LESSON 2 – POPULAR
RECREATION 18th Cent.
1700s to 1800. – Pre-Industrial.
 We can pick up the development of
sports only in medieval times and during
this time was the root of many modern
sports
POP REC.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE AT THESE
TIMES?
 TOUGH, LIFE WAS SHORT, THE
POPULATION WAS SPLIT INTO TWO
MAIN GROUPS, THE GENTRY AND THE
PEASANTS – THESE TWO GROUPS
KEPT GENERALLY APART.
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What is meant by popular recreation?
Popular – widely favoured/appealing
Recreation – the aspect of leisure/free time.
POPULAR RECREATION IS A BASIC TERM
USED TO DESCRIBE NATURAL, OFTEN
VIOLENT, SPORTS AND PASTIMES THAT
WERE PART OF AN ANCIENT FEUDAL RIGHT
TO RECREATION CLAIMED BY ALL
BRANCHES OF THE RURAL COMMUNITY.
 CHARACTERISTICS
 CULTURAL FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCED
THE DEVELOPMENT AND POPULARITY OF
CERTAIN ACTIVITIES (CLASS
CONSTRAINTS/LIMITED
COMMUNICATIONS/CHANGING ATTITUDES OF
THE CHURCH/OCCUPATIONS/FREE
TIME/LIMITED LITERACY/LIMITED PUBLICITY).
TASK……..
 Read p7 to p10 in text and write an
account of the main factors that
influenced the development of popular
recreation in the UK. Look at slides to
help you illustrate your accounts.
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS…
 MAIN FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF
POPULAR RECREARION.
 Notes should include:
 TYPES OF ACTIVITIES
 Recreation reflected society at that time.
 Different classes sometimes shared activities – cock fighting
 Separate activities for different classes – mob football for the
peasants, real tennis for the aristocracy, also different roles within
the same activity – bare-knuckle fighter was lower class while his
patron was upper class. Patron was a member of the gentry who
looked after a lower-class rower pedestrian or prize -fighter.
(equiv to agent or sponsor)
 INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH:
 The REFORMATION led to Protestantism, Puritanism and an
attack on the sports and pastimes of the common people.
Puritanism believed that idleness and playfulness were sinful and
that salvation could only be earned through a life of prayer and
restraint in all areas.
 RESTORATION - The REFORMATION WAS FOLLOWED BY THE
RESTORATION ( THE RETURN OF KING CHARLES 11 TO
POWER)Puritan ethic gave way to the work ethic and spreading of
Protestantism, whereby leisure pursuits were acceptable for
restoring people for work. This led to relaxation of the constraints
against sports and recreations and active church support for
sporting activity, this supported the concept of the Muscular
Christians.
IT WAS TOUGH!
 Times were tough which dictated the
harshness of some of the activities –
baiting and blood sports – dogs to kill
bulls and bears that were chained.
Ratting and other blood activities were
popular and invited betting.
 Drinking was a major fuel for rowdy behaviour.
Office for organisation of leisure activities. As
well as blood sports, less barbaric games such
as billiards, quoits, bowls and skittles were
organised. Sometimes activities used as a
profit booster. The landlord was the promoter
of sports and provided the prizes as well as
being the bookmaker. Sports clubs used the
public house as their base.
 Country pursuits (or field sports) such as hunting, coursing and
shooting, had functional origins – hunting grew from the search
for food and developed into a status symbol for wealthy
landowners. Game Laws ensured they were the only ones allowed
to hunt.
 Militaristic combat activities such as archery, sparring and
fencing, grew from the need to go to war. When guns replaced
these, they were then recreational sports in their own right.
 In summary – the nobility and gentry have their horse races,
hunting, coursing, fishing, hawking, cock fighting, guns for
birding, tennis, bowling, billiards, stage plays, dancing and all
sorts of musical instruments.
 Whereas the citizens and peasants have handball, football,
skittles, stoolball, cudgels, bear baiting, bull baiting, bow and
arrow, leaping, wrestling, pitching the barre and ringing the bells.
Sometimes cricket in order to make up the numbers.
 When looking at popular recreation you must
ask:
 Who
 When
 Where
 Why
 How – they were playing – organisation, rules,
structure, pro/am,
 Commitment?
CULTURAL FACTORS…
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THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL FACTORS
Social setting (pre-industrial) feudal, limited travel, markets, harsh laws, cottage industry,
sacred or profane, illiteracy.
Activities were occasional rather than regular.
Village fair, parish feast, Christmas, were all times to allow universal merriment.
Drinking and play are closely associated.
Sports such as mob football were a chance for the entire village to get together and let of
steam.
Weekly market was social and sporting as well as the sale of goods.
Life was cheap, mortality rates were high and public hangings a spectator attraction, so
displays of merciless cruelty in the name of entertainment and sport were common.
Some sports developed from occupations - rowing from ferrymen.
Life and sports were rurally based using natural or easily accessible equipment and facilities.
Rules and organisation were very basic, only through the word of mouth. National Governing
bodies had not been formed.
Primitive transport and communication caused sports to be local in nature.
Papers came in at the end of the century.
Wagering was an obsession for all classes.
CHARACTERISTICS
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NATURAL AND SIMPLE
LOCAL
SIMPLE AND UNWRITTEN RULES
CRUEL AND VIOLENT
OCCASIONAL
COURTLY/POPULAR
RURAL
OCCUPATIONAL
WAGERING
 KEY REVISION
 POP REC. TOOK PLACE IN PRE- INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, WITH
MOST PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL SOCIETY. THE CHURCH
CALENDAR ALLOWED REGUALR TIME FOR LEISURE AND
SPORT. THE SOCIAL DISTINCTION WITHIN SOCIETY BETWEEN
COURT AND PEASANTRY WAS REFLECTED IN THE SPORTS
EACH PLAYED – PEASANT SPORTS WERE MOB, INFORMAL,
LARGE SCALE AND VIOLENT; COURT SPORTS WERE
SOPHISTICATED, ELITE, EXCLUSIVE AND OFTEN PLAYED ON
COURTS. CRICKET WAS ONE GAME IN WHICH ALL CLASSES
COULD PLAY SIDE BY SIDE. ANIMAL SPORTS WERE POPULAR,
BUT THERE WAS A CLASS DISTINCTION – BAITING FOR THE
LOWER CLASSES, HUNTING FOR THE UPPER CLASSES.
HOMEWORK:
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FIND OUT ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF:
ASHBOURNE IN DERBYSHIRE
ALNWICK IN NORTHUMBERLAND
HAXEY HOOD GAME
 EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF POULAR
RECREATION ON CONTEMPORY
PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE (IN
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) – USE SHEETS
PROVIDED. P10