The Divan Club
Unlike the Dilettanti Society, the Divan Club was a short-lived dining club with membership open only to gentlemen who had visited the Ottoman Empire. The club took its name from the Turkish "divan". The club was founded in 1744 by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich and Sir Francis Dashwood, who was also a leading member of the Dilettante Society.
Members met to dine and relate experiences in the east. Its members included distinguished travellers, who made important contributions to travel writing and knowledge of culture and art in the region controlled by the Ottoman Empire. "The Harem" as a regular club toast.
The club lasted for only two years, ending in 1746, when Dashwood founded the his brotherhood.
Members met to dine and relate experiences in the east. Its members included distinguished travellers, who made important contributions to travel writing and knowledge of culture and art in the region controlled by the Ottoman Empire. "The Harem" as a regular club toast.
The club lasted for only two years, ending in 1746, when Dashwood founded the his brotherhood.
Membership
Membership included:
Lord Sandwich
Francis Dashwood
Richard Pococke
Lord Dunccanon
Lord Granby
Edward Wortley
Robert Wood 3rd Earl of Bessborough
James Nelthorpe
Thomas Wright
Thomas Anson
Richard Owen
Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester
