Duelling at the Hurlingham

As the Epée Club celebrates its 125 years we take this opportunity to look back at our association with The Hurlingham Club, which in turn is celebrating their own 150 years of polo. The following article by Epée Club Vice President Lawrence Burr OBE looks back at our history with the Hurlingham Club. An edited version of this article will appear on The Hurlingham Club website in due course.

In front of the house

Duelling at the Hurlingham.

Sport is at the very heart of the Hurlingham and over the many years, it’s gardens and buildings have been witness to polo, cricket, tennis, croquet, pigeon shooting and - more surprisingly - fencing.

During the summer months members, strolling around the Rose Garden or in front of the Orangerie on fete days, will have heard the clash of steel on steel and seen figures in white duelling in the sunshine. These are all members of the Epée Club of Great Britain – an exclusive invitation only club consisting of épée fencers who have all competed for their country at both Olympic and International level. But why are they here at the Hurlingham, you may ask?

To answer that question you must delve back over 150 years into the history not only of the Hurlingham and the Ranelagh Clubs but also that of British Fencing.

Epée fencing, with its roots deep in the traditions of European swordplay, had flourished on the Continent in the latter part of the nineteenth century but had not yet crossed the Channel until the 1890s when a number of Hurlingham Club members - Captain Alfred Hutton, Newton Robinson and Egerton Castle - who had studied a new kind of fencing in Paris, decided to give an exhibition of “Modern duelling” with the” French Swords”  at the Hurlingham and the Ranelagh Clubs. These attracted crowds of up to 1000 spectators according to the London Illustrated News at the time. Up until that time, fencing was principally taught with the lightweight foil or the military sabre and confined to indoor fencing salles.

1906 Epee Club tournament Amphlett fleches at Montgomerie

By 1900, the idea that the use of the new French Sword - the épée - could become a sport and able to provide British gentlemen competitors for tournaments abroad, soon took hold and encouraged the first exhibition display of épée fencing to be held in London at the Steinway Hall on 4th May 1900. The celebrated French master, Anthime Spinnewyn, brought a number of his pupils from Paris for this purpose. The following day, a match was held at the Inns of Court School of Arms with several English amateurs. A few weeks later, 12th June 1900, a dinner was held at the Savile Club in Piccadilly attended by numerous gentlemen interested in the promotion of the épée de combat - and so, the Epée Club was born! A celebration dinner to relive that occasion was held in June 2025.

1901 GB v France Gournay v Balfour

From the very start, the club’s continuing emphasis on etiquette and classical technique fostered a spirit of sportsmanship amongst its members with the Hurlingham Club playing a significant role in hosting the early fencing tournaments. There was an interesting corollary to these competitions in that there were differing views within Europe about how the “hit” on the opponent should be registered. This had led to a number of differing weapon points being trialled ranging from a button soaked in dye to a more effective “triple point” affixed to the end by twine. All of these were trialled by the Epée Club at the Hurlingham and their effectiveness reported upon and minuted for agreement by the European Fencing Federation. In the end, the triple point was chosen and became the European standard, until the introduction of the Electric épée in the 1950s and still used today.

Fencing continued to be a regular Hurlingham event and even billed alongside polo and musical entertainments. Minutes show, for instance, a fencing competition in June 1925 “by the No 7 Croquet Lawn with music by the Hurlingham Orchestra” and the following year with fencing by the “South end of the Lake”  The Club was always very conscious of its reputation and so it is interesting to note a directive in the 1927 Minutes of the Epée Club to ensure “the due observance of sartorial standards is a test by which the propriety of the Club is assessed by a discerning public.” A point which the Club maintains to this day.

Over the years, Club members donated trophies to enhance the outcome of a day’s fencing in the grounds, and continues today in competing for 8 such magnificent cups, all engraved with the history of winners. They even presented the Hurlingham Polo Team with a Cup to affirm the bond of friendship between the two clubs.

At the same time, the Ranelagh Club was also providing some indoor fencing rooms which became famous for its high ceilings, natural light, and stately ambiance in order to attract fencers of all disciplines. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, the Ranelagh hosted numerous invitationals and inter-club challenges in épée, thereby fostering a healthy rivalry with the Hurlingham and contributing to a culture of competitive innovation. The club’s strong links with the military, and its openness to progressive fencing techniques from Europe, helped keep its approach to épée modern and rigorous.

Between the wars, the Epée Club continued to cultivate the sport, inviting both amateurs and professionals to become members. It became customary for the country’s best épéeists, as well as visiting continental fencers, to test their mettle in the grounds of the Hurlingham and the Ranelagh. The club’s archives record regular matches and exhibitions, and its members often included Olympic hopefuls and national champions.

The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 brought significant disruption to British fencing. Many members of the three clubs were called to serve in the armed forces, and the clubs’ grounds were often requisitioned or otherwise affected by the war effort.

Yet the spirit of épée fencing endured. The camaraderie fostered in prewar years helped keep the community together, and fencing continued in makeshift venues—church halls, school gyms, and private homes. The Epée Club was especially active in supporting its members, providing news bulletins and encouraging correspondence between fencers separated by war.

Inns of Court 2017

Fencing resumed at the Hurlingham in 1948 with a dinner and a competition with Epée Club members being given membership for each day of fencing. Events were held on the terrace of the Rose Garden with the Hurlingham Committee encouraging invitations to the Combined Services, Oxbridge Universities and international contestants, all of which attracted crowds of spectators. By so doing, the Hurlingham Club and the Epée Club continued to help shape the trajectory of British épée fencing both at home and abroad. Through a mixture of tradition, rivalry, openness, and innovation, they have nurtured champions, enriched the social fabric of fencing, and maintained strong links with the international fencing world. Epée fencing worldwide has developed exponentially and is now open to all genders and disabilities and is one of the few Olympic sports that has featured in every Olympic Games since their inception.

Today, the Epée Club has an influence which extends beyond mere competitions. Through the auspices of the Epée Club Charitable Fund, it helps support British épée fencers on their pathway to podium success on the world stage. Their summer poules at the Hurlingham Club - still fought in the open as originally intended 125 years ago - provide spaces for mentorship, learning, and the forging of lifelong friendships. They even provide training for families of Hurlingham members who may one day become champions!

The Hurlingham can be rightly proud of its sporting heritage in that it is not only celebrating 150 years of the introduction of polo but also 125 years of helping to establish the Olympic sport of épée fencing in this country. A testament to what happens when passion, tradition, and vision combine in pursuit of excellence. The Epée club is looking forward to the next 125 years alongside the Hurlingham which might even see fencers of the future wielding light sabres in the gardens!

Coaching at Hurlingham

As a follow up, I researched the fencers in the photo and sent the following to the Hurlingham Archivist:

“I agree that there are wonderful photos of this time and this is no exception. The two fencers were members of the GB and French teams who had been competing in the first Open International Tournament on the 17 June 1901. The Tournament had been organised by the Epee Club which, by then,  had been in existence for one year and were wishing to popularise the use of epee in this country. There were 36 entrants which included a strong contingent from Paris (the 1900 Summer Olympics had been held in Paris the previous year and many of the French team members were keen to continue their medal achievements over here!). Fencing was held at the Gray’s Inn Gardens in front of a large crowd.

The following Saturday (22 June) , the President of the Epee Club (Sir Edward Jenkinson)  invited members of the French team to fence in a friendly with them at the Hurlingham Club. Over 1000 spectators attended according to Press reports!

The fencers in the photograph are: on the left, Monsieur Gournay (French Chef d’Equipe?) and on the right, Henry Balfour. Balfour was one of the original founding members of the Club having taken up fencing at Oxford in the 1880s. He became curator of the Pitt – Rivers Museum in Oxford for 46 years and was an internationally renowned archaeologist. He would have been a member of the Hurlingham Club as well.  The photo was obviously posed and probably used for the newspapers both in London and Paris. Their clothing was very much that worn by all fencers at the time. The white jacket was to aid the judges in awarding hits. The judges always wore top hats to distinguish them from the fencers! Fencing was always held outdoors and usually on a gravel path. As a matter of interest, it was the introduction of the electric epee at the Hurlingham poules in 1950, when it was found that gravel clogged the sprung point contacts on the end of the swords, that the Hurlingham offered to provide a wooden raised piste for all the competitions! [This only ceased last year when the refurbishment of the Club could not find room to store the wooden piste!] “