The Kensington Club

The Founders of The Kensington Club circa 1740. The Laird Balgonie sits in the centre, surrounded by the first members of the Kensington Club. Above the fireplace is a cameo of St Andrews. The portrait is now in the care of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

The Kensington Club is a private all-male dining club for students of the University of St Andrews.

Founded circa 1739 by Alexander the Laird Balgonie as a social club, the Kensington Club flourished predominately in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as a retreat for aristocratic and moneyed members of the student population. Renewed interest in the club after a period of decline in the second part of the twentieth century has led to a surge in membership since the early 2000s.[1]

History

Alexander Leslie Laird Balgonie was born around the year 1720, the only son among five children. His father, also named Alexander, lived in the Balgonie Castle, a fortified manor of ancient origin over the bank of the river Leven, east of Glenrothes. The family's claim of descent from the Earls of Leven is disputed. The etymology of the name ‘The Kensington Club’ is unclear.

The policies of the labour governments in the early twentieth century were felt with particular acuteness among the Scottish aristocracy, with their limited ability to generate income. Club fortunes took a downturn and membership began to tail off. With the exception of a brief resurgence in the nineteen seventies, the club remained almost dormant. With the turn of the century interest began once more to escalate, and the Kensington Club once again exists as a social institution within St Andrews. In 2001, in honour of this revival, Raymond, the present Laird of Balgonie, was given honorary membership and made the club patron.[1]

Activities

Private dinners for club members are held biweekly. Etiquette and manners are enforced on the penalty of port.[2]

Club Colours

Club Colours of the Kensington Club

The club colours are thick red and green stripes divided by a thin white stripe

References

  1. 1 2 "The Kensington Club - A Brief History 1739 2010". Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "More Andreanic Fun". Retrieved 26 July 2004.
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