{{Short description|Private club in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England}} {{more citations needed|date=October 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use British English|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox organisation | name = Phyllis Court Club | image = Phyllis Court - geograph.org.uk - 6927768.jpg | type = Private members club | location = Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England | origins = | key_people = | region_served = | product = | focus = Club and hotel on the River Thames | method = | revenue = | endowment = | leader_title = Chairman | leader_name = | founded = {{Start date|1906|6|2|df=y}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tomes |first1=Jason |title=Phyllis Court, Club and Manor |date=2012 |publisher=Phyllis Court Members Club Ltd |location=Henley-on-Thames |isbn=9780957322905 |page=14 }}</ref> | founder = Roy Finlay | num_volunteers = | num_employees = | num_members = | subsid = | owner = | website = [https://www.phylliscourt.co.uk/ www.phylliscourt.co.uk] | dissolved = | footnotes = }} '''Phyllis Court''' is a building that currently houses a private members club in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, situated by the River Thames.
The club was founded in 1906 and is located in a Georgian-style building set within its own grounds, close to the town centre. It overlooks the finish line of the Henley Royal Regatta and is also slightly downstream (and on the opposite bank) from Leander Club and upstream of Remenham Club and Upper Thames Rowing Club. There is a rowing club on the river at Phyllis Court, the '''Phyllis Court Rowing Club''', for recreational rowing.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://pccrowing.wixsite.com/henley | title=Phyllis Court Rowing Club | publisher=Wixsite | website=pccrowing.wixsite.com | accessdate=6 April 2020 }}</ref>
==History== The original building on this site dates from 1301.<ref name="history">{{cite web| url=https://www.phylliscourt.co.uk/membership/our-history/ | title=History of Phyllis Court Club | publisher=Phyllis Court Members Club | location=UK | accessdate=6 April 2020 }}</ref> It was the manor house of Henley-on-Thames and was known as ''Fillets Court''. Queen Anne, the consort of King James I, visited the house in 1604. In 1643, troops loyal to Oliver Cromwell built a wall which still edges the garden near the river. The wall was built with the bricks remaining from the old Manor House which was burned by Royalists. {{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
In the mid-17th century, Phillis Court was the home of Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605–1675), parliamentarian and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, who before his death gave it up to his son William Whitelock, later Tory member of parliament for the University of Oxford.<ref>Humphry William Woolrych, ''Eminent Serjeants-at-law of the English bar'' (Vol. 1, 1869), [https://books.google.com/books?id=KCJxo6bH06AC&pg=PA381 p. 381]</ref> In 1689, William of Orange, on his way to London, held his first court here. Sir William Whitelock died at the house in 1717.<ref>John Phillips, ''Titles and honours conferred by His late Majesty King George I. and His present Majesty, in Great-Britain and Ireland'' (1728), [https://books.google.com/books?id=9yQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA115 p. 115]: "Sir William Whitelock of Phillis-Court in the County of Oxon. Knight, Member for the University of Oxford, one of His Majesty's Council at Law, Nov. 22. 1717."</ref> The property later belonged to Edward Cooper, who sold Phillis Court to Sambrooke Freeman, the owner of Fawley Court nearby, in 1768.<ref>Emily J. Climenson (editor), ''[https://archive.org/stream/passagesfromdiar00powyuoft/passagesfromdiar00powyuoft_djvu.txt Passages from the Diaries of Mrs. Philip Lybbe Powys]'', Kessinger Publishing, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-4365-6715-2}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book| first1=Roger | last1=Kendal | first2=Jane | last2=Bowen | first3=Laura | last3=Wortley | title=Genius & Gentility: Henley in the Age of Enlightenment | publisher=River & Rowing Museum | year=2002 | isbn=0-9535571-2-X }}</ref>
The club was founded in 1906. In 1939, the clubhouse was requisitioned by HM Government for the duration of the Second World War. It was first used as a WAAF Officers' mess for the Central Interpretation Unit at RAF Medmenham. Later it housed a top-secret unit making important photographic mosaics and models of the future Allied landing beaches in France and planning many raids including the "Dambusters". The clubhouse ended the war on a more peaceful note being used by the American Red Cross as a rest centre for war-weary airmen.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
On 6 November 1998, Queen Elizabeth II visited the club before travelling upriver by boat to open the River and Rowing Museum.<ref name="queen">{{cite web| url=https://www.phylliscourt.co.uk/content/?contentID=413 | title=HM The Queen at Phyllis Court | publisher=Phyllis Court Members Club | location=UK | accessdate=6 April 2020 }}</ref>
==List of chairmen of the council== The following have been chairmen of the council for Phyllis Court:{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Plainlist| * 1935-1937 - Brigadier General E. S. Hoare Nairne, CB, CMG * 1937-1938 - Sir Gilbert Eliott, Bart. * 1938-1944 - Brigadier General E. S. Hoare Nairne, CB, CMG * 1944-1953 - Commander Robert H. Glen, RNVR * 1953-1955 - Captain H.J. Pullein Thompson, MC * 1955-1958 - H.R.E. Bradshaw * 1958-1961 - J.A. Burrell * 1961-1964 - M.K. Watson * 1964-1967 - G.J. Abraham, OBE * 1967-1970 - Dr W.A. Alexander * 1970-1973 - A.J. Claisse, JP * 1973-1976 - H.P. Rosewarne * 1976-1977 - Group Captain R.E.G. Brittain, MA, RAF (Rtd) * 1977-1978 - W.A. Sivyer * 1978 - Sir Edward Beetham, KCMG, CVO, OBE * 1978-1983 - H. Harly-Burton, TD * 1983-1985 - Mrs Norah Adlam * 1985-1988 - R.R. Willgoss * 1988-1990 - A.J. Dore * 1990-1993 - E.V. Adams, CB * 1993-1995 - J.A. Simmons * 1995-1997 - N.R. Laurie * 1997-1999 - G.R. Hattam * 1999-2001 - S.B. Drew * 2001-2003 - P.T. Williamson * 2003-2004 - A.F.M. Friendship * 2004 - A.D. Robson * 2004-2007 - T.R.G. Johansen * 2007-2009 - D.A.E. Melck (Deon Adrian Melck) * 2009-2012 - F.G. Fielding * 2012-2015 - J.B. Hardman * 2015-2018 - Patricia Christmas * 2018-2019 - Barry Jackson * 2019-2022 - Stan Ainsley * 2022-Present - Barry Jackson (2nd Term)
}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.phylliscourt.co.uk/ Phyllis Court Club website]
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1301<!-- as a building --> Category:1906 establishments in England<!-- as a club --> Category:Organizations established in 1906 Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1837 Category:Clubs and societies in Oxfordshire Category:Country houses in Oxfordshire Category:Buildings and structures on the River Thames Category:Gentlemen's clubs in England Category:Henley Royal Regatta Category:Henley-on-Thames