CHATHAM BOOK SOCIETY

A facsimile of a letter convening the Inaugural Meeting of the Society

"The Dover Castle"

Chatham

29th September 1883


Dear Sir,

I beg to inform you that at a meeting held at the above house on the 13th inst., It was decided that a Book Society be formed consisting of 30 Members, and a committee was approved to draw up rules and make other arrangements.

This the Committee have done and the first meeting of the Society will be held at the Dover Castle on Thursday the 4th October at eight o'clock when the rules will be submitted and at which meeting your presence is requested.  I have a list of 30 names of which yours is one and if you are unable to attend I shall be glad to hear from you on or before that date whether or not you wish it to be retained, as there are other Gentlemen waiting to join.

I am dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
C.P. Hackett
Secretary.
Chatham Book Society

This is how it all started.  Thirty gentlemen attending this meeting at The Dover Castle Public House in Globe Lane Chatham, Kent. Unfortunately, this establishment and indeed Globe Lane itself no longer exists due to changing road layouts.  As you shall see later, 'The Dover Castle' played a significant role in the history of Chatham Book Society.


The original letter: 

1883 Inaugral meeting