17-599: The Badminton Library , called in full The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes , was a sporting and publishing project conceived by Longmans Green & Co. and edited by Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899). Between 1885 and 1902 it developed into a series of sporting books which aimed to cover comprehensively all major sports and pastimes . The books were published in London by Longmans, Green & Co. and in Boston by Little, Brown & Co. The series
34-507: A new sport, and lastly there was a new edition of Cricket in 1920. On the combining of athletics and football in a single volume, Mike Huggins says in The Victorians and Sport (2004) that it suggests "...that football's leading place was not yet assured amongst the more literate reading public." The original volume on Cricket (1888) has sixteen chapters on topics such as 'Batting', 'Bowling', 'Fielding', and 'Umpires'. It defines
51-556: The Marylebone Cricket Club as "The Parliament of Cricket" and describes the sport as "Our National Game". Allan Gibson Steel wrote the chapter on bowling. Cycling (1887), by Viscount Bury , notes that riding the tricycle and bicycle, whether by women or by men, "is by far the most recent of all sports in the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes. There is none which has developed more rapidly in
68-614: The Forces (Beaufort's father had also been Wellington's aide-de-camp during the Peninsular War ). He was promoted lieutenant on 7 July 1843. On 13 August 1847, he purchased a captaincy in the 7th Hussars . On 15 June 1852, Beaufort was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Gloucestershire , and after the death of Wellington in September, he continued to serve as aide-de-camp to the new Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge , until
85-752: The Mastership of the Horse in 1868 when the government fell, but remained Lord Lieutenant for the remainder of his life. Beaufort conceived and planned the Badminton Library series of sporting books, the publication of which began in 1885 with a volume on Hunting , and acted as its overseeing editor. Beaufort married Lady Georgiana Charlotte Curzon (29 September 1825 – 14 May 1906), daughter of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe , on 3 July 1845. They had eight children: Somerset died in 1899, aged 75 at Stoke Gifford , Gloucestershire , from gout and
102-605: The books: If the series were to be issued today it might more appropriately be called Sports and Pastimes for the British Aristocrat to more accurately reflect its content. Two useful series for purposes of comparison are the slightly later American Sportsman's Library and the Lonsdale Library of Sports, Games and Pastimes ( Seeley, Service & Co. ). The Badminton Library was published in three different formats: The name 'Badminton Library'
119-606: The last few years." It considers that "England may be looked upon as the Home of Cycling" and quotes Thomas Huxley 's words to the Royal Society : "Since the time of Achilles , no improvement had added anything to the speed or strength attainable by the unassisted powers of man", commenting that a bicyclist had recently raced 146 miles in only ten hours. Skating (1892) deals first with 'Origins and Development', ' Figure skating ', and 'Recreation and Racing', noting that Holland
136-539: The latter's death in 1856. On 21 April 1854, Beaufort purchased a commission as an unattached major, and on 5 May, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Royal Gloucestershire Yeomanry , replacing his late father. During this time it was proposed to start "a cattle show" in Monmouth , and in 1857 Beaufort and John Etherington Welch Rolls each put money into a fund to start
153-563: The lieutenant-colonelcy of the Gloucestershire Yeomanry and became Honorary Colonel of the regiment. He resigned that commission on 2 July 1887. He also resigned the honorary colonelcy of the 1st Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteers on 2 December 1888. In 1846, Beaufort was returned as a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Gloucestershire , holding the seat until succeeding his father in the dukedom in November 1853. He
170-454: The practice of various British sports and pastimes, can turn for information". The Badminton Library was originally published in twenty-eight volumes between 1885 and 1896. To these was later added Rowing & Punting (1898), superseding Boating (1888). New volumes for Athletics (1898) and Football (1899) supplemented the original Athletics and Football (1887). In 1902, the final entirely new volume, Motors and Motor-Driving , covered
187-613: The show. Rolls was the greater financial contributor and he became President of the show. This cattle show is now known as the Monmouthshire Show . Beaufort was breveted lieutenant colonel on 26 October 1858, but sold his commission and left the Army on 11 June 1861. On 16 September 1863, he was made a deputy lieutenant of Monmouthshire . He was also appointed Honorary Colonel of the 1st Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteer Corps on 20 November 1867. On 29 April 1874, he resigned
SECTION 10
#1732782790655204-461: Was "the Skater's Paradise" and giving a list of racing records since the 1820s, then continues with chapters on Curling , Tobogganing , Ice-Sailing and Bandy . Laura and Guy Waterman's Yankee Rock & Ice (2002) calls the Badminton Library "a quaint turn-of-the-century British series", while a review of the publication Collectors Guide to the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes says of
221-505: Was a British peer, soldier, and Conservative politician. He served as Master of the Horse , Member of Parliament for East Gloucestershire , and Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire . Born in Paris , Beaufort was the only son of Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort by his second wife Emily Frances (1800–1889), daughter of Charles Culling Smith and his wife Lady Anne Wellesley (the sister of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ). He
238-524: Was appointed Master of the Horse on 26 February 1858, as part of Lord Derby's second government and was made a Privy Counsellor the same day. He left office in 1859, when Derby's ministry fell. Beaufort was again appointed Master of the Horse in Derby's third government in 1866. On 19 March 1867, he was made a Knight of the Garter and appointed Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire later that year. He lost
255-576: Was dedicated to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , "one of the best and keenest sportsmen of our time". The founder of the Library, the Duke of Beaufort, acted as its overseeing editor, assisted by Alfred E. T. Watson, and chose authors who were authorities in their fields. Explaining his purpose, the Duke said: ...there is no modern encyclopaedia to which the inexperienced man, who seeks guidance in
272-745: Was derived from that of Duke of Beaufort's principal country house , Badminton in Gloucestershire. There is no volume in the series on the sport of Badminton, named after the same house. J. K. Stanford 's fictional game shot George Hysteron-Proteron was said to have been educated at Eton , the Royal Military College, Sandhurst , and the Badminton Library . Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort , KG , PC (1 February 1824 – 30 April 1899), styled Earl of Glamorgan until 1835 and Marquess of Worcester from 1835 to 1853,
289-450: Was educated at Eton College . Throughout his life he was known as 'Charles Beaufort' to distinguish him from his father; his sons, all given the first name Henry, also went by their middle names. Beaufort was commissioned a Cornet and Sublieutenant in the 1st Life Guards on 17 August 1841. From 1842 to 1852, he was an aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington , then Commander-in-Chief of
#654345