Castilian Club was an American women's

study Study or studies may refer to: General * Education **Higher education * Clinical trial * Experiment * Field of study * Observational study * Scientific study * Research * Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning Other * Study ...

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises * ...

. It was founded in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, February 8, 1888, by Abba Goold Woolson after a visit to Spain. Sibylla Bailey Crane was a co-founder. According to the Certificates of Corporations Organized Under the General Laws of Massachusetts, the legal date of organization was April 6, 1898 while April 27, 1898 was the date of charter.

History

The club numbered thirteen at the outset and flourished thereafter, being regarded as one of the most desirable clubs of Boston. Its limited membership of 125 was always full. Men were allowed to sit on the Board of Directors, and there were always a few in the membership; still, it was essentially a woman's club and so considered. The object, as stated in the constitution, was "to acquire knowledge concerning Spain -- its geography, history, literature, language, arts, and social conditions." Meetings were held on alternate Wednesdays. In 1888, the subject of study was the reign of

Philip III of Spain Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the S ...

, with papers to occupy three-quarters of an hour by members only.

The club owed much of its success to its first president, Woolson, who was devoted to its interests. The annual meeting was held the first Wednesday in February. The club celebrated Queen Isabella's birthday, April 22d, by a ' Spanish dinner". The Castilian Club was not a member of any federation. Other women's study clubs of the era included the Ruskin Art Club of

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, the Mustard Seed of

Brunswick, Maine Brunswick is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Brunswick is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part o ...

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

course), and Over-the-Teacups of

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(literary and social club).

Notable people

Adelaide Avery Claflin Adelaide Avery Claflin (July 28, 1846 – May 31, 1931) was an American woman suffragist and ordained minister. She became an ordained Unitarian minister at Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1897. She preached in Connecticut, Canada and the West. She ...

* Sibylla Bailey Crane *

Julia Knowlton Dyer Julia Knowlton Dyer (, Knowlton; better known as, Mrs. Micah Dyer, Jr.; August 25, 1829 – June 27, 1907) was an American philanthropist of the long nineteenth century. She was associated for over 40 years with nearly every large philanthropic ...

Rebecca Richardson Joslin Rebecca Richardson Joslin (March 20, 1846 – August 30, 1934) was an American writer, lecturer, benefactor, and clubwoman. Joslin's education and affiliations were centered in Boston, Massachusetts. She published one book and many essays, lect ...

Martha Perry Lowe Martha Perry Lowe (, Perry; November 21, 1829 - May 6, 1902) was an American writer of poetry and prose, as well as a social activist and organizer. She supported women's rights, temperance movement, temperance, education, and Unitarianism, Unita ...

Cora Stuart Wheeler Cora Stuart Wheeler (pen name, Trebor Ohl; September 6, 1852 – March 10, 1897) was a 19th-century American poet and author. She was one of the most successful short-story writers of the day. It was during the civil war, as a girl in her father' ...

* Abba Goold Woolson

References

External links

Castilian Club, Boston
at

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...

Archives & Special Collections {{authority control Clubs and societies in Boston 1888 establishments in Massachusetts Women's organizations based in the United States Adult education in the United States Women's clubs in the United States