[f. CLUB sb. + MAN.]
1. A man armed with a club, for fighting or enforcement of order.
1597. Pilgr. Parnass., I. 138. One Carterus a lustie club-man … that defended him.
1676. Lond. Gaz., No. 1152/2. Stockholme Octob. 30 … the King … found it [his Army] to consist in 22000 Men, besides 8000 Boors or Club men.
1868. Milman, St. Paul’s, vii. 167. Two nobles were given by the Archdeacon of London to the club-men (city-police), to keep off the pressure of the mob from the Rectors.
1871. Mateer, Travancore, 254. Six years ago I employed clubmen to guard my paddy while being reaped.
2. Eng. Hist. Bodies of untrained and half-armed countrymen, with bludgeons, and the like, during the Civil War of the 17th c.
These appeared first in Yorkshire (c. 1642–3) on the side of the Parliament: somewhat later (c. 1645) in the south and west, ostensibly as neutrals, seeking only to protect their property from plunder. See Clarendon, bk. IX.
1643. Mercurius Aulicus, 4 April. He found they [Fairfax’s troops, from Seacroft Moor 30th March] were gone back with nine colours and two troopes of horse, besides their club-men (whereof we have such notable romances in the London newes-books).
1645. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., I. 52. Two captains of the Club-men (as they were called) being a great number of the inhabitants of several parts of Wiltshire, and some counties adjacent, who gathered themselves together, alledging they did but stand on their own defence, to prevent Plundering; and that they would in that posture remain Neuters until the King and his Parliament should agree.
1645. Prince Chas., in Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. (1843), 557/1. Seasonably to discountenance, and punish those assemblies of club-men; which would otherwise, in time, prove as dangerous to him, as any other strength of the rebels.
1647. May, Hist. Parl., III. iv. 63. 1000 Musqueteers, with 2000 Clubmen, under the command of Sir William Fairfax [in 1643].
3. A member of a club.
1851. Thackeray, Eng. Hum. (1866), 105. Addison was one of the most resolute club-men of his day.
1859. J. Lang, Wand. India, 21. I find a party of five at the hotel; all club men, and intimate friends of mine.
