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, 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. [http://www.oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk/history.php Club History Since 1821] at oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk (accessed 9 January 2008)]

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. 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.

The initial entrance-fee was set at twenty-five guineas and the annual subscription at six guineas.Peter Cunningham, "Hand-Book of London" (1850)] By 1879, these figures had increased to thirty guineas and eight guineas.Charles Dickens Jr., "Dickens's Dictionary of London" (1879)] It was reported in "Dickens's Dictionary of London" (1879) that "The members elect by ballot, one black ball in ten excludes".

Premises

The Club's rooms, called the University Club House, were at 1, Suffolk Street, London, at a corner with Pall Mall near the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square. They were designed by the neo-classical architect William Wilkins RA and by his colleague J. P. Gandy and opened on 13 February 1826. Wilkins was also the architect of the nearby National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, finished in 1838, and of the main buildings of Downing College, Cambridge. [ [http://www.e-architect.co.uk/architects/william_wilkins.htm William Wilkins, Neoclassical Architect - UK Buildings] at e-architect.co.uk (accessed 14 January 2008)]

The Club was re-built on a grander scale in 1906, with Reginald Blomfield as architect. [http://www.nd.edu/~ndlondon/londoncentre/history.htm University of Notre Dame London Centre] at nd.edu (accessed 9 January 2008)] In 1906, friezes by Henry Alfred Pegram RA (1862-1937) were also commissioned. [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/sculpt/pegram.htm Henry Alfred Pegram RA (1862-1937)] at tiscali.co.uk (accessed 9 January 2008)] 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.

Sir Nicholas Pevsner described the development as "Sir Reginald Blomfield’s essay in "Champs Elysées" style". [Pevsner, Sir Nicholas, "The Buildings of England: London 6: Westminster"]

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.

Merger with Oxford and Cambridge Club

After the Second World War, the gentlemen's clubs of London fell into a decline, and in 1971 the United University Club closed its premises. In March 1972, it was merged with the Oxford and Cambridge Club. The combined club was initially called the 'United Oxford and Cambridge University Club' and in 1972-1973 was housed at the University Club House, but thereafter it occupied the club house further down Pall Mall designed for the Oxford and Cambridge Club in 1836. The lease of the University Club House was surrendered to the ground landlord, the Crown Estate. [ [http://www.oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk/members/documents/OXCAM_MAR_06.pdf Oxford & Cambridge Club newsletter No. 110, March 2006: Fitness Issue] online at oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk (accessed 19 January 2008)] The merged University club reverted to the name Oxford and Cambridge in 2001.

Uses of the Club House since 1973

Number One Suffolk Street was occupied from 1973 until 1980 by the bankers Coutts & Co., from 1980 to 1997 by the British School of Osteopathy, and since 1998 as the London Centre of the University of Notre Dame.

Notable members

*William Gladstone (1809–1898), prime minister [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6153737 "GLADSTONE, Rt Hon. William Ewart"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (1867–1947), prime minister [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6126977 "BALDWIN of Bewdley, Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes (1883-1946), economist [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6167343 "KEYNES, John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Arthur Peel, 1st Viscount Peel (1829–1912), Speaker of the House of Commons 1884-1895 [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6185242 "PEEL, Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford (1868-1933), Viceroy of India 1916-1921 [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6137737 "CHELMSFORD, Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*John George Dodson, 1st Baron Monk Bretton (1825–1897), politician [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6178996 "MONK BRETTON, John Dodson, 1st Baron"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Alexander Staveley Hill KC MP (1825–1905), barrister and politician [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6160637 "HILL, Rt Hon. Alexander Staveley"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Douglas Freshfield (1845-1934), mountaineer [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6151820 "FRESHFIELD, Douglas William"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Sir Owen Seaman (1861-1936), editor of "Punch" 1906-1932 [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6194234 "SEAMAN, Sir Owen, 1st Bt."] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Herbert Trench (1865-1923), poet [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6202940 "TRENCH, Herbert"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Sir Leslie Scott KC MP (1869–1950), barrister and politician [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6194013 "SCOTT, Rt Hon. Sir Leslie (Frederic)"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]
*Sir Herbert Brent Grotrian, 1st Baronet (1870-1951), barrister and politician [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6156260 "GROTRIAN, Sir Herbert Brent, 1st Bt."] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 10 January 2008)]
*Geoffrey Winthrop Young (1879-1958), mountaineer and poet [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6210884 "YOUNG, Geoffrey Winthrop"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 10 January 2008)]
*Percy Herbert, Bishop of Norwich (1885–1968) [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6160040 "HERBERT, Rt Rev. Percy Mark"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 10 January 2008)]
*Sir Ivor Jennings (1903-1965), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6165111 "JENNINGS, Sir (William) Ivor"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 10 January 2008)]
*J. C. C. Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson (1889–1970), politician [ [http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=6143327 "DAVIDSON, John Colin Campbell Davidson, 1st Viscount"] in "Who Was Who 1897-2006" online (accessed 9 January 2008)]

ee also

*List of London's gentlemen's clubs

References

*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 9781872474014
*Lejeune, Anthony, "Gentlemen's Clubs of London", ill. Malcolm Lewis (London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1979) ISBN 0-8317-3800-6
* [http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/uniteduniversityclub.htm United University Club] at victorianlondon.org