Childrens Play history continued
As literacy spread through society, adults provided books for children to read. Children's literature, as we understand the term, can also be traced back to at least the end of the middle ages, between the reigns of Richard II and Henry VII. This literature included both non-fiction and fiction. Chaucer was a pioneer of the first of these, for he began to write his book The Astrolabe in 1391, for his son Lewis, who was then only ten or so. Aesop's Fables, and Reynard The Fox.
The very first children's play book was by JG and was published in 1594. Frost fairs were held on the Thames in London, with swings and roundabouts until 1813. Sometimes these would last for months. These included new attractions such as wheel trafficking, skating, side shows, printing and oxen roasting. Whilst other popular fairs were held in places such as St Bartholomew's until 1855 and St Giles at Oxford in 1876. These were a great attraction to children. These Martina's Fairs included shows, shooting galleries, street vendors, nut hawkers and fine ballad street singers. In the towns there were often dancing rooms full to the brim, along with pubs and coffee houses, all of which were open to all children as well as adults.
Then in 1665 the Great Plague of London occurred from which nearly a third of the population died. This was caused by the poor sanitation,the prevalence of rats and lice and the dirty crowded streets. The disease spread most within the poor population and a great number of their houses were painted with red crosses, denoting diseased inhabitants. At this time many people fled to the countryside, but a great many were denied health certificates and were obliged to stay.
The game of cricket was first officially played at Hambledon in 1774, in many ways it was similar to the popular children's game of the time called trap ball.
Paintings of the period such as Children Playing by Miles Bartlett Foster, show children running free in the country meadows. In such country areas the boys climbed trees for conkers, went fishing, or played football and cricket. Others played the popular pastimes of stilts, causing many a fall and bruises. Many village fetes and fairs were held which were a great attraction to children, with their associated races, stalls of hamburger, hot potatoes and gingerade. Here there were shooting galleries, punch and Judy shows and numerous exhibitions of birds and beasts, waxwork figures, models, glass blowing, cotton spinning, picture galleries and all manner of attractions to keep children amused.
Teenagers, at least, were reading Arthurian romances and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by this period and in the 1520s and 30s, Protestants launched scathing attacks on the reading of Robin Hood ballads by the young.
The 15th century bible translator and protestant reformer William Tyndale called such literature, "Fables of love and wantons and of riobaldry", "As filthy as heart can think, to corrupt the minds of youth withal". We even encounter the first modern children's stories, in the sense of tales that centre on children and their adventures. One is the romance of the Swan Knight, the story of children transformed into swans by their wicked grandmother. The oldest boy escapes, grows up, fights the grandmother's champion, kills him and exposes her villainy. All the swans are turned back into children, except for one.
RICH MAN POOR MAN.
Rich man, poor man, Beggar-man, thief. Gentleman, Apothecary, Indian Chief. Soldier brave and Sailor true. Skilled physician, Oxford blue. Gouty nobleman, Squire so hale, Dashing airman, Curate pale. Tailor, drummer and Stealer of beef, One knows joy And one knows grief. Lady, Lady, on the seashore You have children, One to four. O Lady, dear Lady, You've kids by the score. The eldest is -- Why, he's twenty-four! You ought to marry a... Rich man, poor man, Beggar-man, thief. Gentleman, Apothecary, Indian Chief. Soldier brave and Sailor true. Skilled physician, Oxford blue. Gouty nobleman, Squire so hale, Dashing airman, Curate pale. Tailor, drummer and Stealer of beef, One knows joy And one knows grief.
The game of chess moved from its Persian origins to Europe sometime around the 1500s. Around the same time, playing cards took a similar path from the Far East. Still, much like in times before. Children spent most of their time helping out the family, in school, or in some form of apprenticeship, or training. Thus the time they had for games varied from instance to instance, year to year. In most cases, it was probably not much more than an hour or so a day. A wealthy family would have more free time and these children tended to play calm, quiet games indoors. Poorer children still bought chap books on the streets during these times. By the 17th century there were other children's favorites reads, such as The History of Tom Thumb, John Bunyan's Books for Boys And Girls and Pilgrims Progress of 1678. For Dolls had been popular for centuries and were made from a variety of things including wood, clay, rag, bone, ivory, wax, corn, gingerbread and paper.
For a time during the age of Cromwell even Christmas was abolished in 1647 along with carol singing.
It was during these years that in the city of London a beadle was employed to whip children away from the Royal Exchange, who were playing there. Such was the grown ups dislike of kids playing anywhere near them. The children's favorite rhyme of that period, Little Jack Horner had first appeared in 1770. It was said to have its origins in a legend that the title deeds of Mells Manor in Somerset which was called the Plom, were sent to King Henry viii in a pie, but were stolen on the journey.
The 19th Century.
This was for the most part due to the forthcoming children's reforms. A third of all children however were still living in extreme poverty, the city slum children lived in were unsafe, unhealthy and insanitary environments. This despite the calls from the middle classes and social reformers for better care conditions, creches, day nurseries and more open space areas. Despite this, little had been done for poor families. Were as the wealthy lived in areas such as those designed by the architect and planner John Nash.
Although in 1810 Robert Own operated special day nurseries for infants at his New Lanark mills, where three and four year olds danced and sang together. Children had worked excessive long hours in factories until a new Factories Act came into being in 1833 and brought their working hours per day to a maximum of nine.
The nineteen century was an interesting period in the history of children and was to herald great changes in their social environment and development particularly as regards to their play times. Children were used as a commodity for labor in the industrial revolution, they worked long hours and suffered from great hardships. Now there were sharp distinctions between the rich and poor child and the village and town child in so many and varied ways. One of the main areas being the fresh air and open space of the countryside, compared to the overcrowded and unsanitary and noisy streets of the city.
The insanitary conditions and air pollution of the cities in the 1800s, saw a high incidence of deaths. Over half of the child population died before reaching 5 years of age of cholera and poor malnutrition. As regards to childhood, until this century once the small child had grown out of his nappy stage and could walk he had been expected to play an active role in family life and all of its many varied activities and responsibilities. Childhood was not recognized as having any value, special attention, or provision.
THE HAYLOFT
Through all the pleasant meadow-side The grass grew shoulder-high, Till the shining scythes went far and wide And cut it down to dry.
Those green and sweetly smelling crops They led in waggons home; And they piled them here in mountain tops For mountaineers to roam.
Here is mount clear, Mount Rusty-Nail, Mount Eagle and Mount High;-- The mice that in these mountains dwell, No happier are than I! Oh, what a joy to clamber there, Oh, what a place for play, With the sweet, the dim, the dusty air, The happy hills of hay!.
The country cousins of the town children lived in far different surroundings, although often even they were badly mistreated. Often working long hours in occupations ranging from spud lifting, fruit picking, weeding, stone clearing and bird scaring. Their harvest time lasted for up to four weeks a time when all of the families were involved from the oldest to the youngest, being paid a piece work rate per family group.
During these times there was often much drinking of alcohol , such as beer or cider and consequently there were many cases of tragedies. With children falling under heavy laden hay carts, or abused by men of dubious natures and constant fights, yet there was often much merriment among the workers, especially after the harvest was taken home. Then there would be playing of fiddles and dancing in the hay barns. During these times the country child ate bread and potatoes as their main food and tea as their main drink. Whilst the adults drank beer or cider in vast quantities. Popular games in this century included trap ball, top cat and blind mans buff, which was then called hood mans blind. Kite flying was also very popular and blowing soap bubbles with clay pipes. In winter times children went skating on the frozen rivers and lakes, using skates made of bone which were lashed to their footwear. At work they still were employed in relays and were broken away from their family units.
Whilst the country child's parents were working in the fields, often their children would search for blackberries and wild crab apples.
It was common to see children picking wild flowers which were in abundance along with seeds and rushes from river banks. Children would be seen picking large bunches of wild flowers, shredding and binding them with dollies to take home to parents as gifts. Often they would play hide n seek in the farmyard among the cart and wagon, or among the hay and straw. Or else peeping out at their father whilst he milked the cows or foddered the calves.
Other interests for children included watching the harnessing of the horses, or visiting the steam engine house to watch the chaff cutter. Children would copy the ploughman with their imitation of a log of wood which they dragged along by a cord.
Other novelties included skimming flat stones, or pebbles, across river waters, seeing how many skims were possible before reaching the opposite bank. Catapults were popular among the lads to scare crows and many also had ferrets which were used for rabbiting expeditions. The rabbit was the poor mans standby in times of hardship, making a healthy pie and stew. Until the disease of miximostosis was introduced in the next century and would ultimately put an end to this tradition. Often these children wandered for miles in areas free from traffic, free to explore and return home safely.
As was well illustrated in Tom Browns Schooldays,
"The boys would wander all over the neighborhood,sometimes to the downs, up to the camp where they cut their initials out on the springy turf". "Racing down the manger, rolling among the thistles, or into the woods".
"To the brooks to make pan pipes from the reeds there, to the moors with their brambled thickets, or to the sand hills searching for rabbits, or bird nesting in the season, anywhere and everywhere."
The village pits provided focal points for local community events such as maypole dancing and was often where the travelling salesmen set up their roundabouts. Or where the morris men were to be seen dancing and where the drum and fife men gathered.
These pits provided the quarry children with their own playgrounds throughout the year. Here they built slides or played hide n seek games. Such quarry's were usually full of kids who slid down the banks on their own borrowed tea trays.
By 1848 all local council authorities had statutory powers to provide for the means of education or amusement to the middle or humbler classes. Most children in these times played games such as prisoners base, rounders, peg a top, marbles along with more boisterous pursuits like elbow and collar wrestling.
Children's toys now included footballs made from pigs bladders, make shift swings made from cart ropes and dustbin lids for its seat. Along with toboggans made from discarded tin sheets. OLD SCHOOL DAYS. Come gather around friends and il tell you a tale about the very first school and the dirty ink well and the battle cry was recite that again and again history was dates children were well mannered and always must wait when manners was king and adversity king the book was the word and George was the king and masters of crews do what i say and not what i do your taught to follow this golden rule whether you have pennies or shoes tip your cap to the master do as your told and don't leave your children out in the cold don't criticise and be branded a fool.
There was a distinct and sharp contrast between the country child and the town child then. The country child had a great more freedom and open space with the untamed hedgerows, woods and meadows compared to the city environment of the slum child. When the Martina's Fairs were held in the towns, train loads if children were brought in from these outlaying areas, whilst many walked there, or came on carts, or shandries.
Queens Park in Manchester created a play area for children with swings, ball and two shuttle cock areas, an archery area, skipping area, swings grounds and a cricket ground.Then in 1877, Burbary street in Birmingham created a simiar playground. Playgrounds then were generally private.
FOREVER A CHILD. He was forever a child born to be free a childhood spent living so loved near the sea his handle was cupid you could tell from his smile he chased the young girls just once in a while he climbed all the trees he ran all the streets his voice it was merry so swift were his feet his friends they were many his exploits a few he ran with the wind he was born just like you he dressed in the manner not like kids of today he sported a cap when he went out to play his school was a chapel his master were a don he jumped the sea tides his Constitution so strong
he was up with the sun to bed with the moon he sang of love each new day in June his sweethearts were many from London to Poole then he rode on the ferry from lands end to crewe. Ray Wills
WILLIAM BARNES
William Barnes was a teacher and clergyman who wrote poems in the Dorset dialect. He saw the threat to child's play and what it would do to the lives of children and to future generations who were deprived of play space.
THE LANE. The children will soon have no place for to play, And if they do grow, They will have a mushroom face, With their bodies as simple as dough, But a man is made of a child, And his limbs do grow worksome by play, And if the young child's little body is spoilt, Why the mans will the sooner decay,
William Barnes
THE HISTORY OF CHILDREN'S PLAY IN AMERICA
CHILDS PLAY HISTORY IN THE U.S.A
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