Calves Head Club
Encyclopedia
Calves Head Club was a club established in derision of the memory of Charles I of England
shortly after his death. Its chief meeting was held on each 30 January, the anniversary of the king's execution.
The dishes served were a cod's
head to represent Charles Stuart
; a pike
representing tyranny; a boar's
head representing the king preying on his subjects; and calves' heads representing Charles I and his supporters. On the table an axe held the place of honour. After the banquet a copy of the Eikon Basilike
was burnt, and a toast was made "To those worthy patriots who killed the tyrant". After the Restoration
, the club met secretly. The first mention of it is in a tract reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany
entitled "The Secret History of the Calves Head Club". The club survived till 1734, when the diners were mobbed owing to the popular ill-feeling which their outrages on good taste provoked, and the riot which ensued put a final stop to the meetings.
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
shortly after his death. Its chief meeting was held on each 30 January, the anniversary of the king's execution.
The dishes served were a cod's
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
head to represent Charles Stuart
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
; a pike
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
representing tyranny; a boar's
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
head representing the king preying on his subjects; and calves' heads representing Charles I and his supporters. On the table an axe held the place of honour. After the banquet a copy of the Eikon Basilike
Eikon Basilike
The Eikon Basilike , The Pourtrature of His Sacred Majestie in His Solitudes and Sufferings, was a purported spiritual autobiography attributed to King Charles I of England...
was burnt, and a toast was made "To those worthy patriots who killed the tyrant". After the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, the club met secretly. The first mention of it is in a tract reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany
Harleian Miscellany
The Harleian Miscellany was a collection of material from the library of the Earl of Oxford collated and edited by Samuel Johnson between 1744 and 1753...
entitled "The Secret History of the Calves Head Club". The club survived till 1734, when the diners were mobbed owing to the popular ill-feeling which their outrages on good taste provoked, and the riot which ensued put a final stop to the meetings.
Further reading
- Orihel, Michelle, '“Treacherous Memories” of Regicide: The Calves‐Head Club in the Age of Anne,' Historian, 73,3 (2011), 435–462.