Friday, December 23, 2011

Best Tweets of 2011: Sports and recreation (sort of)

[Remember, all the information we post is from stories we find while using Medieval and Early Modern Sources Online (MEMSO) and our ebooks available from $7.50 each right now at http://www.tannerritchie.com/]

In 1559 the total value of tennis balls imported into port of London was £1,699. A (rough) calculation of that at today's prices is $423,889.75, or $423,889, 15 shillings, or somewhere in the neighbourhood of 403,704 guineas. Prices in marks, merks and Harry Nobles available on request. Whichever way you calculate it, that seems like enough money to buy a huge number of tennis balls for a population in England and Wales of about 2.5 million.

King James V of Scotland in 1524, perhaps lacking a steady supply of Slazenger tennis balls, instead took part in the popular game of chucking eggs at Stirling castle in mock warfare. Hen-houses raided to supply ammunition.

Quote of the day from Lord Godolphin, 15/9/1704: 'A discreet clergyman is almost as rare as a black swan'. Australia discovered by Dutch in 1606, but apparently news of the large populations of black swans (and complete lack of discreet clergymen) in the antipodes had yet to reach Godolphin. The black swan was first described scientifically by English naturalist John Latham in 1790.

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