The ‘cane-bottom’d chair’ of William Thackeray’s ballad
"Long long through the hours and the nights, and the chimes
Here we talk of old books, and old friends, and old times;
As we sit in a fog made of rich Latakie
This chamber is pleasant to you, friend, and me.
But of all the cheap treasures that garnish my nest,
There’s one that I love and I cherish the best:
For the finest of couches that’s padded with hair
I never would change thee, my cane-bottom’d chair."
Thackeray’s favourite chair was presented to the Travellers by Sir William Augustus Fraser, a member of the Club, who had acquired the chair at the sale of Thackeray’s property in 1864. Ironically Thackeray was blackballed by the Travellers Club. According to the journalist George Augustus Sala, Thackeray claimed that the Travellers did not want any ‘writing fellows’. His uncle Lieut.-Colonel Merrick Shawe, a protégé of the Duke of Wellington, was a member of the Club, and provided the inspiration for the character of Major Pendennis in Thackeray’s novel of similar title.
Sheila Markham [Travellers Club Librarian 2010]
Here we talk of old books, and old friends, and old times;
As we sit in a fog made of rich Latakie
This chamber is pleasant to you, friend, and me.
But of all the cheap treasures that garnish my nest,
There’s one that I love and I cherish the best:
For the finest of couches that’s padded with hair
I never would change thee, my cane-bottom’d chair."
Thackeray’s favourite chair was presented to the Travellers by Sir William Augustus Fraser, a member of the Club, who had acquired the chair at the sale of Thackeray’s property in 1864. Ironically Thackeray was blackballed by the Travellers Club. According to the journalist George Augustus Sala, Thackeray claimed that the Travellers did not want any ‘writing fellows’. His uncle Lieut.-Colonel Merrick Shawe, a protégé of the Duke of Wellington, was a member of the Club, and provided the inspiration for the character of Major Pendennis in Thackeray’s novel of similar title.
Sheila Markham [Travellers Club Librarian 2010]
Going to War with a Sofa
Bequeathed to the Garrick Club by Sir William Augustus Fraser, 1899 the sofa bears an engraved plaque that reads: "This Sofa was in the room of GEORGE GORDON, 6TH . LORD BYRON. Author of "THE DREAM" when he died at MISSOLONGHI. It was bought at PUTTICK'S by Sir W. A. FRASER, Bt. 7 Jan 1863 Lot 1002" It would appear Sir William was fond of literary furniture as it was presumably he who had presented the Thackeray chair above to the Travellers and he had been a contemporary of Thackeray at the Garrick.
Lord Byron had planned to attack the Turkish-held fortress of Lepanto, at the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth as part of his ill-fated campaign in Greece. He employed a fire-master to prepare artillery and took part of the rebel army under his own command, despite his lack of military experience. However before the expedition could sail he died at Missolonghi on 19th April 1824 after contracting some sort of "marsh disease" [most likely typhoid]. His last words were "Now I shall go to sleep". In "Notices of the Life of Lord Byron" by Thomas Moore (1830) we read that on the previous day [which was in fact Easter Sunday] at about three in the afternoon, "Lord Byron rose and went into the adjoining room. He was able to walk across the chamber leaning on his servant Tita; and, when seated, asked for a book, which the servant brought him. After reading, however, for a few minutes, he found himself faint; and, again taking Tita's arm, tottered into the next room and returned to bed." [p768] He would not rise again, so perhaps it was on this sofa where Byron read for the very last time.
Marcus Risdell [Garrick Club Curator 2011]
Lord Byron had planned to attack the Turkish-held fortress of Lepanto, at the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth as part of his ill-fated campaign in Greece. He employed a fire-master to prepare artillery and took part of the rebel army under his own command, despite his lack of military experience. However before the expedition could sail he died at Missolonghi on 19th April 1824 after contracting some sort of "marsh disease" [most likely typhoid]. His last words were "Now I shall go to sleep". In "Notices of the Life of Lord Byron" by Thomas Moore (1830) we read that on the previous day [which was in fact Easter Sunday] at about three in the afternoon, "Lord Byron rose and went into the adjoining room. He was able to walk across the chamber leaning on his servant Tita; and, when seated, asked for a book, which the servant brought him. After reading, however, for a few minutes, he found himself faint; and, again taking Tita's arm, tottered into the next room and returned to bed." [p768] He would not rise again, so perhaps it was on this sofa where Byron read for the very last time.
Marcus Risdell [Garrick Club Curator 2011]
