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Muddock was inordinately proud of his membership of the Savage Club.

This London club was born in 1857 and named, "in a frolicsome humour" for Richard Savage, "...a thoroughly disreputable actor and playwright of Dr Johnson's time who killed a man in a brawl and was later imprisoned for debt". There is still disagreement whether, when a proto-member called out "The Savage", he intended it as a title, or as a rebuke to Robert Brough (its first secretary), who was objecting to the club being named after Addison, Johnson, Goldsmith or another literary luminary "in a spirit of pure wantonness". Whatever the explanation, the name stuck.

The Club's actual address has moved around over the years, from its original home at the Crown Tavern, Vinegar Yard, Drury Lane, the next year to the Nell Gwynne Tavern, in 1863 to Gordon's Hotel in Covent Garden, later to 9 Fitzmaurice Place Berkeley Square W1 and elsewhere, and has its current billet at the old National Liberal Club premises at 1, Whitehall Place.

Muddock was introduced to the Savage Club in March 1872, and proposed by E. P. Hingston and Andrew Halliday (see below) but there seems to have been some misunderstanding as the minute-book recorded him as "Election postponed". It was another seven years before he was properly elected, but claims to have frequented the club in the meantime, unaware he was not in complete good standing, and apparently unchallenged by anyone. A copy of his minute of election in 1879 is here, courtesy of Mr Peter D. Bond, the Savage Club's Archivist. Click for a larger version.

The Savage Club papers

Being a collection of self-styled "Bohemians", including writers and artists, it is not surprising that they should have caused an anthology of members' works to have appeared in print. In fact, there were three. Club President Andrew Halliday edited the first Savage Club Papers (London: Tinsley Brothers, 1867-68) in two volumes. Containing mostly fiction, by W. S. Gilbert, Thomas Hood, George Grossmith,  Mortimer Collins, G. M. Fenn, Artemus Ward, and Savage founder George A. Sala. The illustrations, mostly engraved by the Dalziel Brothers, include works by Gustav Doré, Cruikshank and Gilbert.

Two decades or so later, Muddock. along with his friend Herbert Johnson as Art Editor, spent two years bring together together a third collection Savage Club Papers (London: Hutchinson and Co 1897).

The Savage Club now draws its members from the realms of literature, art, drama, music and science, and includes many eminent members of the theatrical profession.

The Savage Club Masonic Lodge

The Savage also boasts its own Masonic Lodge (No. 2190), formed at the instigation of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who as a Guest of Honour at a Savage Club dinner enquired if there were a Lodge attached to it. There was not, and at his suggestion, one was formed, and consecrated on 18 January 1887. The rather idiosyncratic pyramidal 'Summons' is shown below.

Lodge No. 2190 has had many distinguished members, including one of its founders and first Treasurer, Sir Henry Irving (born in 1838 John Henry Brodribb and the first of his profession to be knighted), William S. Penley, Edward Terry, Sir Augustus Harris and, more recently Arnold Ridley, the actor and playwright, best known for his portrayal of Godfrey in the television series Dad’s Army. (Irving was initiated as a Freemason into Jerusalem Lodge No. 197 on 27 April 1877 by the master of the lodge, the organist Sir William Cusins, and was also a member of St. Martin’s Lodge No, 2455 as well as Savage Club Lodge No. 2190.)

The original Savage Club invitation letter of 1857, penned by George Augustus Sala

Thursday, eighth October, 1857

Dear Sir,

               The favour of your presence is requested at a meeting of gentlemen connected with literature and the fine arts, and warmly interested in the promotion of knowledge, and the sale of exciseable liquors to be holden at the Crown Tavern, Vinegar Yard, Drury Lane, on Monday the 12th instant at five o'clock p.m. there and then to confer upon the expediency of forming a social society or club, hereafter to receive a suitable designation, and to have its habitat at the Crown Tavern aforesaid.

I am Dear Sir

              yours very faithfully

George: Aug: Sala

               Hon: Sec: pro: tem

Sala was a man very much after Muddock's heart. One of Dickens' staff on Household Days and a talented linguist, he travelled the world and managed to get imprisoned in France as a suspected Prussian spy during the heady days of the Commune in 1870. Sala died in 1895.