DONCASTER in the grip of the card-players! Hard to imagine, but when Edward Miller began to assemble his History and Antiquities of Doncaster in 1801 he was astonished to find there was a strange attachment to playing games of cards among its principal inhabitants.
It was an amusement which he had at first thought too trivial and harmless to be worthy of a chapter to itself, but its pernicious effects on society forced him to criticise.
The few vacant hours between breakfast and dinner had formerly been employed by the "idle rich" in reading the newspapers or visiting the shops, most of which sold luxury goods.
Now the routine of genteel people was eating, sleeping, drinking – and playing cards. It was the 19th Century equivalent of bingo!
If any gentleman of real taste and erudition arrived in Doncaster, even if his conversation was about the fine arts, history or philosophy, he would be ostracised unless he was willing to join the locals at the card table. Only then would the card party consider him their equal.
The routine was to dine at 2 o'clock, and soon after dinner the cards were introduced and the party began without interruption until bed time.
"Mistaken mortals!" wailed Miller. "In vain does conscience suggest to you more useful methods of spending your time.
"In vain does nature spread forth all her beauties for your contemplation. Solitude has no charms for you. Cards have their power to quench all thirst for knowledge, and to render you unsusceptible of every noble and rational enjoyment."
And he quotes the great Dr Samuel Johnson, who had an opinion on everything: "A man may shuffle cards or rattle dice from noon to midnight without tracing any new idea in his mind, or being able to recollect the day by any other token than his gain or loss."
Miller was slightly less critical of horse racing, which only took place on Town Moor over four consecutive days once a year.
"Many people regard horse races in an unfavourable point of view, though perhaps some indulgence may be allowed them, as they commonly occur only once in a year."
More to Miller's liking – he was also an accomplished musician – were the Copleys of Nether Hall where knowledge and taste in the polite arts was cultivated.
"Their home is always open to men of genius of every denomination. At table, cards are never introduced, nor is anyone disgusted with the frippery of commonplace chat. The conversation is rational and improving. Sometimes it is enlivened by the wit of writers and artists."
- READING through Miller's monumental history there are many pages we might consider both boring and unreadable. But gems are to be found by the diligent.
LITTLE BILLY'S BOOK "AT Bentley I met a little old man called Billy Dutchman, a stonemason, who has kept a book in his house from the year 1767 which includes the name of every person by whom he has been employed.
"He records how many days he has worked each week, and what days he has been idle through sickness. He reveals what money he has earned each week, summed up to the last farthing, every year with the utmost exactness.
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