1385.1

Chronologies

Prominent Milestones

Ancient - 1700 1701 - 1780 1781 - 1815 1816 - 1830 1831 - 1845 1846 - 1850 1851 - 1855 1856 - 1860 1861 - 1865 1866 - 1876

Misc BB Firsts

Add a Misc BB First

About the Chronology

Tom Altherr Dedication

Add a Chronology Entry

Open Queries

Open Numbers

Most Aged

English Boys Play Ball "To the Grave Peril of Their Souls"

Salience	Noteworthy
Tags
Location
City/State/Country:	[[{{{Country}}}]]
Modern Address
Game
Immediacy of Report
Age of Players
Holiday
Notables
Text	A letter written by Robert Braybroke laid out the palpable risks of ball-playing: "Certain [boys], also, good for nothing in their insolence and idleness, instigated by evil minds and busying themselves rather in doing harm than good, throw and shoot stones, arrows, and different kinds of missiles at the rooks, pigeons, and other birds nesting in the walls and porches of the church and perching [there]. Also they play ball inside and outside the church and engage in other destructive games there, breaking and greatly damaging the glass windows and the stone images of the church . . . .This they do not without great offense to God and our church and to the prejudice and injury of us as well as to the grave peril of their souls." And the sanction for such play? "We . . . proclaim solemnly that any malefactors whatever of this kind [including churchyard merchants as well as young ballplayers] whom it is possible to catch in the aforesaid actions after this our warning have been and are excommunicated . . . ." Crow, Martin M., and Clair C. Olson, eds., "Chaucer's World" [Columbia University Press, New York, 1948], pp. 48-49. Submitted by John Thorn, 10/12/2004.
Sources
Warning
Comment	Edit with form to add a comment
Query	Edit with form to add a query
Source Image	[[Image:|left|thumb]]
External Number
Submitted by
Submission Note
Has Supplemental Text

1385.1 English Boys Play Ball "To the Grave Peril of Their Souls""

---

Comments

<comments voting="Plus" />