Download or read book British Clubs and Societies 1580-1800 written by Peter Clark and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2000-01-06 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern freemasonry was invented in London about 1717, but was only one of a surge of British associations in the early modern era which had originated before the English Revolution. By 1800, thousands of clubs and societies had swept the country. Recruiting widely from the urban affluent classes, mainly amongst men, they traditionally involved heavy drinking, feasting, singing, and gambling. They ranged from political, religious and scientific societies, artistic and literary clubs, to sporting societies, bee keeping, and birdfancying clubs, and a myriad of other associations.