A LANDLORD agreed to lease rooms to an Oxford gentlemen’s club on one strict condition.

There was to be “no spitting out of the window into the street”, Mr Gare told members of what was to become the Frewen Club.

The club was formed in 1869 by officers and non-commissioned officers of the 2nd Oxfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, “to further comradeship among the volunteers and to encourage relationships with the townspeople”.

Then known as the 2nd Oxfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps Club, it occupied rooms at the Three Cups Hotel in Queen Street and then at unknown premises in Cornmarket Street before moving in 1876 to 98 St Aldate’s, where the no spitting rule was applied.

A change of name to the Oxford Volunteer Club followed, as well as a move to new premises at 1 St Aldate’s, then to various sites in Cornmarket Street, including one near the alleyway called Frewin Court.

Memory Lane this week

The club became the Frewen Club in 1888, named not after Frewin Court but after an old house nearby called Frewen Hall. By this time, membership had been opened to Oxford residents.

Club minutes show it was constantly beset with financial problems, and members were often asked to put their hands in their pockets to balance the books. At one time, the treasurer was paid 10 per cent commission for collecting outstanding subscriptions.

In 1876, gentlemen could buy whisky and gin for twopence a glass. By 1916, the prices had doubled to fourpence a glass.

To allow members to drink quietly and in comfort, the steward was issued with a pair of felt slippers so they were not disturbed by his comings and goings.

He was also instructed to “appear in reasonable attire when waiting upon members in the reading room in the morning”.

Later, a stewardess, Mrs Stowell, was appointed and she is said to have shocked the committee by asking for a wage increase.

The club made its final move in 1908 when, thanks mainly to the efforts of the acting president, the city’s chief constable, Oswald Cole, it returned to 98 St Aldate’s, where it has remained ever since.