The British Ornithologists' Club (BOC) was founded in 1892 by a group of British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) members who wished to meet to discuss matters ornithological more frequently than the existing BOU annual meeting. This paper overviews the process leading up to the inaugural BOC meeting, the backgrounds of the 15 founder members who attended it and how the BOC developed over its first season (October 1892–June 1893). As such, it will provide the background for more detailed information on each of the founders that is planned to appear subsequently as a series of blogs on the BOC website.