Reform Club

Introduction

The Reform Club is a private members club on the south side of Pall Mall in central London. It was established in 1836, in the aftermath of the Great Reform Act, by men who had campaigned for the Act. The club continues to operate and its membership remains active.

History

The Reform Club was founded by Edward Ellice, MP for Coventry and Whig Whip, whose riches came from the Hudson's Bay Company but whose zeal was chiefly devoted to securing the passage of the Reform Act 1832. The new club, for members of both Houses of Parliament, was intended to be a forum for the radical ideas which the First Reform Bill represented: a bastion of liberal and progressive thought that became closely associated with the Liberal Party, who largely succeeded the Whigs in the second half of the 19th century.

Architecture

The Reform Club is housed in a magnificent palatial clubhouse designed by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Palace of Westminster. The building was completed in 1841. The Reform Club's building was designated a Grade I listed building in 1970.

Membership

Membership of the Reform Club was initially restricted to those who pledged support for the Great Reform Act of 1832. The waiting list for membership currently averages about two years. The club no longer requires members to pledge support for any particular political party, but the club's members, guests, and staff are still predominantly of a liberal and progressive character.

In Popular Culture

The Reform Club is the location from which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout start their journey Around the World in Eighty Days in the novel of the same name by Jules Verne.

See Also

• List of London's gentlemen's clubs
• Pall Mall, London
• Great Reform Act

External Links

• Official website of the Reform Club