Established in 1611, the Boar’s Head is on the vielle rue du Temple, a short distance from the Place Royale. The founders, a group of Parisian merchants, acquired the assets of a defunct gentlemen’s club, the Pike-Staff, located near the Place de Grève and moved them to the new location in the more upscale Marais.

The club is modestly appointed, featuring a hunting theme marked by arms and trophies displayed on the walls. The food and drink selection is serviceable and both coffee and tobacco are available in the club. The club provides a number of gambling tables with a house limit of 100 £; informal gaming among the members is common as well, with limits determined by the players. Brazen strumpets provide feminie company to the members, under the watchful eye of an aged madam employed by the governors of the club.

The members of the Boar’s Head include merchants, master craftsmen, moneylenders, minor officials of the royal bureaucracy, and military officers. Catholics and Huguenots mingle without regard for confessional ties. Members may wear a small badge featuring a boar’s head on their doublets or cloaks.

The governors of the Boar’s Head include three chefs du club, two treasurers, two secretaries, and a score of managers. Dues are a mere 10 £ annually.