Eccentric Club - Continuity Between The Clubs

Continuity Between The Clubs

Its committee claims to be able to prove continuity between the earlier Eccentric Clubs, and thus, claims a foundation date of 1781, although the Committee of the disbanded club and a number of authors claimed a foundation date of 1890.

On the other hand, a number of Victorian and Edwardian books and newspapers discussing the Eccentric Club in 1890 referred to the earlier Eccentric Clubs in London. In the only recorded interview with J.A.Harrison of the time, he also admits that the club is not new, although brought back in a new form and hence – established on 21 November 1890. At the Third Anniversary Dinner in 1893, J.A.Harrison "traced back its origin to the Eccentric Club of 1800, which included Sheridan Knowles... Mr Harrison explained that the white owl was the crest of the old club, and had been adopted by the present one". Before the Second World War, a list of most treasured possessions of the Eccentric Club included the Ancient Book of the Eccentric Society presented to the Club by S.J.Pallant. Similarly, there are references by Sir Charles Wyndham and other founding members to the earlier club they were reviving.

The Eccentric Club UK, founded in 2008 and claiming to maintain the traditions since 1781, is conducting an in-depth research of the Eccentric Club's history. Its Committee managed to uncover many previously-thought lost records and documents related to the 1780s–1860s and the 1890s–1940s. The last President of the old Eccentric Club, disbandoned in 1986, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, has entrusted his personal archive of documents related to the old club to the committee.