Narratives of Manchester Pedestrianism: Using Biographical Methods to Explore the Development of Athletics During the Nineteenth Century Samantha-Jayne Oldfield A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Manchester Metropolitan University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute for Performance Research Department of Exercise & Sport Science Manchester Metropolitan University October 2014 Narratives of Manchester Pedestrianism: Using Biographical Methods to Explore the Development of Athletics During the Nineteenth Century Samantha-Jayne Oldfield, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Manchester Metropolitan University Abstract The British sporting landscape significantly altered during the nineteenth century as industrialisation affected the leisure patterns of the previously rural communities that were now residents of the urban city. As both space and time available for sport reduced, traditional pastimes continued to survive amid the numerous public houses that had emerged within, and in, the outskirts of Britain’s major industrial centres. Land attached to, and surrounding, the more rural taverns was procured for sporting purposes, with specially built stadia developed and publicans becoming gatekeepers to these working-class pursuits. Pedestrianism, the forerunner to modern athletics, became a lucrative commercial enterprise, having been successfully integrated into the urban sporting model through public house endorsement. The sporting publicans, especially within the city, used entrepreneurial vision to transform these activities into popular athletic “shows” with these professional athletes demonstrating feats of endurance, speed and strength, all under the regulation of the sporting proprietor. In Manchester, areas such as Newton Heath developed their own communities for pedestrianism and, through entrepreneurial innovation and investment, the Oldham Road became a hotspot for athletic competition throughout much of the nineteenth century. Within these communities, there was a reliance on the individual to cultivate and maintain athletic interest through their endorsement and promotion of, and their continued investment in, sporting entertainment. The relationship between entrepreneurial sportsmen and public houses has long been noted and there are abundant examples of individuals who combined their sporting activities with the role of licensee, but these are usually limited in scope and are overtly descriptive narratives that do little beyond documenting the individual achievements of their subjects. The traditional biographical method, whereby individual profiles are constructed through the uncovering of historical detail, is normally employed within the sport history discipline but this requires re- evaluation if a more complete picture of sport is to be established. Further biographical methods, such as collective biography and prosopography, whereby individuals are collectively studied through more measured techniques, should be applied to give further analysis of the impact of individuals within a specific sporting environment. This study uses all three approaches, biography, prosopography and collective biography, to give a more nuanced narrative that uncovers the changing nature of pedestrianism within nineteenth-century Manchester. Each chapter utilises a different biographical approach to explore a unique aspect of Manchester pedestrianism and gives further recognition to the previously anonymous population that helped to create a diverse hub for athletic entertainment. Although several themes permeate all three narratives, each method has its own outcomes, which provide alternative interpretations and perspectives on Manchester’s sporting history. Whilst pedestrianism is used as an exemplar, the study intends to highlight the importance of the individual, as opposed to national organisations, in telling the story of nineteenth-century sport. Keywords: Pedestrianism; Athletics; Sporting Entrepreneurs; Training; Manchester; Biography; Prosopography; Collective Biography Publications and Presentations Associated with this Thesis Journal Articles Day, Dave, and Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Delineating the Professional and Amateur Athletic Bodies in Victorian England’. Sport in History 34 (2015, forthcoming). Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Running Pedestrianism in Victorian Manchester’. Sport in History 34, no. 2 (2014): 223-248. Book Chapters Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘The Manchester Milers 1850-1870’. In Pedestrianism, edited by Dave Day, 78-110. Crewe, Cheshire: Manchester Metropolitan University Sport and Leisure History Group, 2014. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Narrative, Biography and Prosopography: Historical Method and its Implication’. In Sports and Coaching: Pasts and Future, edited by Dave Day, 35-60. Crewe, Cheshire: Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research, 2012. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘George Martin, “Wizard of Pedestrianism” and Manchester Sporting Entrepreneur’. In Sporting Lives, edited by Dave Day, 142-166. Crewe, Cheshire: Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research, 2011. Poster Presentations Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘James Robinson, from Mancunian Butcher to American College Trainer’. Poster presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research Postgraduate Poster Conference, Crewe, September 14, 2012. Awarded First Prize. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne, and Day, Dave. ‘Manchester’s Sporting Past: Nineteenth Century Athletics Grounds’. Poster presented at the Manchester Histories Festival, Manchester, March 3, 2012. Conference Presentations Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘The Manchester Milers 1850-1870’. Paper presented at the British Society of Sports History annual conference, Wychwood Park, Cheshire, September 7, 2013. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘From Butcher to Trainer: James Robinson, Manchester’s Athletic Pioneer’. Paper presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University history research seminar series, Department of History, Manchester, October 10, 2012. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘James Robinson, Manchester “Ped” to Princeton Athletic Trainer’. Paper presented at the British Society of Sports History annual conference, University of Glasgow, September 8, 2012. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Running Pedestrianism in Victorian Manchester’. Paper presented at the Social History Society annual conference, University of Brighton, April 3, 2012. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Narrative, Biography and Prosopography: Historical Method and Its Implications’. Paper presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research International Conference on Sports and Coaching: Pasts and Futures, Wychwood Park, Cheshire, June 26, 2011. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Historical Method: Development and Application’. Paper presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research seminar series, Crewe, May 19, 2011. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Manchester’s Sporting Entrepreneurs’. Paper presented at the Rational Recreations: Histories of Travel, Tourism and Leisure Network conference, University of Manchester, February 1, 2011. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘The Coaching Business: Nineteenth Century Manchester Sporting Entrepreneurs’. Paper presented at the British Society of Sports History annual conference, Wellcome Collection, London, September 11, 2010. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘The Manchester Public House: Sport and the Entrepreneur’. Paper presented at the Research Institute of Health and Social Change annual conference, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, July 1, 2010. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Manchester Pedestrianism 1840-1880: A Collective Biography of “Sporting Publicans”: An Update’. Paper presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University Department of Exercise and Sport Science seminar series, Alsager, February 18, 2010. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Serving the Masses: Sporting Entrepreneurs in Nineteenth Century Manchester’. Paper presented at the Research Institute of Health and Social Change annual conference, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, July 1, 2009. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Manchester pedestrianism 1840-1880: A Collective Biography of “Sporting Publicans”’. Paper presented at the Memories, Narratives and Histories postgraduate conference, Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research, University of Sussex and Research Centre in Memory, Narrative and History, University of Brighton, Brighton, June 2, 2009. Oldfield, Samantha-Jayne. ‘Manchester Pedestrianism 1840-1880: A Collective Biography of “Sporting Publicans”’. Paper presented at the Manchester Metropolitan University Department of Exercise and Sport Science seminar series, Alsager, March 13, 2009. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Manchester Metropolitan University, the Institute for Performance Research and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science for funding my journey over the last six years. My supervisory team, Paul Holmes, Ian Atkin and Martin Hewitt, for their support and advice, and the Coaching and Sport Development teaching team for giving me the flexibility required to get through this process, especially in the last twelve months. I am especially thankful to Margaret Roberts, who has supplied me with an immeasurable amount of genealogical material throughout my studies. To Dave Day, not only my Director of Studies but also my mentor, colleague and friend, who has given me his time and constant dedication throughout this