3.1 SPORT AND SOCIETY: Pre Industrial Britain

Question 1

What was life like in pre industrial Britain?

Answer 1

• no means off mechanised transport.
• food and clothes were produced locally.
• Life was like a farmer, relying upon the local community to provide for them.
• education was poor, the rich were catered for leaving the lower class limited.
• Poverty was a large problem, many jobs were seasonal so weren’t available all year round.

Question 2

The 4 C’s?

Answer 2

• cruel
• clear class division
• countryside
• communications

Question 3

Feudal System:

Answer 3

Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around a relationship derived from the holding of land of land in exchange for service of labour.

Question 4

Popular recreations:

Answer 4

The sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain.

Long hours meant activities were occasional, played on festivals and holy days.

Question 5

What were activities like?

Answer 5

• aggressive
• male dominated
• reflected a harsh society
• lots of damage to peoples property
• lots of injuries

Question 6

Socio-cultural factors:

Answer 6

• limited transportation: less people take part, the rich had horses as easier transport.
• illiteracy/uneducated: less opportunity for the poor, could feel embarrassed to play.
• harsh society: more violent so less people would want to play.
• seasonal time/long working hours: less regular so people only get to play in some parts of the year, less people want to play or get to play.
• pre industrial: rural, less equipment. E.g football played with a pigs bladder.
• two tier society: upper class wouldn’t want to be associated with peasants/peasants activities, wouldn’t want to mix.

Question 7

What were the popular recreations in pre industrial Britain?

Answer 7

• mob football
• real tennis
• athletics

Question 8

Mob Football:

Answer 8

Activity reflected the characteristics of popular recreations and sociology-cultural factors evident at the time.

• played by the lower class
• localised due to transport and little communication
• played in fields using natural resources
• only played occasionally on holidays
• male dominated, very violent with little rules due to illiteracy.

Question 9

When was the time period pre-industrial?

Answer 9

Before 1780, showing how sport was a reflection on society in pre-industrial Britain.

Question 10

Haxey Hood:

Answer 10

The vigorous men in the village participated on ‘Old Christmas Day’, January 6 in North Lincolnshire in a game of mob football. The players push a leather tube to 1 of the 4 pubs in the town and whoever does so wins.

Question 11

Real Tennis:

Answer 11

• played in pre industrial Britain but didn’t reflect the popular recreations of the time.
• exclusive activity played by upper class males
• played with a high moral code in a civilised manner with respectful opponents, lacking violence.
• upper class had plenty of leisure time so could play regularly, and could travel so didn’t have to be local.
• skilful game with difficult technical demands showing superiority.

Question 12

Athletics/foot racing:

Answer 12

• footmen (hired servants) competed as messengers by the upper class for speed of movement across open land.
• form of competitive running/ walking in the 17/18 century
• endurance
• racing developed over time, challenge rules: the foot racers compete against one and other in how long it would take them to cover a certain amount of miles
• success meant increased social status so the upper class were happy to act as patrons to the working class performers, by providing prize money.

Question 13

Patron:

Answer 13

A member of the gentry who looked after the lower-class performer, e.g by arranging competitions for them to participate in, putting up prize money and generally looking after whole welfare of the performer.

Question 14

Festival occasions:

Answer 14

Early athletics was also a festival occasion, with individuals organising rural community festivals containing athletics events:
-running 
-hurdles 
-football
Prizes were awarded by the upper class.

Question 15

Characteristics of popular recreations linked to pre- 1780 festivals included:

Answer 15

• rules were simple/unwritten
• they occurred annually
• events were local with people from neighbouring villages joining in with festivals and competitions
• betting occurred, with wagers placed on the outcome of races
• it was set in a rural location.

Question 16

Why were popular recreation activities eventually banned in the 19th century?

Answer 16

• they were violent or untruly in nature
• they led to injury or death in some extreme cases
• they damaged property
• they involved gambling/wagering
• they were linked to alcohol consumption and drunken behaviour.