per Charles Warren Stoddard
16 December 1873 • London, England (MS: TxU-Hu, UCCL 01008)
16 – Dec – 1873.
Hon Sec. Temple Club.
Dear Sir
I thank you for the honor you have done me in electing me an Honorary Member of your club and I hope to be able to be present on the opening night.1explanatory note
per C. W. S.
letter docketed: S. L. Clemens | rule | 16 Decr. | rule | Accepts Hony Membership | rule
Clemens answered the following note (CU-MARK):
According to an announcement in the London Times, the newly formed Temple Club was
an institution which will be novel of its kind, comprehensive in the class of its supporters, and organized with a view to afford every comfort and the best accommodation to its Members. The Club will be strictly non-political, and will be composed of Clergymen, Officers in the Army and Navy, Members of the Civil Service, Professional and Private Gentlemen, who, untrammelled by party spirit, may enjoy a free and social exchange of ideas on subjects of Art, Literature, and Science. (“Temple Club,” 15 Dec 73, 1)
The only committee member listed in the announcement known to be personally acquainted with Clemens was Tom Hood. Moncure Conway was evidently planning to join, however, since he had told Clemens on 10 December to expect an invitation (10 Dec 73 to Conway, n. 1click to open link). John Colborne (1830–90) was the fifth son of the first Baron Seaton, who had been awarded his title in 1839 for distinguished military service. Colborne was a major in the Sixtieth Rifle Corps, and had served in the Crimea, India, and China. Rowland may have been Andrew Rowland (1800?–1878) of the Bombay Artillery, a colonel since 1858 (Burke 1904, 1389; Boase, 3:329).
MS, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin (TxU-Hu).
L5 , 520–521.