Pre-industrial sport

Question 1

What are the factors that shaped sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 1

1. Social class
2. Gender
3. Law and order
4. Education and literacy
5. Availability of time
6. Availability of money
7. Availability of transport.

Question 2

How did social class shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 2

1. Upper class performed in sophisticated activities with complex rules requiring money to participate
   E.g. real tennis and fox hunting
2. Upper class acted as patrons of lower-class competitors
   E.g. as pedestrianism
3. Upper class played as ‘gentlemen’ amateurs
   E.g. cricket
4. Lower class performed in simple, often violent activities
   E.g. mob football
5. Lower class performed as competitors
   E.g. pedestrianism
6. Lower class performed as professionals
   E.g. Cricket.

Question 3

How did gender shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 3

1. Upper and lower class women participated in different activities to men
2. Upper and lower class women were seen as the ‘weaker’ sex
3. Upper and lower class women could not participate in ‘strenuous’ and ‘dangerous’ activities
4. Upper class women could take part in archery
5. Lower class women could participate in ‘smock races’.

Question 4

How did law and order shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 4

1. There was little influence of law and order in upper and lower class sport
2. Lower class sport reflected lack of order and animal cruelty
   E.g. bare-knuckle fighting or animal baiting
3. Lower class sport had few rules, showing lack of law and order
   E.g. mob football.

Question 5

How did education and literacy shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 5

1. Upper class was educated and literate
2. Upper class could read and write and understand written rules of sophisticated activities:
   E.g. real tennis
3. Lower classes were uneducated and illiterate
4. Lower classes would understand simple actives with few rules
   E.g. mob football.

Question 6

How did availability of time shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 6

1. Upper class had more time and could be involved in longer lasting activities
E.g. fox hunting

2. Lower class worked long, exhausting hours, so had little time or energy for physical activities

Question 7

How did availability of money shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 7

1. Upper class had more money and therefore more opportunities to be involved in physical activity of their choice
2. Upper class could afford horses, clothing and equipment
   E.g. hunting, real tennis
3. Upper class had access to specialist facilities
   E.g. real tennis courts
4. Lower class had no spare money to spend on physical activities.

Question 8

How did availability of transport shape sports in pre-industrial Britain?

Answer 8

1. Upper and lower class performed in local activities, as transport was generally horse and cart or walking
2. Upper class had more opportunity to travel further by horse and carriage.
3. Upper class could sometimes build the facility within the grounds of their stately homes
   E.g. real tennis courts
4. Lower class were prevented from leaving their villages as roads were in a poor state, which influenced the simple, local and unwritten rules, varying from village to village.