There is plenty of evidence that Henry VIII loved fruit. Cherries and strawberries were particular favourites, which he enjoyed raw, while most other fruit (apples, pears, plums, damsons, peaches and later in his reign, apricots) were eaten cooked in pies, tarts, jellies or preserves (stewed).
Looking at pictures of Henry VIII, you might imagine that if anything, rugby or wrestling were his favourite sports. In fact, the king was a keen sportsman who enjoyed tennis, riding and jousting.
One of Henry VIII's hobbies was falconry, which is a kind of hunting using trained birds of prey called hawks. He also loved jousting, wrestling and playing tennis.
Henry VIII was injured at least twice while jousting. On this day in history, 10th March 1524, he was injured after he forgot to lower his visor in a joust against Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.
When Henry VIII came to the throne, he was a devout Catholic and defended the Church against Protestants. *The Roman Catholic faith believed in marriage for life. It did not recognise, let alone support, divorce. King Henry VIII declared himself supreme head of a new Church of England.
A decathlete before his time, Henry was adept at the javelin, dressage and double-axe fighting, and was also a dab hand at archery.
Hammer-throwing - a sport of skill, technique and strength. Horseshoes - throwing horseshoes at a target. Quarter-staff contests - popular amongst the Lower classes. Elizabethan Tennis - The ball was often hit against courtyard walls and played with a glove.
In 1314, comes the earliest reference to a game called football when Nicholas de Farndone, Lord Mayor of the City of London issued a decree on behalf of King Edward II banning football.
Banned by the authoritiesJames II's Act of Parliament of 6 March 1457 banned golf and football. The Act is the earliest known written evidence for the game in Scotland. With a weak monarchy, powerful nobles and a constant threat of invasion, military training was compulsory for all males over 12.
Disturbed by the adverse effect that football was having on the good citizens of London, King Edward II banned the game from the city. Later in 1349, his son Edward III banned football entirely, concerned that the game was distracting men from practising their archery.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Henry VIII was an extremely intelligent and well-educated man. The fact that he was fluent in at least three languages is well-known, and he had an impressive knowledge that spanned everything from theology to medicine.
Entertainment in Tudor timesMusic was a common form of entertainment. Bowls and tennis were popular, as were hunting and hawking when the weather was good. Poorer people played games of football with teams of unlimited size, kicking or throwing the ball through country meadows or city streets.
The Tudors were sporting fanatics, from football matches that involved hundreds of people, to the more sedate game of bowls.
Dishes included game, roasted or served in pies, lamb, venison and swan. For banquets, more unusual items, such as conger eel and porpoise could be on the menu. Sweet dishes were often served along with savoury. Only the King was given a fork, with which he ate sweet preserves.
After falling out of fashion in the 20th century despite hundreds of years of popularity, pulque – a thick alcoholic drink native to Mexico – has re-emerged with a new-found following.
Most houses had the wooden frame, as well as a tall chimney, steep roof and an enclosed fireplace inside. The walls between the timber frame were made from wattle and daub – wood strips or sticks covered with clay – and the outer walls were most often whitewashed. Many Tudor houses had thatched roofs.
All kinds of sports were very popular in the Sixteenth Century.
- Jousting. Jousting was popular.
- Tennis. Tennis is one of the oldest of all racquet sports.
- Football. Football was played differently than it is today.
- Hunting.
- Bear-baiting.
- Cock- fighting.
- Some sports in the Tudor times were banned!
Poor people wore simple, loose-fitting clothes made from woollen cloth. Most men wore trousers made from wool and a tunic which came down to just above their knee. Women wore a dress of wool that went down to the ground. They often wore an apron over this and a cloth bonnet on their heads.
The First Evidence of Sports in SocietyAfter all, we know there was jousting as well as boxing during this time in England. Evidence shows sports existed long before there was even civilization. Ancient cave drawings seem to show sprinting races and wrestling matches that date back over fifteen thousand years.
1873 ? LAWN TENNIS ? Major Walter Wingfield invented a version of Real Tennis that can be played outdoors on a lawn. The game called 'Sphairistike' (Greek for "playing ball" ) and first introduced it to Wales(UK). Played on hour-glass courts on Manor House lawns by rich English people.
Henry VIII was considered a skilled hunter and frequently spent as many as five hours a day in the saddle out hunting for deer. The poor were allowed to hunt hares and rabbit. Certain 'sports' which are illegal now were very popular in Tudor England. Bear-baiting and cock- fighting were very popular.
