Clubmen in Name, Association in Meaning,
Considering the connection between the word association and Clubmen, it is important to delve into the naming process of this group called Clubmen. What do we mean by Clubmen? Carrying Clubs?
This is often the stated reason the name is associated with The Clubmen. Closer examination, a recalibration. Clubmen, literally in meaning Club, as in association.
What's the evidence? Let's look at a letter penned by a leading captain from the Somerset Clubmen Humphrey Willis. While imprisoned in a jail in Weymouth in July 1646 and writing on why the expressing of the reason for his imprisonment to the Committee of the County of Somerset not stated. Quote,
“ I hope we shall once more live under and be steered by the ancient and fundamental Laws of the Kingdom. Gent being honest, I cannot but use down right dealing and therefore may very well be termed a Clubmen;. You may, if you please, smile at the homelessness of the title. But i assure you, do but consider awhile, and you may easily find, they are not so odious as another sort of people in the land are come, come through you despise us, and trample us as dung under your feet, yet if you would look off your own too much admired selves, you might apprehend that the Club, I mean of Somerset hath done good and faithful service.”
Further in the letter, Quote.
“What shall I say? All my desire is, that you would be charitably conceited of the honest Club.”
Agreeing with Mr Green.
Clubmen 1645: neutralism in a revolution
A Mr. Hunt and a Mr. Green of the Somerset Archaeological And Natural History Society
argued a point at their annual evening meeting in 1877. Who were and why the name of as a
body of people? The minutes of the meeting make for colourful reading. Mr Hunt, who talks
of The Clubmen as "a rude sort who carried clubs", asked of Mr Green, "by what authority
did he have for saying that the name ‘Clubmen’ derived from their associating, clubbing
together for a mutual protection?"
Mr Green argues his belief in the word Clubmen as an association, can be seen in the accounts of the meetings recorded, and in reply of by Royalists and Parliamentarian commanders who came into contact with Clubmen alike. He talks of The Prince of Wales in Wells Somerset and his encounter with "received a petition from some thousands of Clubmen, most in arms."
This is disapproved of with public meetings frowned on, and it an unwarrantable course of assembling together. Further in a description is given "they gave passes to their associates,
and they have rules and orders they worked under ''.
Looking at the arrest of Mr Dale in 1645 by troops while he was returning from Wincanton
and near Salisbury, we encounter the accusation of him being a spy. His reply asserted, "he is
no such thing but a Clubmen, no other end to this association but then to defend themselves
from plunder."
Examining the word Clubmen in the description, as did Mr Green, we can also see a blurring
of who the naming of this tag pinned on resides. Was it those that only wrote declarations
from 1645? Those that came together in the form of local militia only in defence against what
was being put upon them from the first stirrings of Civil War? Or those that were not in either
army but were seen by both warring sides as a group with a voice, and as such, needed a
name to put into reporting and observing, maybe recruiting? Carrying of clubs? All of the
above?
Studying where this term club arrived from maybe helps. An early 12th-Century description link can be found in the Swedish and Danish similarly spelt word Klubba. This is derived from the Germanic word klumbon, literally meaning clump. Here is the first time the word is associated with mass. The weighty end of a club is as such a mass. Now let us jump back to the description when implied to The Clubmen. In reports by both Warring sides, we see those involved in the club business, a club army even, just the word club used by Humphrey Willis
himself when writing from Weymouth; he talks of those being in the honest club.
The forming of association, a mutual league in our own defence, are all descriptions The
Clubmen used themselves.
Now we see the word club as belonging to a mass, which can link into the organising of a
commonly associated phrase: ‘belonging to’. A term that carries weight in how others look
upon you. As we see belonging to and us such under, no matter how loosely, a set of rules.
Rules, views of, cause defines the club.
The body of writings by The Clubmen occurred in their writing declarations, petitions of
1645. These are a set of desires and resolutions with a wanting of control, order in their own lives aimed at those causing chaos upon them. Hence, those causing said chaos bring order
upon themselves and a community living under rules.
Haydn Wheeler
This is often the stated reason the name is associated with The Clubmen. Closer examination, a recalibration. Clubmen, literally in meaning Club, as in association.
What's the evidence? Let's look at a letter penned by a leading captain from the Somerset Clubmen Humphrey Willis. While imprisoned in a jail in Weymouth in July 1646 and writing on why the expressing of the reason for his imprisonment to the Committee of the County of Somerset not stated. Quote,
“ I hope we shall once more live under and be steered by the ancient and fundamental Laws of the Kingdom. Gent being honest, I cannot but use down right dealing and therefore may very well be termed a Clubmen;. You may, if you please, smile at the homelessness of the title. But i assure you, do but consider awhile, and you may easily find, they are not so odious as another sort of people in the land are come, come through you despise us, and trample us as dung under your feet, yet if you would look off your own too much admired selves, you might apprehend that the Club, I mean of Somerset hath done good and faithful service.”
Further in the letter, Quote.
“What shall I say? All my desire is, that you would be charitably conceited of the honest Club.”
Agreeing with Mr Green.
Clubmen 1645: neutralism in a revolution
A Mr. Hunt and a Mr. Green of the Somerset Archaeological And Natural History Society
argued a point at their annual evening meeting in 1877. Who were and why the name of as a
body of people? The minutes of the meeting make for colourful reading. Mr Hunt, who talks
of The Clubmen as "a rude sort who carried clubs", asked of Mr Green, "by what authority
did he have for saying that the name ‘Clubmen’ derived from their associating, clubbing
together for a mutual protection?"
Mr Green argues his belief in the word Clubmen as an association, can be seen in the accounts of the meetings recorded, and in reply of by Royalists and Parliamentarian commanders who came into contact with Clubmen alike. He talks of The Prince of Wales in Wells Somerset and his encounter with "received a petition from some thousands of Clubmen, most in arms."
This is disapproved of with public meetings frowned on, and it an unwarrantable course of assembling together. Further in a description is given "they gave passes to their associates,
and they have rules and orders they worked under ''.
Looking at the arrest of Mr Dale in 1645 by troops while he was returning from Wincanton
and near Salisbury, we encounter the accusation of him being a spy. His reply asserted, "he is
no such thing but a Clubmen, no other end to this association but then to defend themselves
from plunder."
Examining the word Clubmen in the description, as did Mr Green, we can also see a blurring
of who the naming of this tag pinned on resides. Was it those that only wrote declarations
from 1645? Those that came together in the form of local militia only in defence against what
was being put upon them from the first stirrings of Civil War? Or those that were not in either
army but were seen by both warring sides as a group with a voice, and as such, needed a
name to put into reporting and observing, maybe recruiting? Carrying of clubs? All of the
above?
Studying where this term club arrived from maybe helps. An early 12th-Century description link can be found in the Swedish and Danish similarly spelt word Klubba. This is derived from the Germanic word klumbon, literally meaning clump. Here is the first time the word is associated with mass. The weighty end of a club is as such a mass. Now let us jump back to the description when implied to The Clubmen. In reports by both Warring sides, we see those involved in the club business, a club army even, just the word club used by Humphrey Willis
himself when writing from Weymouth; he talks of those being in the honest club.
The forming of association, a mutual league in our own defence, are all descriptions The
Clubmen used themselves.
Now we see the word club as belonging to a mass, which can link into the organising of a
commonly associated phrase: ‘belonging to’. A term that carries weight in how others look
upon you. As we see belonging to and us such under, no matter how loosely, a set of rules.
Rules, views of, cause defines the club.
The body of writings by The Clubmen occurred in their writing declarations, petitions of
1645. These are a set of desires and resolutions with a wanting of control, order in their own lives aimed at those causing chaos upon them. Hence, those causing said chaos bring order
upon themselves and a community living under rules.
Haydn Wheeler
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