St
James and Soho Working Men’s Club, 14 Greek Street, originally at 39
Gerrard Street W1. Working men’s clubs began as an example of the promotion
of ‘rational recreation’. Examples appeared in the 1840s in Manchester and
Birmingham and the Brighton Working Men’s Institute established in 1849, but
they were fostered on a national scale by the Working Men’s Club and Institute
Union (founded 1862). Henry Solly was the prime mover in the early days -
arguing that the achievement of a harmonious society depended upon educating the
working classes to recognise that the existing system offered the best chance.
Solly argues that the Colonnade Working Men’s Club, Clare Market, WC2. was the first institute to use ‘club’ in its title (Solly 1867). It opened in 1852 to provide wholesome and constructive amusement, newspapers, books and later refreshment (strictly temperance). The club format was seen by its supporters as the right milieu for more subtle forms of education. It offered recreation (Solly thought this to be a basic need of social welfare) but it also provided ‘an informal teaching situation into which more serious matters could be gradually introduced’ (Baily 1987: 120). Everyday talk could lead onto regular classes (here political economy was stressed) - but that should not be the only fare.
Many of the early attempts such as the Colonnade were not very successful. (In 1859 its premises were opended as the Colonnade Boys’ Home and Club. It included lodgings for 18 boys and eighteen young women; bible classes and night schools for both sexes, educational classes; a soup kitchen; and a laundry (Eagar 1953: 155). The site is now occupied by the London School of Economics.) Initially, these institutes and clubs were temperance - which was a source of some contention. They were a middle class initiative aimed at working class men - however, with the promotional power of Solly and Union, a significant number of clubs were established (55 alone in its the CIU’s second year). The London clubs, in particular, began to attack patronage, there was a strong campaign for the sale of beer. Through this efforts in the 1870s middle class influence waned (see Tremlett 1987).
There were a number of working men’s clubs in this district (Soho and St. Giles). This particular club was said to have 550 members in 1883. For various reasons the clubs were a base for radical political activity. They were mutual aid institutions that gave great opportunity for debate. Especially important here were the Sunday evening meetings where various political and practical questions were debated (Shipley 1987). But they also provide a site for recruitment and organization such as was the case with the Manhood Suffrage League in the early 1880s.
See, also: Henry Solly and the Working Men's Club and Institute Union.
Bailey (1987) Leisure and Class in Victorian England. Rational recreation and the contest for control 1830-1885 2e, London: Methuen.
Eagar, W. M. (1953) Making Men, London: University of London Press.
Shipley, S. (1971) Club Life and Socialism in Mid Victorian London, London: Journeyman Press.
Solly, H. (1867) Working Men's Social Clubs and Educational Institutes, London:
Tremlett (1987) Clubmen. The history of the Working Men's Club and Institute Union, London: Secker & Warburg.
Note: This page is part of our virtual walk around the history of informal education (in central London).
Walking for real: If you would like to do the informal education walk for real then why not join us on our next scheduled walk. It's free! Follow the link for joining details.
© Mark K. Smith. First published August 7, 1997. Last update: October 01, 2008
