Watier's Club was a
gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a private social club of a type originally established by males from Britain's upper classes starting in the 17th century.
Many countries outside Britain have prominent gentlemen's clubs, mostly those associated with the ...
established in 1807 and disbanded in 1819. It was located at 81 Piccadilly on the corner of
Bolton Street in west
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Prior to its occupation as a gaming hall and restaurant, it was a private residence, and the headquarters of a small singing club. The
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
suggested the creation of a club using his new chef, Jean-Baptiste Watier, whom the club was named after. Amongst the members in the early days were Henry Mildmay,
Baron Alvanley
Baron Alvanley, of Alvanley in the County Palatine of Chester, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 22 May 1801 for Sir Richard Arden, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and former Master of the Rolls.Edmund Lodg ...
,
Beau Brummell
George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England, and for many years he was the arbiter of British men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King ...
and Henry Pierrepont.
It was at the behest of the Prince Regent, (later King
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...
), that Brummell was named the club's president. As one biographer put it,
The game "Macao", referenced above, was a precursor of the French card game,
baccarat
Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game. It is now mainly played at casinos, but formerly popular at house-parties and private gaming rooms. The game's origins are a mixture of precursors from China, Japan, and Korea, which then gained popularit ...
.
Parlett, David
David Parlett (born 18 May 1939 in London) is a games scholar, historian, and translator from South London, who has studied both card games and board games. He is the president of the British Skat Association.
Life
David Sidney Parlett was bo ...
Related face-count games
at David Parlett Gourmet Games. Retrieved 24 January 2016. The club carried the affectionate nickname, "The Dandies Club," which was bestowed by Lord Byron who remarked, "I like the dandies, they were always very civil to me."
The club had a short life, eventually closing in 1819. It had become the haven for 'blackguards' and fortunes were being lost to a 'common bank' that had been set up by a group of members and guaranteed ruin for others.
References
*
{{Coord, 51, 30, 23.52, N, 0, 8, 36.52, W, scale:1563_region:GB, display=title
Regency London
Gentlemen's clubs in London