The East India Club (originally East India United Service Club) is a gentlemen's club founded in 1849 and situated at 16, St James's Square in London. The full title of the club is East India, Devonshire, Sports and Public Schools' Club due to mergers with other clubs. The club was originally founded for officers of the East India Company, and its first Patron was Prince Albert.

History

Founded in the middle of the 19th century, the club's original members, as set out in the Rule Book of 1851, were:

But within the first eight years of the club's foundation, following the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India in the form of the new British Raj. The company was dissolved altogether in 1874, having been rendered by then vestigial, powerless, and obsolete. As a result, the club could no longer look to the East India Company as its main source of members.

thumb|The [[Public Schools Club]]

Since then, the club has amalgamated with the Sports Club (1938), the Public Schools Club (1972) and the Devonshire (1976), all of which ran into the twin problems of keeping up membership numbers and making ends meet, especially with the escalating costs of maintenance for historic buildings. With the disappearance of the East India Company, the public school influence has become an important one. The club is still primarily referred to as the East India Club or EIC for convenience.

thumb|180px|right|East India Service Club servant's uniform button, c. 1850

thumb|The building of the former [[Devonshire Club]]

The club's facilities include a dining room and a luncheon room in addition to the American Bar (named in gratitude to the American officers who stayed at the club during the Second World War and provided funds to refurbish the bar after the war), the Canadian Room (named in gratitude to the Canadian officers who stayed at the club during the Second World War and afterwards provided the timber for the room when it was still in short supply), the Drawing Room, the Smoking Room (in which smoking is not permitted), a cigar lounge (in which it is, providing the cigars smoked are purchased in the Club), the library (which includes antiquarian and contemporary books), the Clive Room (named in honour of famed East India Company General Robert Clive), the Card Room, the Rugby Room (where the International Rugby Board met until its move to Dublin) which is now fitted for study or work, and a gymnasium and sauna, a billiard room and 67 bedrooms (including the St James's Suite). The East India Club is a popular venue for private events hosted by members.

The club has reciprocal arrangements with more than 100 clubs throughout the world. Members can use the facilities of overseas reciprocal clubs with a card or letter of introduction issued by the East India Club.

In 2014, the club made headlines after one of its staff successfully stole over £500,000 during a five-year period before the loss was noticed, later pleading guilty to the fraud. Having failed to recover the money, which was spent on a gambling habit, the Club later threatened to sue its own bank for not adequately warning them of the fraud that took place over five years.

In 2017, Conservative MP Anne Marie Morris (not a member of the Club) had the whip suspended after being recorded speaking to a meeting of Tory MPs at the East India Club using the idiom "nigger in the woodpile", without any response from the other MPs present.

Despite the number of members involved in politics, the club holds no political affiliations.

Club house

The club premises are situated at 16 St James's Square, London SW1, on the west side of the square.

The first occupant of the original house to stand on the site was Thomas Jermyn, 2nd Baron Jermyn (?1670–1676). He passed the house on to Robert Villiers, 3rd Viscount Purbeck, who occupied the house for two years (1676–78). It then became the home of Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere Mr and Mrs Boehm were very active socially and hosted many dinner parties.

On 21 June 1815, the Prince Regent (later George IV) was the principal guest at a dinner party held at 16 St James's Square. When he heard the news of the victory at Waterloo, Major Henry Percy, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, presented the Prince Regent with four captured French eagles and Wellington's victory dispatch.

When Edmund Boehm was declared bankrupt, Robert Vyner became the owner of No. 16. In 1825, Vyner sold the house to the Marquess of Clanricarde. The club bought the house from Lord Clanricarde in 1863.

In 1866, the club demolished the old building, to build the present clubhouse on the same site.

Sports sections

In addition to the facilities at the St James's Square clubhouse, the club has several sports sections. There are active Chess, Cricket, Rowing, Rugby, Billiards, Shooting and Polo teams. The club also has a sports blazer, which may be worn by club members.

Cricket

There is a mix of Sunday friendly cricket and T20 evening matches, and they end the season with a tour in another country.

Polo

The Polo Section is a community within the club, with a calendar of events, particularly during the British grass season (April to September). In addition to their active playing schedule, they organise spectating trips both within the UK and abroad, as well as a variety of social events.

Rowing

The Rowing Section boats out of Quintin Boat Club in Chiswick and competes at events throughout the year. It has twice competed in the Ladies' Challenge Plate as a composite crew and once qualified for the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2022, the Section won the Small Club Pennant at the Head of the River Race. The Rowing Section has a different blazer from the main club for those who have competed at senior events or have been awarded a blazer for services to club rowing.

Rugby

As well as playing annual fixtures against old boys’ associations and representative sides, a range of the club’s social activities also revolve around the sport, for example the screening of major international fixtures.

Notably a series of Rugby Lunches are hosted for members and their guests at the club, typically the day prior to an England fixture.

Through its membership, the club has strong and long-standing links to global rugby administration; this is reflected in various memorabilia and photography around the clubhouse.

Shooting

thumb|East India Club Shooting Section tie

The Shooting Section exists to provide all members, regardless of experience, the opportunity to shoot with other club members. With more than 300 members, it is currently the largest section of the club.

Yachting

The club's yacht squadron takes part in a variety of sailing events and has also initiated an inter-club regatta in honour of Colonel Newman VC – a day of sailing races from Seaview, Isle of Wight, in mermaid class boats.

Patrons of the Club

  • Prince Albert, Chief Patron, consort of Queen Victoria
  • James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, Patron
  • William Adam MP (1823–1881)
  • Archibald Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford (1841–1922)
  • Sir John Dugdale Astley, 3rd Baronet (1828–1894)
  • Sir Robert Black (1906–1999)
  • James Blyth, 1st Baron Blyth (1841–1925)
  • Frederick ("Freddie") Richard Brown MBE (1910–1991)
  • Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork (1829–1904)
  • Sir Roden Cutler VC AK KCMG KCVO CBE (1916–2002)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Augustus Charles Newman VC, OBE, TD, DL (1904–1972)
  • Godfrey Bloom MEP (born 1949).
  • James Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde (1844–1919)
  • David Campbell-Bannerman MEP (born 1960).
  • Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (1833–1908)
  • Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire KG (1895–1950)
  • Joseph Chamberlain MP (1836–1914)
  • Sir Austen Chamberlain KG (1863–1937)
  • Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe of Ranmore (born 1956)
  • Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932–2000)
  • Sir Henry Bartle Frere, 1st Baronet (1815–1884)
  • Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke (1860–1938)
  • George Holding (born 1968)
  • Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)
  • Field Marshal Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala (1810–1890)
  • Sir Tasker Watkins VC GBE QC (1918–2007)
  • Whitelaw Reid (1837–1912)
  • John Hanning Speke (1827-1862)
  • Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (1826–1902)
  • Andrew Vicari (1938–2016)
  • Tony Lewis CBE (born 1938)
  • Michael "Micky" Steele-Bodger CBE (1925–2019)
  • John Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington KStJ QPM DL FRSA (born 1942)
  • Geoffrey Dear, Baron Dear, QPM, DL (born 1937)
  • Sir Peter Yarranton (1924–2003)
  • Sir Pelham Francis Warner (1873–1963)

Trivia

  • George IV (as Prince Regent) was presented with the Waterloo Victory Despatch in the building which stood on the site. He then announced the news from the balcony of that building, at the end roughly occupied by the present-day Ladies' Drawing Room.
  • Queen Caroline rented and stayed at No. 17, St James's Square (part of the club's present site) during her "Pains and Penalties" trial.thumb|The [[Battle of Waterloo victory dispatch plaque outside the club, unveiled by Princess Anne]]

See also

  • List of London's gentlemen's clubs

References

Bibliography

  • Official website