Abstract
AbstractThis article brings together three aspects of early modern urban life: the later stages of the urban renaissance, the consumer revolution and horse racing. Those towns identified as having an effectively commercialized ‘race week’ between 1750 and 1805 challenge notions of any trickle-down effect from London. Successful organization and funding came largely from co-operation rather than division between the county aristocracy and gentry and the urban middling sort. Both groups attended, while race weeks were sufficiently popular for many rural and urban workers to sacrifice production time for the allure of their leisure experiences. Racecourse consumer space, with its booths, tents and stands, allowed spectators to enjoy either cross-class mixing or increased social differentiation, the latter most especially on the permanent stone grandstands, an innovation of the period.
Highlights
The commercialization of racingTowns were often well aware that, as in York, the races were ‘of great benefit to the city and its citizens’, with thousands of pounds spent there during the week. Race weeks offered advantage and profit, to hotels, inns, taverns, stables and a wide range of luxury service providers
In 1815, a local engraver advertised four Newcastle-upon-Tyne prints
A contemporary local town booster described it as an ‘elegant’ stone edifice, of ‘very striking appearance’. He drew a direct comparison with country-house architecture, claiming that ‘the external aspect of the building is equal to any gentleman’s mansion in the neighbourhood’
Summary
Towns were often well aware that, as in York, the races were ‘of great benefit to the city and its citizens’, with thousands of pounds spent there during the week. Race weeks offered advantage and profit, to hotels, inns, taverns, stables and a wide range of luxury service providers. To be commercially successful long term, a meeting needed enough other urban entertainments to retain visitors, enough racehorse entries to provide entertainment, sufficient income to offer prize money for winning horses and to cover the varied running costs and sufficient interest in racing amongst its elite and public social worlds to make racing too profitable to resist. The popularity of an MP or prospective parliamentary candidates was often judged by their ability to provide donations to activities that benefited a location and its inhabitants, and in some towns gaining local support was important, especially so in freeman-elected boroughs. Of these boroughs, 39 had some racing between 1750 and 1805. Tory and Whig rivals for political influence even organized separate race meetings, as at Lichfield between 1748 and 1752, or at Preston between 1786 and 1791.41
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