The Anchorites
The Anchorites is a club founded in Great Britain in 1919 for the promotion of good fellowship among those interested in maritime affairs.
The club was formed by a small group of men who had been associated together at the Admiralty towards the end of the First World War, used to meet fairly regularly for lunch and were all interested in maritime affairs generally and all other aspects of the sea. One day in September 1919, it was suggested that they, and other friends of their circle, might occasionally meet for dinner in some private hotel or club where they could enjoy a meal, and discuss ships and shipping matters without the noise and bustle of a crowded restaurant. At the same time, and in such an informal atmosphere, they would be able to invite other friends who were also interested in sea affairs.
The best introduction to the story of the Anchorites is to quote from “The song of the Anchorites”, a piece of doggerel verse written by Dr Oscar Parkes, an Anchorite who, in the early days of the club, used to entertain members and their guests at the piano. This begins:
“And every one of them has to be keen, on the things that go down to the sea”.
History[edit]
Typical of many British institutions, the club’s beginnings were casual. A small group of men who had been associated together at the Admiralty towards the end of the First World War and shortly afterwards, used to meet fairly regularly for lunch. Apart from their Admiralty association, they were all interested in maritime affairs generally, both Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, and all other aspects of the sea. One day in September 1919, three of these, Frank C. Bowen, Francis E. McMurtie and William E. Menday – were lunching together when Frank C. Bowen put forward the suggestion that they, and other friends of their circle, might occasionally meet for dinner in some private hotel or restaurant where they could enjoy a meal, and discuss ships and shipping matters without the noise and bustle of a crowded restaurant. At the same time, and in such an informal atmosphere, they would be able to invite other friends who were also interested in sea affairs.
The first rules of the club were drawn up and adopted at the annual meeting held in December 1921. Rule No.1 read “The name of the Society shall be ‘The Anchorites’” and here it may be said that the title was suggested by the Admiralty crest and because the original members worked together at the Admiralty. The late Cecil King designed a crest (the one still in use) which is almost identical with the seal of the Lord High Admiral (then Duke of York, later King James II) in the reign of King Charles II. It was not, perhaps the happiest of titles, for it frequently lead speakers and guests to contrast the club with members of a medieval religious fraternity of the same name.
Since those early days, the club continues to provide a forum for the discussion of sea affairs generally, both onshore and offshore, from yachts to liners, oil rigs to major warships and the club promotes – in an unofficial manner – a closer harmony between all branches of the sea service. In 1937 the first overseas sister club was formed and the Polish Anchorites, under the name Klub Morski was founded in Gdynia. Two years later, when Poland was invaded, many Polish shipping men came to England and the Polish Anchorites then began meeting in London which continued for a number of years. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, the club’s evening meetings were changed to luncheons and membership was extended to all Officers of the Allied Navies temporarily resident in this country. This extension of membership had a marked influence on the status of the club, for it formed a common meeting place for innumerable foreign officers.
It was during the war years that the Anchorites made further overseas progress and two other nations – the Netherlands and Norway – impressed by the membership extended to their own naval officers, decided to form Anchorites clubs in each of their respective countries when the war ended. On 15 May 1944 the Norwegian Anchorites Club was inaugurated and on 11 July 1944 a formal luncheon was held in the presence of King Haakon II and Prince Olav.[1] A few months later the Nederlandsche Anchorite was also formed in London and both these clubs now hold regular meetings in their respective countries.
Towards the end of the Second World War a special Royal Naval tribute was paid to the Anchorites by the naming of one of the new “A Class” submarines HMS Anchorite. In September 1947 an international meeting of the four clubs took place in Amsterdam in the presence of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. The following year the second international meeting took place in London in the presence of |HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, who consented to become an honorary member of The Anchorites.[2]
The custom of taking Naval Attaches and Assistant Naval Attaches to the Anchorites as guests was started by Oscar Parkes (then editor of “Jane’s Fighting Ships”) in the very early days of the club. In the early 1950s it was decided that all Naval Attaches and their assistants should be invited as honorary members during their term of duty in this country.
Having celebrated their Golden Anniversary in 1969 and ten years later their Diamond Jubilee, the Anchorites have continued to meet and grow in membership size. There are now normally six or eight dinners each year and at each, speakers talk informally on all aspects of the maritime scene. The October dinner is now designated as “Trafalgar Night” and a toast is proposed and drunk to “The Immortal memory”. One dinner each year is a Ladies’ Night; or in more modern parlance a Partners’ Night, there being a number of lady members.
1994 was a particularly significant year for the Anchorites for not only did they celebrate their 75th Anniversary, but the Norwegian and Nederlandsche Anchorites celebrated their Golden Jubilee. Representatives of all three clubs were able to join in each other’s celebrations and, at the 75th Anniversary Dinner in the Cafe Royal, at which the First Sea Lord was the principal guest, in the presence of representatives from the Polish Navy, Klub Morski, the Polish Anchorites was re-established.
After 40 years dining in the Cafe Royal in Piccadilly, the club moved in early 1999 with the blessing of The Master to The Headquarters Ship WELLINGTON on the Thames embankment, the Livery Hall of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners[3] [4] where the dinners continue in the most appropriate of maritime settings.
Membership[edit]
Membership to The Anchorites is open to anyone who is interested in or connected to the sea. Current members include:
- Serving and retired members of the Royal Navy
- Serving and retired personnel from the Merchant Navy
- Those connected with the leisure and boating industry
- Shipping brokers
- Marine Insurance brokers
- Marine artists (all media)
- Maritime historians and documentary makers
- Rowers and oarsmen/women
- Yachtsmen and women
- Divers and Salvage operators
Centenary Year[edit]
In 2019, The Anchorites celebrated their 100th Anniversary since forming. To recognise this significant milestone, an enhanced programme of events was drawn up, centring around a grand gala dinner in the autumn and the production of a number of anniversary merchandise including ties, scarves, cufflinks and lapel pages. Most notably, a specially commissioned Anchorites 100 gin has been procured, from the Portsmouth Distillery Company, itself co founded by 2 Anchorites.[5]
References[edit]
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