218 West Muhammad Ali Blvd. Louisville, Kentucky 40202502.584.4311
The Pendennis Club of Louisville
  • Home
  • About the Club
    • History
  • Food and Drink
    • Chef Gerhardt
    • Henry Bain’s Famous Sauce
  • Events
  • Squash and Fitness
  • Contact
  • Menu
502.584.4311

The Club’s Heraldic Crest and Motto

The Club borrowed its crest and motto from John Pendennis, the Major and Pen. John, in his rise up the social ladder, first “had a gig with a man to drive him” but later on “his poor old mother had the happiness of seeing him from her bedroom window, to which her chair was rolled, her beloved John step into a close carriage of his own, a one-horse carriage, it is true, but with the arms of the family of Pendennis handsomely emblazoned on the panels.”
nec-tenui-penna
Major Arthur Pendennis, we are told, wore an elegant ring also “emblazoned with the famous arms of Pendennis.”

And when John died and was buried in the abbey church of Clavering St. Mary’s, “a fair marble slab” was erected over his pew.

“On it you may see the Pendennis coat of arms and crest, an eagle looking toward the sun, with the motto ‘NEC TENUI PENNA,’ to the present day.”

The motto means, literally, “nor on weak wing” and has given rise to the oral tradition that it means that the members of the Club are high flyers. A more scholarly tradition identifies it as a fragment from an ode by the Latin poet Horace, the first two lines of which translate:

“On neither weak nor vulgar wing shall I be borne through liquid air.”

One can conclude that the two traditions converge, with the former having an ounce or two of truth.

Food and Drink

food

Our membership enjoys experiences ranging from relaxed time in the Grill to formal dining in the Main Dining Room. For special occasions we proudly offer the Grand Ballroom or one of our nine private dining rooms.

read-more

Banquets

banquets

If you require an intimate dinner or a grand affair for 500, The Pendennis stands ready to accommodate your event. And for the first Saturday in May, all bets are on that everyone will have the most enjoyable time at the club.

read-more

Squash and Fitness

squash-main

The club offers two squash courts, fitness equipment and weights, steam, sauna, massage by appointment as well as athletic area dining.

read-more

  • Home
  • About the Club
  • Members Pay online here
  • Food and Drink
  • Events
  • Contact

FinD Us

218 West Muhammad Ali Blvd.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
502.584.4311
©2023 pendennis club. All Rights Reserved. Website by Honeywick.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Scroll to top