Pre-industrial Britain

Question 1

What was the two classes at the time?

Answer 1

Upper and lower class

Question 2

What were the 4 C’s of Pre-Industrial Britain?

Answer 2

Cruel, clear class division, countryside and communications

Question 3

What was life like for the lower class in Pre-Industrial Britain?

Answer 3

• Widespread illiteracy, lower class were uneducated with little ability to read or write.
• Most people lived in the countryside / rural areas.
• Class division clearly existed based on the feudal system.
• Communications and transport was limited.
• There was limited free time as work was based on land and their free time was dedicated to agricultural seasons.
• Working conditions were very harsh.
• Living conditions were very poor and dirty.
• Lots of agriculture (farming)

Question 4

Define the Feudal System?

Answer 4

It was a way of structuring society around a relationship derived from the holding of land in exchange for service of labour.

Question 5

Define Popular Recreations?

Answer 5

The sport and pastimes of people in Pre-Industrial Britain.

Question 6

How often did people do popular recreations?

Answer 6

Long hours of work for the lower class meant popular recreation activities were occasional and therefore restricted to annual events when the agricultural calendar allowed their participation (e.g festivals or holy days like Shrove Tuesday).

Question 7

What were activities like in Pre-Industrial Britain?

Answer 7

• Activities were aggressive
• Male dominated
• Reflected a harsh society
• Lots of injuries
• Lots of Damage to Property

Question 8

Name socio-cultural factors in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 8

• Limited transport/communications
• Illiteracy/uneducated
• Harsh society
• Seasonal time/long working hours
• Pre industrial/ pre urban revolutions
• Two tier society/feudal system

Question 9

Name popular recreational characteristics that reflected socio cultural factors?

Answer 9

• Sport was localised
• Limited organisation/simple rules/uncodified
• Sports were violent/highly aggressive
• Occasional/part of a festival occasion
• Rural/natural/simple
• Gentry/upper class activities were clearly separated from lower class/peasant activities.

Question 10

Define Mob Football?

Answer 10

Mob football is an example of an activity played in pre industrial Britain which very much reflected the characteristics of popular recreations and socio-cultural factors evident at the time.

Question 11

Who was mob football played by?

Answer 11

Lower class in society, reflecting the clear division of society into two tiers.

Question 12

Where was mob football played?

Answer 12

It was localised form of activity, due to limited transport being available as well as very little development in the way of communications such as newspapers.

Question 13

How was mob football played?

Answer 13

It was played by the lower class in the fields using natural resources available to them (e.g pigs bladders instead of leather footballs).

Question 14

When was mob football played?

Answer 14

Long working hours meant that the lower class only played mob football occasionally, e.g. holy days (shrove Tuesday).

Question 15

What was mob football like?

Answer 15

It was male dominated and very violent and often unruly in nature, which reflected conditions in society. Illiteracy was widespread in the lower class so there was very little in the way of rules and regulations.

Question 16

Name ways in which the game of Haxey Hood reflects the characteristics of pre industrial Britain?

Answer 16

• Male dominated/played by younger men
• Annual/occasional/irregular
• Localised/played in villages/rural location
• Violent
• Large numbers took part/few rules

Question 17

Define Real Tennis?

Answer 17

Real tennis also called ‘Royal Tennis’ or ‘The Sport of Kings’ was another activity played in pre-industrial Britain, but it did not reflect the typical popular recreations characteristics of many activities of the time.

Question 18

Who played real tennis?

Answer 18

It was an exclusive activity, played by the upper class males of society. Henry VIII had a real tennis court at Hampton court.

Question 19

How was real tennis played?

Answer 19

It was played to a high moral code so it lacked violence and was instead played in a civilised manner, with opponents mutually respectful of one another.

Question 20

When was real tennis played?

Answer 20

With plenty of leisure time the upper class were able to play real tennis on a regular basis in expensive, purpose built facilities using expensive specialist equipment.

Question 21

Where was real tennis played?

Answer 21

The upper class had the ability to travel to play real tennis so it was non-local in nature.

Question 22

What was real tennis like?

Answer 22

It was a skilful game with difficult technical demands, which enabled the upper class to show their ‘Superiority over the lower class’.

Question 23

Define Athletics (foot racing)?

Answer 23

Athletics in Pre-industrial Britain took the form of an activity known as FOOT RACING. It was a form of competitive running/walking in the 17/18 century involving feats of endurance.

Question 24

Who took part in Athletics (foot racing)?

Answer 24

Footmen (i.e hired servants) competed as messengers for the upper class for their speed of movement across open land.

Question 25

What was athletics (foot racing) like?

Answer 25

A form of competitive running/walking in the 17/18 century involving feats of endurance. As time went on racing developed with some ‘challenge rules’. The foot racers/pedestrians were allowed to compete against one another, with a wagering on how many miles they could cover in a specified time period.

Question 26

What impact would Success in Athletics (foot racing) have for the upper class and the performer?

Answer 26

Success in athletics meant increased social status for a ‘gentleman’ so the upper class were very happy to act as patrons to the working class performers.

Question 27

Define a Patron?

Answer 27

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 the welfare of the performer.

Question 28

Explain Festival Occasions?

Answer 28

Early athletics in Pre-industrial Britain also took the form of a ‘festival occasion’, with individuals organising rural, community festivals containing ‘athletic events, Including running, hurdles and football.
- Prizes were awarded by the upper class patrons for successful participants who were mainly from the lower class.

Question 29

Name characteristics of popular recreation linked to pre-1780 festivals?

Answer 29

• It was set in a rural location.
• Rules were simple/unwritten.
• They occurred annually. i.e once a year.
• Betting occurred, with wagers placed on the outcome of races, etc.
• Events were local with people from neighbouring villages joining in with festivities and competitions.

Question 30

WHY WERE POPULAR RECREATION ACTIVITIES EVENTUALLY BANNED IN THE 19TH CENTURY?

Answer 30

• They were violent or unruly in nature.
• They led to damage of property.
• They led to injury or death in some extreme cases.
• They involved gambling/wagering.
• They were linked to alcohol consumption/drunken behaviour.