Penn Club, London

The Penn Club was a private members' club in Bloomsbury in central London. It was established in 1920, and had strong bonds with the Quaker community. It closed in 2021.

The Penn Club

While it was affiliated with a private club, anyone was able to rent a room.

Location

The club was housed in three Georgian houses at 21–23 Bedford Place, just off Russell Square. The Members Club is now situated within the auspices of The Royal Foundation of St. Katharine, 2 Butcher Row, Limehouse, London E14 8DS.

History

The Penn Club was established in 1920 with surplus funds left over from the Friends Ambulance Unit, active during World War I. The club maintained a considerable collection of books and resources on Quaker traditions and customs.

On 31 January 2021 it was announced that after 101 years the Club would leave their Bloomsbury premises at the end of March in response to financial difficulties arising from the coronavirus pandemic.[1] Following this the Club was invited to become a distinct entity under the auspices of The Royal Foundation of St Katharine, Limehouse, where it continues to thrive.

Famous residents

The novelist John Wyndham[2] and his fiancée[3] lived there for several years.

References
  1. Gulliver, John (11 February 2021). "A sad end for this unique, noble and generous-spirited institution". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. "John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris", Book drum (author profile), Wyndham had been living in the Penn Club in Bedford Place.
  3. Ketterer, David (November 2009), "Introduction: a ground-breaking cloned Nazis thriller", Plan for Chaos, Grace Isobel Wilson (who had occupied room 44 next door to his room 45 in the Penn Club.

51°31′14″N 0°7′30″W


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