The Kit-Cat Club or How Pies Created One of London's Most Influential Clubs.

Jacob Tonson, founder of the Kit-Cat Club, portrait by Godfrey Kneller, 1717. 

It would be hard for Christopher 'Kit' Cat ( or Catling')  to imagine that his pies and more importantly, his tavern, The Cat and Fiddle, would be the origin of one of the most prominent literary organisations from the 1690s to the early eighteenth century, The Kit-Cat Club.

Over feasts of mutton pies and cheesecake and other baked goods, in The Cat and the Fiddle, that the bookseller and publisher,  Jacob Tonson, created the Kit-Cat Club.  The Kit-Cat Club was believed to be either named after the baker or the pie itself, which was called a 'Kit Kat.'  [1]. The club started up as a publishing rights deal by Tonson, who would establish professional friendships in a weekly meeting over baked goods, in the return that 'The bookseller's friends would give him the refusal of their juvenile productions.' [2]  It was by feeding these members of his club, that Tonson hoped to obtain the loyalties by their stomachs and in the hopes for long-term profits. The Kit-Cat Club was not the first of its kind, and could actually be regarded as an extension of the coffee house, which had the reputation as the 'penny university,' in the early modern period. The Kit-Cat Club different itself though due to the fact that had multiple interests and it had political, cultural, and professional purposes, compared to other organisations such as trades guilds, which tended to have one purpose. [3].


The members of the Kit-Cat Club were Whigs politically, and they were wanting to challenge the preconceived notions of being a Whig. In the Civil War and the Restoration periods in British history, Whig clubs had the reputation of being a hot-spot for treachery and were against the monarchy. The Kit-Cat club tried to distinguish itself from this pre-conceived notion and would try and make gentlemen's clubs fashionable for Whig Gentlemen with an emphasis on literature and culture. [4].  This emphasis on creativity and culture on the club was a major attraction for the 50 members of the club, especially as writing for money was condemned by Renaissance critical theory, which had limitations on the authors imaginative freedom, and that writing in the seventeenth century was often for the wealthy and those who had private income.

The Kit-Cat Club was created in a great change of public opinion when it came to literature and creativity. In 1695, there was the lapse of England's Licensing act, which saw the surge in the number of printed materials, such as books, papers and pamphlets getting printed, especially political material.   This led to more creative freedom and allowed anyone to get published, not just the aristocracy. This increased freedom still left the possibility of printers and authors being arrested under obscenity and blasphemy laws, such as pro-Jacobite material. Despite this, it led to around 21,000 books getting published in Britain in the 1710s. [5]

The Kit-Cat Club was best known for its desire to be involved in high-brow culture and also in creativity.  Many of the members of the Club were music, opera, and theatre aficionados. One of the members, Joesph Addison, produced the opera of Rosamond along with his play that he wrote, Cato, a tragedy,  and The Spectator magazine.  [6] The building of the new Haymarket Theatre was designed by member Vanbrugh. Club members would eventually hold ten exclusive music recitals between November 1703 and March 1704, in the Drury Lane and the Lincoln's Inn Theatres. [7 ]

Issac Bitterstaff, the 'author,' of The Tatler and Spectators, but was in fact, the pen name of Sir Richard Steele, from the frontt cover of the 1759 Tatler cover. 

As well as being a club which was based around high-culture, the Kit-Cat Club was a political organisation, especially by 1705, when it was noted in A Kit- Kat C-B Described, that they had become more than just a dining club. [8]  The political activity of the Kit-Cat Club was focused on their publications, and were prominent in the magazines of The Tatler and The Spectator which were created by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. These magazines would be based on local and fictionalised gossip and were political satires. Tonson and other members would publish political pamphlets, which some will be linked below. The Spectator was one of the most prominent Kit-Cat Club publications, which Addison believed that there were twenty readers for each of the 3,000 issues printed and the publications were spread among the coffee houses and homes. There was a vast readership and Addison believed that there were at least 50,000 readers and there was demands for new papers daily. The paper would be a place for national announcement and it had political and social influence for the readers among all classes.  The Spectator declared the education of women as a priority and also tried to act as a guide to good manners, and also associated Whiggist behaviour around Englishness, which this identity was influenced by the Kit-Cat Club.  [9]. 

Godfrey Kneller, Joseph Addison (1672-1719), and Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729),

 The club focused on Wiggish politics of the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, there were many leaders of the Whig political party who were members. Some of the members of the club were political figures, such as Sir Robert Warpole, who would later become Prime Minister and The Earl of Stanhope, and Thomas Wharton, who would eventually become the Lord Luitenant of Ireland. [10]  in  The Club also believed in the whig policies of a limited monarchy with a strong parliament, resistance to the French aggression, the union of Scotland and England, and most importantly, the support of the House of Hanover. [8] The Kit-Cats were involved in politics in the reign of Queen Anne, due to the Whigs being against the government. In 1703,  it was believed that Tonson was involved in a political mission when he went to Holand.  Kit-Cat meetings were believed to have been held and had considered parliamentary action to remove Abigail Masham, one of Queen Anne's favourites from her service. In the final illness of Queen Anne in June 1914, meetings were held every night. [9]   In November 1713, Tonson was in Paris, investigating a Jacobite plot. [11]

The Kit-Cat's attempted to stage a public demonstration against the Tories on 17 November 1911. They had managed to get at least one thousand pounds from subscribers. They made effigies of the Pope, Devil,  various Jesuits and religious figures, and they were to be burned. They had apparently distributed money for a riot to take place with this demonstration. The Kit-Cat Club's activities were thwarted by Tory ministers who took the effigies and held them until the riot was over. [12]


The Kit-Cat Club was believed to have been ended by 1720, and it was believed that it was Tonson which was the force which kept the Club in full swing. It is believed that it was Tonson's absence in Paris from 1718-1720, which brought the club to the end. [13]   The once so very influential club which had its fingers in political and creative pies has almost been forgotten, and there has been shockingly little written about this club, especially as they helped to shape England politically, creativity, and more importantly, influenced social and political behaviour of the public through their publications.

Despite the influence of the members of the Kit- Cat Club, there has been little written about them, one of the prominent pieces of literature is by Ophelia Field, which has been the foundation of this study.  The Kit-Cat- Club is best remembered not for their publications or their political activity, however for their toasting.  The tradition of toasting for the club was part of their dinner ritual which was initiated by Tonson once he signalled that the meal was over. The toast would be given to the 'beauties,' among the ladies of the town, who would have to be Whig and beautiful, one these toasties would be Lady Mary Wortley Montegue.  This would involve balloting the women to pick which one was toasted and the woman who was nominated would have her name engraved on a drinking glass. However, there are no surviving 'Kit-Cat glasses' with the names of women. [14]

A. Gow, The Introduction of Lady Mary Wortley Montague to the Kit Kat Club, 1873

Despite the influence of the Kit-Cat Club and its members who would have careers in literature, politics and other pursuits, it is difficult to name them and their activities have been forgotten. The  42 'Kit-Cat Club', portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller which are held in the National Portrait Gallery, London, show the members of this once influential society. Unfortunately, there is not a portrait of Christopher Cat, the Baker, who arguably started it all, and who inspired the name of this organisation. Very few bakers are remembered in history and it is not often that mutton pies help to establish a prominent London Club, but Christopher Cat and his pies managed to do both.

[1] C.J. Barrett, The History of the Barn Elms and the Kit Cat Club, now the Ranelagh Club, (London, 1889), pp. 37-38.
[2] Ophelia Field, The Kit-Cat Club (London, 2009), pp. 32-33: J. Caulfeild, Memoirs of the Celebrated Persons Composing the Kit-Cat Club: With a Prefatory Account of the Origin of the Association (London, 1889) pp. 240-241.
[3] Field, , p. 32
[4] ibid, p.34.
[5] Caufield, Memoirs of the Celebrated Persons Composing of the Kit-Cat Club, (London, 1889),  pp. 132-146, 112-116,  70-84.
[6]  ibid., pp.184-204.
[7] Field, The Kit-Cat Club (London, 2009),  pp.132-135
[8] Anonymous,  A Kit-Kat C-b described. Being a satirical character of a member of the Kit-Cat Club, (London, 1705).
[9]  Field, The Kit-Cat Club (London, 2009), pp.248-257.
[10]Caufield, Memoirs of the Celebrated Persons Composing of the Kit-Cat Club, (London, 1889), pp. 34-41.
[11]ibid, pp. 182-204.
[9]  K. M. Lynch, Jacob Tonson, Kit-Kat Publisher, (Knoxville, 1971), p.37.
[10] ibid, pp. 58-63.
[11]ibid., p63.
[12] ibid., p.62.
[13] ibid.,  pp.65-66.
[14] Field, The Kit-Cat Club (London, 2009), pp. 56-58.

Some Kit-Cat Club Members publications which are easily available online, but there is a lot more that is not as accessible.  The Spectator and The Tatler are the more prominent publications and volumes of them are easily found online, especially on Archive.com. 
A Kit-Kat C-b described. [Being a satirical character of a member of the Kit-Cat Club], 1705.
The Spectator :
The Spectator Volume 5 https://archive.org/details/spectatorvolume04steegoog/page/n18
The Spectator Volume 6,  https://archive.org/details/spectator03steegoog/page/n26.
The Spectator  Volume 8, https://archive.org/details/spectator21steegoog/page/n4

The Tatler https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.175706/page/n1

Volume one of the Tatler https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13645/13645-h/13645-h.htm.

Additional material:
C. J. Barrett, The history of Barn Elms and the Kit Cat Club, now the Ranelagh Club  (London, 1889). https://archive.org/details/historyofbarnelm00barr.

J. Caulfield, Memoirs of the Celebrated Persons Composing the Kit-Cat Club (Londo, 1889), https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9ThCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA246&dq=members+of+the+kit-cat&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0_eWLo9nmAhUDm1wKHel1D24Q6AEIMzAB#v=onepage&q=%20opera&f=false.

Sir Godfrey Knelller, The Kit-Cat Club portraits,   https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/set/347/The+Kit-cat+Club+portraits%3A+by+Sir+Godfrey+Kneller.

Scotland and Poland: Forgotten Connections

Hello there,

I thought that since this was my first post, I would write about something that I was most comfortable with and what is my main academic interest; Scottish migration to early modern Europe, more specifically, to early modern Poland. This interest was cultivated in my time in univeristy, as I had a class which was appropriately named; Scots in Poland, Poles in Scotland. 

When considering Scottish migration and diaspora, the narrative which exist and which has been placed in public memory is one of migration and exile to North America, Canada, and also to Australasia.  The 1707 Union was significant in Scottish history, especially as it had lead to an increase of Scottish contact to North America and thus lead to increased migration and settlement. Before the union, when a Scot would migrate, they would find a new future in England, Ireland, or in Europe. This diaspora is believed to have peaked from 1600 to 1650, but there was still some contact and migration in later centuries [1].

When regarding this more modern diaspora, it is obvious why it tends to exist in common memory, there are stories of family descendants who have come from the 'homeland,' and there are more primary sources and there is plenty of publications which exist and are always being produced. The study of Scottish migration to early modern Europe is plagued with several problems, primary sources have been lost and sources have been written in several languages, and there is a need for translation of these documents.[2] Thankfully, there have been some books of published documents which are on the internet, and I would recommend anyone who is intrested in the topic of Scots in Poland. I would heavily recommend the books, The Scots in Germany and Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland, which are both available online.

I hope that these next few posts will help to bring some light onto this almost forgotten diaspora, and I will hopefully inspire someone to look more into this subject! Due to the fact that this is a rather broad subject, I will start off by discussing what I will consider to be the main reason why Scots were in Poland in the early modern period, poverty and economic opportunity.  I hope that this post will be a good introduction into the matter of the Scottish pedlar and 'wealthy merchant,' in early modern Poland.

Stitched by Edmund Dudley from  http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org/

Poverty in Scotland and Economic Opportunities in Poland.

It has been argued by historians that Scottish migration to early modern Poland was of 'economic necessity', due to poverty in Scotland as being a main economic imperative for the migration. Scotland in the sixteenth and the seventeenth century faced problems such as famine, plague, and most importantly, low economic productivity on an agricultural-based economy. [3]  It was noted by Kowalksi in his study of Scottish migration to Krakow, that there was a presence of Scots applying for citizenship from the 1570s due to famine and economic crisis, which drove people from Abdereenshire to Krakow, where over 55 per cent of the Aberdonians applied for citizenship between 1580s and 1610s. [4]

Younger or illegitimate sons were often forced to migrate due to primogeniture, which prevented them from inheriting, and they were often made to seek fortunes as merchants or as soldiers. Compared to Scotland, Poland was a desirable location to obtain capital due to the fact that only two per cent of the Polish population was involved in trade and there was a demand for imported goods from Scotland and other parts of Europe, and it had encouraged the presence of Scottish economic migrants, and more specifically, pedlars into Poland. [5]   William Lithgow in the seventeenth century noted favourable conditions for Scottish immigrants who were looking to obtain economic capital and seek their fortune abroad, describing it as:

'And for áuspicuousness, I may rather tearme it to be a Mother and Nurse, for the youth and younglings of Scotland, who are yearely sent hither in great numbers, than a proper Dame for her owne birth; in cloathing, feeding, and inriching them with the fatnesse of her best things; besides thirty thousand Scots families, that live incorporate in her bowells. And certainely Polland may be tearmed in this kind to be the mother of our Commons, and the first commencement of all our best Merchants' wealth, or at least most part of them'. [6]



Poverty was the main reason which caused the Scottish presence in early modern Poland. One fantastic letter which is in The Scots in Germany  by King James IV in 1625 notes that:

'

'We greete you well. Whereas the grite number of young
boyes uncapable of service and destitute of meanis of liveing
yearlie transported out of that our kingdome to the East seas
and speciallie to the town of Dantzik and there manie tymes
miserablie in grite numbers dyeing in the streets have given
quite scandall to the people of those countreyis and laid one
foull imputation on that our kingdome'. [7]



The Scottish economic migrant often took form as the pedlar, who would bring the goods from the market to the countryside. It was noted that by Fyness Moryson  in his travels to Poland that Scots would :

' flocke in great numbers into Poland, abounding in all
things for foode, and yeelding many commodities. And
in these Kingdomes they lived at this time in great multi-
tudes, rather for the poverty of their owne Kingdome,
then for any great traffcke they exercised there, dealing
rather for small fardels, then for great quantities of rich
ware.' [8].

From the sources by Lithgow and Moryson, the theme of the Scottish economic presence in Poland starts to emerge, especially as Moryson suggests the presence of the Scottish pedlar. Historians have discussed the Scottish economic presence in Poland, and historiography  has discussed if the Scottish economic presence was restricted to predominantly peddling  or if Scottish commercial activity allowed them to be considered to be 'wealthy merchants.' I have a few opinions on this, especially as I had to write an essay on this matter! I do hope to share my thoughts on this!



[1] D. Worthington, 'Unfinished work and damaged materials’: historians and the Scots in the Commonwealth of Poland–Lithuania (1569–1795)', Immigrants & Minorities, vol 34 (2016). p.277.
[2] ibid.
[3] P. P. Bajer,  Scots in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 16th to 18th Centuries, The Formation and Disappearance of an Ethnic Group, (Lieden, 2012), pp.46-51.
[4] W. Kowalski, '“Kraków Citizenship and the Local Scots, 1509-1655.” In Britain and Poland-Lithuania: Contact and Comparison from the Middle Ages to 1795,  Richard W. Unger (ed.), (Leiden, 2008), pp.  274-275.
[5]P. P. Bajer, Scots in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 16th to 18th Centuries, The Formation and Disappearance of an Ethnic Group, (Lieden, 2012), pp.46-129.
[6]W. Lithgow,  The Total Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations of Long Nineteen Years Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica (Glasgow, 1906), pp. 367-368.
[7]' Letter of James VI’, 22nd February 1625, in T. A. Fischer (ed.), The Scots in Germany (Edinburgh, 1902) pp. 242-243.
[8] Fynes Moryson, An itinerary vvritten by Fynes Moryson gent. first in the Latine tongue, and then translated by him into English: containing his ten yeeres travell throvgh the tvvelve domjnions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland, Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Jtaly, Turky, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Diuided into III parts Volume 1, (Glasgow,  1908) p.83.