Pre-industrial (pre-1780): Two-tier class system.

The idea

In pre-industrial Britain before 1780, society was organised as a two-tier class system: a small upper tier of landowners and aristocracy, and a large lower tier of labourers and rural workers. The upper tier owned land and controlled wealth, leisure time and political power, so its members could hunt, shoot and take part in occasional organised sport. The lower tier worked long hours on the land for low wages, so its recreation was mainly occasional, local and tied to festivals, holy days and seasonal breaks. The two tiers rarely mixed in sport, and activities such as real tennis or fox hunting were largely restricted to the upper tier, while mob football and rural contests belonged to the lower tier. Understanding this structure explains why pre-industrial sport was local, violent, occasional and wagered upon rather than codified.

What earns the marks

• Identifies pre-industrial Britain as a two-tier society: upper tier of landowners/aristocracy and lower tier of labourers/rural workers.
• Explains that the upper tier held land, wealth, power and leisure time, enabling activities such as hunting, shooting and real tennis.
• Explains that the lower tier had limited leisure because of long working hours, low wages and dependence on land owners.
• States that the two tiers rarely competed together and that sport was largely class-separated.
• Links the class structure to the characteristics of pre-industrial sport: local, occasional, violent, simple and wagered upon.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Thinking the two tiers mixed freely in sport.

  Put it right: In fact activities were largely class-separated, with upper-tier sports such as real tennis and lower-tier activities such as mob football.

• Assuming the lower tier had plenty of leisure time.

  Put it right: Long working hours and low wages meant recreation was occasional and tied to festivals or holy days.

• Confusing the pre-industrial two-tier system with the later three-tier class system of industrial Britain.

  Put it right: The pre-1780 structure had just upper and lower tiers.

• Believing sport was already codified and national.

  Put it right: Pre-industrial sport was local, simple and loosely organised, with rules varying from place to place.

Exam tips

• Anchor answers in the pre-1780 period and avoid importing industrial-era features such as the middle class or national governing bodies.
• Use the two tiers by name and give one upper-tier and one lower-tier activity to show the class divide.
• Link each tier's lifestyle to its sporting opportunities: land, money and time for the upper tier; work and wages for the lower tier.
• When a question asks about characteristics of pre-industrial sport, connect them back to the class system rather than listing them in isolation.