History
The History of The Amateur Menagerie Club
The Amateur Menagerie Club was setup in 1910 by Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake (1881-1964) and it continued through the first world war until around 1929-30, when it ended probably due to Tyrwhitt-Drake’s move away from the amateur to the professional as he paved the way to open Maidstone Zoo (1939-1959). Tyrwhitt-Drake was the club’s Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer so without his attention it would have been easy for the club to pale away. The president of the club was the Duchess of Bedford, I suspect this was Louisa Russell but the Duke actually had three wives during the 20 year life of the club.
Tyrwhitt-Drake’s purpose for the club was…‘Encourage the keeping of wild animals, birds, and reptiles by private individuals; to help members when starting with advice as to the purchase of animals, birds and reptiles, and their management; and to enable member to get in touch with other members or persons desirous of selling or exchanging wild animals, birds, and reptiles.’.
The club distributed a ‘Monthly Bulletin’ (an example of which can be found at Chetham Library and digitised here) and a Yearbook (of which a few are in general circulation (I have a 1926/27 copy)).
In 1921 the yearbook cost 3s 4d which would be around £6.50 in 2024.
The April 1915 edition of The Amateur Menagerie Club Monthly Bulletin. Thanks must go to Chetham Library, Manchester.
N.B. There is a sixth, blank page.
Sir Hugh Garrard Tywhitt-Drake was born on the 22nd May 1881 (the year the Natural History Museum opened in London) in Maidstone, Kent, UK. He was an only child and had no known children of his own. He married Edna Mary Vine (1902-1992) in 1925. He was Mayor of Maidstone seven times over five decades and held the office of High Sheriff of Kent on one occasion.
At the age of 18 he spent a year on a cattle ranch in Argentina, on his return, he brought with him his first animal – a puma.
He lived at Cobtree Manor which also accommodated his private zoo or ‘amateur menagerie’ and latterly, Maidstone zoo. The remnants of some animal enclosures and buildings can still be seen today in Cobtree Manor Park.In 1951 he and his wife, Last Edna set up the Cobtree Charitable Trust to manage the estate so that “The grounds and lands of Cobtree Manor, some 300 acres, be used for the benefit of the inhabitants of Maidstone and surrounding neighbourhood in the County of Kent.”.
“…an interesting little collection of articles and photos by members of the organisation… …Mr. H. E. Dennis discusses the Tapiridæ, Dr. J. Dallas Hanna deals with the Alaska Far-seal Herd, Mr. George Jennison tells us how the health of the monkeys at Belle Vue Gardens has been favourably affected by the open-air treatment, and from Evelyn Cheesman , F.E.S. [her brother the discoverer and namesake of Gerbillus cheesmani], we have notes made from her personal observation of fox and badger. It seems strange, however, that from the sixty odd members of the club, presumably all enthusiasts, the editor has not been able to extract more “copy” than he has.” [It seems getting enough content for club publications was a problem back in the 1920s too.]
Councillor Tyrwhitt Drake, the Mayor of Maidstone, is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Amateur Menagerie Club, described as one of the queerest clubs in existence, which has just published an entertaining year book. The Club seeks to encourage the keeping of wild animals by private individuals, and, besides giving assistance in many ways to amateur menagerie keepers, it also puts enthusiasts in touch with one another by means of a pamphlet, issued monthly, for the enumeration animals “wanted” and “for exchange.’. Mr. Drake is an ardent amateur circus-owner and is considered to be the most successful lion-breeder in this country.