# British working class leisure in the 1800s **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032 "2012-09-18T01:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/21 "2012-09-18T21:01:20Z")
Boxing, wrestling, pitting animals against one another, almost any kind of competition that could be staged in a small space drew huge crowds. Executions, too, but those trailed off by the end of the century. Entertainers performed on the street or using carriages that transformed into a stage. (Like the one in Terry Gilliam’s [The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imaginarium_of_Doctor_Parnassus).) These were of every sort, from singers to dancers to jugglers to puppeteers to commedia dell’arte to bawdy skin-showing. American vaudeville had a thousand acts that we would never imagine that people would sit through and street culture probably had at least as many and with more variety. For those who weren’t dirt poor but had a bit of money, there were many theaters doing these arts on a more formal basis and they sold very cheap, often standing-only or pit tickets, to the masses. Parades, galas, jubilees, and public celebrations of all kinds took place regularly. Everybody is right when they say that this encompasses too large a time to be answered well, and the society of the late 1800s was hugely different from the beginning. But as a large-sized generality getting from one place to another in London was always a challenge for the poor. Almost everything had to be walked to and from. That meant that the majority of entertainment had to be found locally. Theater districts were for the swells. The lack of indoor lighting also meant that most entertainment was kept outdoors and during daytime. But that also meant that the streets were always crowded because people were usually outside as much as they could be. Just starting a show would draw attention. It might get you a rotten tomato in the face, too, but that’s always the chance. Streets were loud and lively and in-your-face and there was always something worth seeing, even if was another person’s misfortune. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/22 "2012-09-18T21:46:11Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Occasionally there would be works outings in those new fangled trains,especially to the seaside but for most this was a rare treat Seaside resorts (such as [Blackpool](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackpool) enjoyed a massive upturn in working-class popularity throughout the 19th century - as you say, as a rare treat - a week or long weekend at the seaside would be the annual holiday and highlight of the year for many families. As I understand it, the wealthier classes were none too pleased that the introduction of train travel allowed working class people to move around and enjoy even limited, infrequent access to the leisure pursuits that had previously been almost exclusive to them. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/23 "2012-09-18T23:02:55Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > day to day leisure would generally entail pubs and beerhouses In order to make beer, you need hops. In order to pick hops, you need working class people, who would take [vacations hop picking](http://www3.hants.gov.uk/curtis-museum/alton-history/hops-in-alton.htm). ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/24 "2012-09-19T00:41:50Z")
“Consider yourself…” ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/25 "2012-09-19T01:07:48Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > They generally weren’t much fussed about going to church, either. Cite please? That is interesting. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/26 "2012-09-19T11:14:10Z")
> [@FuzzyOgre](#): > > Cite please? That is interesting. Well now, bear in mind that I was, as I say, over-generalising like a mofo (because summarising the life experience of a broad social class over a century in a pithy message board post is a silly thing to attempt), and that the mental image I had in mind as I was posting was, perhaps, of the most disadvantaged section of the urban poor, based on a lifetime of casual reading and so forth, rather than actual proper research. Remember also that 19th century England saw a great deal of social and religious change, with the continued break-up of established rural communities as people moved to the cities, and the decline in influence of the Church of England with the rise of non-conformist denominations, so the picture varied quite a bit over that hundred years. So, not being a scholar myself, I don’t happen to have a handy reference that directly supports my casual impression that the 19th century working class were, taken as a whole, pretty lacklustre church-goers, and that this was a trend that increased as the century wore on. I had a look, though, and while I saw a few websites that broadly support my point (like [this one)](http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REengland.htm), the best primary source I found was this link to [the 1851 Census on Religious Attendance,](http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/building-on-history-project/resource-guide/source-guides/1851censusreport.pdf) which shows non-attendance at around 42%, but sadly doesn’t beak it down by socio-economic group. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/27 "2012-09-19T14:46:31Z")
Furthermore, a great deal of those who were going to church were essentially going because of pressure from their employers in one form or another. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/28 "2012-09-19T15:36:30Z")
Drinking [Gin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_Craze). > [@](#): > > By 1743, the people of England were drinking 2.2 gallons (10 litres) of gin annually per head of population. > [@](#): > > …there was a resurgence of gin consumption during the Victorian era, with numerous ‘Gin Palaces’ appearing. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/29 "2012-09-19T16:54:23Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Well now, bear in mind that I was, as I say, over-generalising like a mofo (because summarising the life experience of a broad social class over a century in a pithy message board post is a silly thing to attempt), and that the mental image I had in mind as I was posting was, perhaps, of the most disadvantaged section of the urban poor, based on a lifetime of casual reading and so forth, rather than actual proper research. Understood. Thanks for the links. It is rather interesting. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/30 "2012-09-19T17:02:07Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > In certain model industrial towns such as Saltaire (and the other one that I can’t remember the name of - Robert Owen), the industrialist owner provided leisure activities for the workers and their families, such as boating lakes and improving lectures. One thing that Titus Salt (the philanthopist mill-owner who built Saltaire with its copious leisure facilties) did not supply was Pubs. Saltaire the town was teetotal. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/31 "2012-09-19T17:38:59Z")
Bourneville, built by the Cadbury’s, was as well (and remained so until recently under building covenants). ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/32 "2012-09-19T17:54:35Z")
> [@FuzzyOgre](#): > > Understood. Thanks for the links. It is rather interesting. It is, isn’t it? Are you aware of the Secular movement that started around that time? Organisations like [the Leicester Secular Society,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_Secular_Society) and people like [Charles Bradlaugh,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bradlaugh) who IMHO ought to be one of our national heroes. Sorry, everyone, if this is too far off-topic, but it _is_ interesting. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/33 "2012-09-19T19:25:57Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > It is, isn’t it? Are you aware of the Secular movement that started around that time? Organisations like [the Leicester Secular Society,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_Secular_Society) and people like [Charles Bradlaugh,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bradlaugh) who IMHO ought to be one of our national heroes. > > Sorry, everyone, if this is too far off-topic, but it _is_ interesting. Thanks for those! I’m reading now. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032/34 "2012-09-21T07:01:13Z")
Sports. Games. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-working-class-leisure-in-the-1800s/635032.md?page=1)