What is the Kit-Cat Club?

Kit-Cat Club was London’s political and literary club, active between 1700 and 1720. The four dozen members included leading Whig politicians and London’s best young writers. Among them were Charles Seymour, the sixth duke of Somerset; Sir Robert Walpole; Thomas Pelham-Holles, the duke of Newcastle; William Congreve; Joseph Addison; Sir Richard Steele; and Sir Godfrey Kneller, who did portraits of the members. The club was the centre of opposition during Queen Anne�s Tory ministry (1710-14).