ROBERT HARRY INGLIS J

22 Dec., 1830 :

"A vote of censure upon the Right Honble* R. J. Wilmot Horton, for having located himself in Holborn on Wednesday Evenings, and squatted in the Mechanics' Institute, and having given lectures on emigration from great and little Turnstile instead of prompting immigration by precept and example into his House."