Popular recreation

From Pre-Industrial Britain to

Industrialisation

Pre-industrial Post-Industrial

Eighteenth Century Nineteenth Century Twentieth Century

Popular Recreation

1700 1800 1900 2000

Characteristics of Society• A pre-industrial rural society

– People lived in small villages before machinery and factories were common

• For the lower classes lifestyle was mainly subsistence based– They lived off the land– They relied on good harvests to make enough crops

to trade– They had to work very hard (72 hours + a week), so

didn’t have a lot of time for leisure and sport. – There was no opportunity to travel, as they needed

to stay with their land. – It was only on market days or at fairs, there was the

opportunity for leisure pursuits. – The upper classes could travel and had more time

– They were able to hunt on their own and neighbouring estates, and go to the coast to sail

• Cock-fighting (above) and Bear baiting (below) in the 17th Century

Rural sports

The Church

o In Tudor times (1485-1603) mob games, feasting and partying flourished. Centred around local festivals and fairs

o Henry VIII split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1535 (The reformation)• Didn’t want to

change the religious or sporting habits of the nation

o From 1603o A puritanical element

came througho They hated the swearing,

drinking and fighting that were part of sport and recreation.

o They started to take control, limiting the leisure pursuits of both classes

• Influences the development of sport throughout its history.

A puritan family

The 18th Century Peasant

• Life was tough• Sport reflects society, so the sport was tough• Eg: Bear baiting

• Cockfighting or Ratting

Drinking Houses

• In the 18th century, these were central to village life• Acted as the host for all sorts of sporting and leisure

activities• Bear and badger baiting, dog fighting and prize fighting. • Billiards, Quoits and skittles

• Landlord = Profit• Promoter• Provided prize money• bookmaker

Country pursuits• Hunting, coursing, fishing grew from functional origins

o Eg Search for food• Status symbol for wealthy landowner

• Game Laws (1671)o Only Highest social

groups have right to hunt

o Lower classes broke game laws by poaching• Jail and a public

whipping

Militaristic combat

• Archery, Fencing and sparring - Functionalo Need to defend and attacko Only when guns removed this functional role did they

develop into competitive recreational sports