The Beggar's Benison
Encyclopedia
The Most Ancient and Most Puissant Order of the Beggar's Benison and Merryland, Anstruther, better known simply as The Beggar's Benison, was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 gentlemen's club devoted to "the convivial celebration of male sexuality". It was founded in 1732 in the town of Anstruther
Anstruther
Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two halves of Anstruther are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews. It is the largest community on the stretch of north-shore coastline of the Firth of Forth known as the East Neuk,...

 on the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...

 and is often mentioned in descriptions of the libertine culture of 18th century Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

.

Name

The full title of the club is "The Most Ancient and Most Puissant Order of the Beggar's Benison and Merryland, Anstruther", where the word 'Merryland
Merryland
The Merryland books were a somewhat peculiar genre of English 17th and 18th century erotic fiction in which the female body was described in terms of a topographical metaphor derived from a pun on Maryland. Four of the titles were published by 18th century controversialist Edmund Curll The...

' is a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...

 for the female body - used often in contemporary erotic literature
Erotic literature
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of human sexual relationships which have the power to or are intended to arouse the reader sexually. Such erotica takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and sex manuals...

. The word 'benison' means 'blessing' and, according to the founders, the club's name came from a story about King James V, "The Gude-man of Ballangeich", who:
"in the disguise of a bagpiper
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...

, was journeying to the East Neuk
East Neuk
The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is an area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which is geographically ill-defined but nonetheless stirs local passions....

 of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...

. Failing to cross the Dreel Burn, in spate, a buxom gaberlunzie lass came to the rescue, tucked up her petticoat
Petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist ....

s, and elevated her Sovereign across her hurdies to the opposite bank. Enamoured with the high favour, his Majesty in return gave the damsel her fairin for which "the gude-man" got her "benison"!"
The woman blessed him with the words "May your purse ne'er be toom [empty] and your horn aye [always] in bloom". The club's motto thus became, "May prick nor purse ne'er fail you".

Activity

The club was formed in 1732 but only formally established in 1739. It existed until 1836. The club's members, drawn from the upper classes of society, dined and drank together, exchanging obscene songs and toasts. Much of their discussion revolved around sex and there were often lectures on sex and anatomy. The club had a stock of pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

 and there were also sometimes naked "posture girls" for the members to look at. They also are thought to have indulged in rituals of collective masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...

, which formed part of the initiation ceremony.

During the initiation ceremony, a new member was "prepared" by the Recorder and two helpers in

"a closet, by causing him to propel his Penis until full erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...

. When thus ready he was escorted with four puffs of the Breath-Horn before the Brethren or Knighthood, and was ordered by the Sovereign to place his Genitals upon the Testing Platter, which was covered with a folded white napkin. The Members and Knights two and two came round in a state of erection and touched the Novice Penis to Penis. Thereafter the special Glass, with the Society's Insignia thereon and Medal attached, was filled with Port Wine, when the new Brother's health was heartily and humorously drunk, he was told to select an amorous Passage from the Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon
The Song of Songs of Solomon, commonly referred to as Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible—one of the megillot —found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim...

 and to read it aloud."

A sample entry from the club's records shows a typical meeting:

"1737. St. Andrew's Day. 24 met, 3 tested and enrolled. All frigged. The Dr. expatiated. Two nymphs [young girls], 18 and 19, exhibited as heretofore. Rules were submitted by Mr. Lumsdaine for future adoption. Fanny Hill
Fanny Hill
Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is an erotic novel by John Cleland first published in England in 1748...

 was read. Tempest. Broke up at 3 o'clock a.m."


The club opened a chapter in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 in 1766. A newspaper advert from 1773 has also been identified, advertising a meeting in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. A chapter was even mooted for St Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, but it is unknown if it actually met.

Notable members

The club's founding members included some of the most influential people in the area surrounding Anstruther, including
  • Lord Newark (grandson of David Leslie, Lord Newark)
  • Sir Charles Erskine of Cambo, 3rd Baronet, and Thomas and John Erskine who were probably his younger brothers
  • Robert Hamilton of Kilbrackmont, a local landowner who died in poverty
  • James Grahame, baillie of Anstruther Easter
  • William Ayton or Aytoun of Kinaldy, landowner
  • John McNachtane, customs officer, nominal chief of the dispersed Highland clan, and cousin to the 2nd earl of Breadalbane, was the club's sovereign for nearly 30 years.


Later members included:
  • David Erskine
    David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan
    David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan , styled Lord Cardross between 1747 and 1767, was a notable Scottish eccentric.-Background and education:...

    , Lord Cardross and later the 2nd earl of Buchan, and founder of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
    Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
    The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body in Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh...

  • William Cummying, first secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Lyon Clerk depute
  • Hugh Cleghorn
    Hugh Cleghorn (Ceylon)
    Sir Hugh Cleghorn was the first colonial secretary to Ceylon. He was key in the takeover of Ceylon from Dutch control to the British Empire. In 1795 Cleghorn used his friendship with Comte Charles-Daniel de Meuron who was in charge of a Swiss Regiment, Regiment de Meuron, that controlled Ceylon...

    , professor of civil history at the University of St Andrews
    University of St Andrews
    The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...

     and first colonial secretary to Ceylon
  • Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie
    Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie
    Thomas Alexander Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie , styled Viscount Fentoun and Lord Pittenweem until 1756, was a British musician and composer whose considerable talent brought him international fame and his rakish habits notoriety, but nowadays is little known...

    , musician
  • Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie
    Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie
    Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie was a Scottish merchant, landowner and politician who for many years lived in the Swedish port city of Gothenburg...

    , merchant and British consul in Gothenburg, became the club's sovereign in 1820.


Amongst honorary members was the balloonist Vincenzo Lunardi
Vincenzo Lunardi
Vicenzo Lunardi was born in Lucca, Italy. His family were of minor Neapolitan nobility, and his father had married late in life. Vicenzo was one of three children...

.

Legacy

The club was dissolved in 1836; some of its papers and relics were retained by one of the last members, Matthew Foster Connolly, burgh clerk of Anstruther Easter and Wester, who left them to his son-in-law the Reverend Dr J.F.S. Gordon. The remaining club money was bequeathed to fund prizes for girls at school in East Anstruther. In 1892 an unknown author published Records of the Most Ancient and Puissant Order of the Beggar's Benison and Merryland, Anstruther with photographs of many of the relics. This work was reprinted in 1982 in the Gems of British Social History Series. There was an attempt by army officer Maxwell Robert Canch Kavanagh to revive the club in 1921. Most of the relics of the club, including objects with phallic decorations, are now held in the Beggar's Benison and Wig Club collection of the University of St Andrews. In 2002 David Stevenson, emeritus professor of history at the University of St Andrews, published a scholarly book on the Beggar's Benison.
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