A Reminiscence of the Pelican
A Reminiscence of the Pelican.
Members of the Old Pelican Club around the Square Ring including the Duke of Beaufort and Sir John Astley. The Pelican had opened in 1887, and quickly attracted the rich and notorious. Gambling and drinking were the main offerings with emphasis on the latter; the unwritten rule was that the bar was open as long as anyone has any money left. A third specialty of the club was dodging creditors. One Captain Fred Russell, whose debts were considerable, was dubbed "Brer Rabbit" to mark his evasive skills. He once managed to have himself (under an assumed name) hired by the firm that had been dunning him. He chased himself around England expenses paid - and reported back that the Captain had fled the land. Such "gentlemen" partied late; bands blared sometimes until sunrise. When the club does close, tipsy toffs spill streetward, whistling for cabs and setting off loud and profane arguments among the cabmen for the fares. Making matters worse for the neighbours, the Pelican had taken to hosting boxing matches as shown in this delightfully-realised caricature
