19th CenturyPublic School athleticism

Public schools• Not privately owned, but run by trustees

• “An endowed place of education of old standing to which the sons of gentlemen resort in considerable numbers and where they reside from eight or nine to eighteen years of age.” - Sydney Smith (1810)

Public schools

• Activities in these schools changed massively over 100 years. – From ‘boy culture’ in the early part of the 19th Century to

rationalised written down activities by the end• In turn this had a massive impact on sport in society

in general.

Tom brown’s schooldays• Novel – Thomas Hughes 1857 • Important• Reflects society at Rugby School

under Thomas Arnold (Headmaster)• Influences behaviour at other schools,

who copy the activities. • From a sport point of view, the

important extracts are:― The fight― The football match― Country pursuits― The cricket match

The big 9 public schools

• Sometimes referred to as the Clarendon schools– Eton– Rugby– Harrow– St Paul’s– Shrewsbury– Merchant Taylors– Westminster– Charterhouse– Winchester

• The Earl of Clarendon investigated these schools in 1864, coming up with a number of criticisms of public school life, and leading to some general and specific reforms for each school

Characteristics of Public Schools

PhasesExpansion

Arnoldian1828 – 1842

Athleticism