Few clubs are as exclusive as the Roxburghe, founded in 1812 and limited to forty members; indeed there have only been 350 members in the club’s 206 year life.
The club was not founded, as you might expect, by the Duke of Roxburghe. It came into existence when a group of bibliophiles and book-collectors dined together on the eve of the sale of the most important components of the Duke’s library in June 1812. The sale was the following day and the day after the War of 1812 (GB v US) commenced. John, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe was a prolific collector of ancient and curious books, his collection exceeding 10,000 volumes when he died in 1804 and in debt. It was the greatest library of the age and its rare volumes sold for record prices. The group met again a year later and have continued to do so ever since.
The membership today, as then, has many aristocrats: The Duke of Devonshire, The Marquis of Cholmondeley, The Earl of Derby, Lord Rothschild, the Earl of St Andrews, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith and so on. Some other members may surprise you: Lord King (former Governor of the Bank of England), Michael Meredith (English beak and librarian at Eton), Thomas Woodcock (Garter King of Arms), Mark Getty, Jayne Wrightsman, Barry Humphries and so on.
Membership of the Roxburghe carries two obligations, not always rigidly enforced. Members take it in turns to invite their fellow members to an annual dinner, preferably at home. Increasingly these dinners are held in London clubs. Secondly, members are encouraged to produce a book, at his or her expense, for presentation to other members. Sometimes these works are, how shall I put it, a little dry but I think I may have found a corker in John Mead Falkner: Abnormal Romantic written by Richard Davenport-Hines and recently reviewed in The Spectator by AN Wilson.
The Roxburghe Club is not a secret society. On their website you can see all the books that are available for purchase by non-members, including Abnormal Romantic, which ANW reviewed most favourably. Their volumes are not cheap but would be a valuable addition to any serious book collection.
John Meade Falkner: Abnormal Romantic by Richard Davenport-Hines. The Roxburghe Club, 2018.
A new and deeply-researched biography of John Meade Falkner (1858-1932), armaments manufacturer and dealer, writer, and bibliophile, best-known for his three novels, The Lost Stradivarius (1895), Moonfleeet (1898), and The Nebuly Coat (1903).
Privately printed for The Roxburghe Club in an edition of 500 copies, of which 400 are offered for sale. Designed by Robert Dalrymple. Set in Mark van Bronkhorst’s Verigris type. Printed in Belgium by Albe De Coker, Distributed by Maggs Bros Ltd.
A minor typo in your blog this morning: the battle of Waterloo was in 1815
Oh dear, what a bloomer. Fortunately the War of 1812 also started on 18th June so have substituted that for Waterloo. Thanks for pointing that out.
I’m not at all surprised to see BARRY HUMPHRIES name included here as a member. I have travelled extensively with the great man as I have been responsible for Dame Edna’s coiffure for the last 31 years!! On tour I was often amazed by the fact that most stars liked to relax and party on after their performances, not BARRY, we would immediately return to our Hotel and go to bed! In the morning however, I would be summoned to enjoy an early Breakfast before driving us to whatever Antiquarian Book shop or Fayre he could find!! He has a huge library and adds to it on a regular basis. A fascinating, intelligent and talented man indeed.