Pre-industrial Britain

Question 1

What does the feudal system mean?

Answer 1

A method of structuring society based on a person’a role

E.g. king or labourers

Question 2

What does popular recreation mean?

Answer 2

Sports and past-times in pre industrial Britain

Question 3

What were activities in pre- industrial Britain like ?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What was pre-industrial Britain life like?

Answer 4

• low illiteracy
• no transport and weak communications
• limited free time
• violent existences
• class divisions
• people lives in rural areas

Question 5

How did limited transport and communications reflect on sport?

Answer 5

Less people could participate and sports were specific to communities

Question 6

How did wide illiteracy and people being uneducated effect sport?

Answer 6

Basic sport rules and limited organisation. There was less opportunity for the poor to take part as they may feel embarrassed to play

Question 7

How did society being harsh effect sport?

Answer 7

More violent, meaning less people would want to play

Question 8

How did season times and working hours effect sport?

Answer 8

Sport was played only occasionally and people were too tired to take part after long days of exhaustion

Question 9

How did the feudal system effect sport?

Answer 9

Upper class wouldn’t want to be associated with lower class. Sports were very specific to each class

Question 10

How did it being the pre industrial era effect sport?

Answer 10

Limited equipment

E.g. football was played with a pigs brain

Question 11

What are the four c’s

Answer 11

Cruel
Clear class division
Communication
Countryside

Question 12

Explain what happened in mob foot ball

Answer 12

Played by lower classes 
Ball was a pigs bladder 
Not many rules 
Any amount of people can play 
Played in any rural area

Question 13

Who played real tennis?

Answer 13

The upper class

Question 14

What was the game of real tennis like?

Answer 14

A skilful game
Many rules and regulations
Players respected eachother
Civilised manner

Question 15

When was real tennis played?

Answer 15

Upper class had plenty of leisure time so it was played regularly

Question 16

Where was real tennis played ?

Answer 16

In purpose built enclosed courts 
It wasn’t a local sport because the upper class could travel places to play

Question 17

What was athletics (foot racing)?

Answer 17

When messengers for the upper class walked across miles of land to give a message to someone. It developed into a race where the upper class would wager over how many miles a person could walk in a period of time. It tested the endurance of the messengers.

Question 18

What is a patron?

Athletics

Answer 18

Member of gentry who looked after the lower class. E.g by arranging competitions, putting up prize money and generally looking after the welfare of the performer

Question 19

Characteristics of pre industrial popular recreations

Answer 19

• rules were simple/unwritten
• they occurred annually (yearly)
• set in a rural location
• betting occurred, with wagers placed on the outcome of the races
• events were local
• neighbouring towns joined in with festive competitions

Question 20

Why was popular recreation eventually banned?

Answer 20

• violent and unruly natured
• led to injury or death
• led to damage of property
• involved gambling/wagering (church)
• drunken behaviour and alcohol consumption