Churchyard Fives
An extract of an article entitled Fives, Fairs and Football written by Gereth Spriggs and published in Country LifeWe are grateful to Mrs Spriggs for allowing us to reproduce part of her article here.
See also Ramblings in Retirement
A more peacable diversion was the game called ball, hand-tennis or fives. In 1385 Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London, denounced the custom both within and without the Cathedral of St Paul's, and there were many later edicts, but the game was popular and persisted in many areas. A miniature from a 15th century manuscript in the British Library shows two men playing, each wearing a white glove on his right hand.
Fives was played at Eton between the buttresses on the north wall of the college chapel, and the "pepper box" peculiar to Eton fives courts originated from a natural angle in one of the buttresses.
James Woodforde, the diarist, was curate at Babcary Church in Somerset in 1764 and 1765. During these, his salad days, he records in his diary for July 22, 1764 that he gave a bachelor's supper party, and his guests "plaid Fives in Babcary Churchyard this evening, and I lost There with Mr Lewis Bower at betting with him 0.1.6. The gentlemen pleased me much by seeing Them so well pleased with the homely entertainment." Evidently damage sometimes resulted, and up to quite recent times, at Llandefalle church, Breconshire, some windows were still covered by outside shutters for protection.
The game continued in many parishes up to the end of the 19th century, usually played on the north side of the church known as "the devil's side", as there were normally no graves there. A red line or deep scratch could be seen years afterwards on the walls of some churches, about 2ft from the ground, beneath which the ball would not play. One of these scratches can still be discerned on the north side of Llansilin church, near Oswestry.
A quotation from The Forest of Dean (1982), by Humphrey Phelps demonstrates the strong feelings expressed by some
clergy about the desecration of hallowed ground. Paylor Matthew Proctor, vicar of Newland, Gloucestershire, 1803-22, took extreme
measures, and "in order to stop games from being played in the churchyard (a regular Sunday occurrence) directed that he should be
buried where the parishioners played.....fives."
Constructed by Mike Fenn
5th May 2001
efa@etonfives.co.uk