Roxburghe Club (1812)
The Roxburghe Club was dedicated to reprinting ancient literature, but author John Timbs (pg 187-193) questions whether this focus was shoved aside for more immediate pleasures, “It may, however, be questioned whether “the dinner” of the Club were not more important than the literature.” A club menu featured in Timb’s book shows a glutton’s dream variety. It included turtle cuts, chicken, ham, haddock, lamb, tongue, whitings, quail, prawns, and various tarts and puddings.
With those mouth-watering menus comes progressively larger dinner and drink bills, despite decreasing member numbers. The memoirs of member Joseph Haselwood reprimand the other members for their gluttony. He said, “Your cits are the only men for a feast; and therefore, behold us, like locusts, travelling to devour the good things of the land, eastward oh!”
