Pre-Industrial Britain: Popular Recreation (pre-
1780)
Popular Recreation = the sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain
Feudal System = a way of structuring society arounds relationships derived from the holding of land
in exchange for service and labour (upper and lower classes)
Life in Pre-industrial Britain
Communication – communication and transport was very limited.
The average person did not have the means to communicate with anybody else other than direct
conversation
Transport was limited to horse and cart and people rarely travelled outside of their own community
Education – strictly for the upper class
This meant that there was widespread illiteracy
The lower classes were uneducated and little to no ability to read or write
Living Conditions – cruel or violent existence were the norm for the lower classes; whilst the upper
class lived in comfort and luxury.
Leisure Time – there was very little free time as the lower class worked long hours on the land: free
time was dictated by the agricultural calendar/seasons
Social Structure – class divisions clearly existed.
Two-tier system (upper and lower class) / Feudal System:
- Either a land owner (upper class) who employed people and generated money through
farming
- Or a lower class who worked hard labour for little pay on the land for an employer
Distribution of Population – people lived in the countryside or rural areas
Cities had a lower person per capita compared to other periods in history
How did this society shape popular recreation?
Popular recreation – the sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain
Key Characteristics of lower class sports
- Illiteracy = simple rules
- No time limit or officials
- Unlimited number of players (hence the mob)
- Aggressive play reflects the ‘harsh society’ environment
, - Lots of damage to property or performers
- Wagers were made on the result by the upper class
Popular Recreation
Socio-Cultural features/characteristics Features/Characteristics of popular recreation
of pre-industrial Britain
Limited communications/transport Sport was restricted geographically to the areas and
communities where people lived
Widespread illiteracy Sports had simple, basic rules that were set locally.
There was a lack of codification and limited
organisation.
Harsh Society Sport was violet, aggressive and unruly on mature
and male dominated, with wagering/gambling on the
outcome
Little free time due to Mob football was only played occasionally/annually
agricultural/seasonal work and very long or as part of a festival (e.g. Holy Days)
hours
Two-tier/ feudal system There was clear division/separation between
activities played by the lower classes (e.g. mob
games) and those played by the upper classes (e.g.
real tennis)
Majority of the population lived in the Mob football was played in the countryside/rural
countryside/rural areas areas where people lived, using the natural resources
they had available (e.g. pigs bladder for ball)
Characteristics of Real Tennis (Royal Tennis)
Real Tennis – did not reflect the typical popular recreation characteristics of many activities and was
more typical of rational recreation (structures/organised/civilised)
An exclusive activity, courtly and royal in nature, played by the upper class males of the
two-tier society evident at the time (eg Henry VIII, who had a real tennis court at Hampton
Court)
Complex rules (codified) do to the upper classes being educated and highly literate
Played with a high moral code, so it lacked violence and was civilised and respectful
Played on a regular basis as the upper class had plenty of leisure time, developing their
skills/techniques to a high level in many cases
It was played in expensive, purpose-built facilities, using expensive specialist equipment, eg.
Racquets
Non local as the upper class could travel to play
1780)
Popular Recreation = the sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain
Feudal System = a way of structuring society arounds relationships derived from the holding of land
in exchange for service and labour (upper and lower classes)
Life in Pre-industrial Britain
Communication – communication and transport was very limited.
The average person did not have the means to communicate with anybody else other than direct
conversation
Transport was limited to horse and cart and people rarely travelled outside of their own community
Education – strictly for the upper class
This meant that there was widespread illiteracy
The lower classes were uneducated and little to no ability to read or write
Living Conditions – cruel or violent existence were the norm for the lower classes; whilst the upper
class lived in comfort and luxury.
Leisure Time – there was very little free time as the lower class worked long hours on the land: free
time was dictated by the agricultural calendar/seasons
Social Structure – class divisions clearly existed.
Two-tier system (upper and lower class) / Feudal System:
- Either a land owner (upper class) who employed people and generated money through
farming
- Or a lower class who worked hard labour for little pay on the land for an employer
Distribution of Population – people lived in the countryside or rural areas
Cities had a lower person per capita compared to other periods in history
How did this society shape popular recreation?
Popular recreation – the sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain
Key Characteristics of lower class sports
- Illiteracy = simple rules
- No time limit or officials
- Unlimited number of players (hence the mob)
- Aggressive play reflects the ‘harsh society’ environment
, - Lots of damage to property or performers
- Wagers were made on the result by the upper class
Popular Recreation
Socio-Cultural features/characteristics Features/Characteristics of popular recreation
of pre-industrial Britain
Limited communications/transport Sport was restricted geographically to the areas and
communities where people lived
Widespread illiteracy Sports had simple, basic rules that were set locally.
There was a lack of codification and limited
organisation.
Harsh Society Sport was violet, aggressive and unruly on mature
and male dominated, with wagering/gambling on the
outcome
Little free time due to Mob football was only played occasionally/annually
agricultural/seasonal work and very long or as part of a festival (e.g. Holy Days)
hours
Two-tier/ feudal system There was clear division/separation between
activities played by the lower classes (e.g. mob
games) and those played by the upper classes (e.g.
real tennis)
Majority of the population lived in the Mob football was played in the countryside/rural
countryside/rural areas areas where people lived, using the natural resources
they had available (e.g. pigs bladder for ball)
Characteristics of Real Tennis (Royal Tennis)
Real Tennis – did not reflect the typical popular recreation characteristics of many activities and was
more typical of rational recreation (structures/organised/civilised)
An exclusive activity, courtly and royal in nature, played by the upper class males of the
two-tier society evident at the time (eg Henry VIII, who had a real tennis court at Hampton
Court)
Complex rules (codified) do to the upper classes being educated and highly literate
Played with a high moral code, so it lacked violence and was civilised and respectful
Played on a regular basis as the upper class had plenty of leisure time, developing their
skills/techniques to a high level in many cases
It was played in expensive, purpose-built facilities, using expensive specialist equipment, eg.
Racquets
Non local as the upper class could travel to play
