Block:Ball Bias

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Ball Bias (17 entries)

Ball Bias in London in 1844

Block Game Ball Bias
Date 1844
Location London
Data

“Ball-bias” was mentioned in a religious-themed, young adult novel in which a Jewish teenager was a principal character. The pertinent sentence read: “Emilie...anxiously looked in all directions for Edward, whom she at length espied, at a short distance before them, superintending a game of ball-bias.”

Notes

The novel presents the girl, Rebecca, very positively, suggesting she is the smartest and best looking student in the school.

Sources

Rebecca Nathan; or, a Daughter of Israel, anon., London, 1844, James Burrill, p. 81

Ball Bias in Kent on September 21 1847

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Tuesday, September 21, 1847
Location Kent
Data

“Ball bias” was among the games played at the annual festival of the Maidstone (Kent) Literary and Mechanics's Institution held on the large estate of one of the members located in the nearby village of Tovil. A newspaper reported that “the amusements consisted of quadrille and country dancing, to separate bands, drop handkerchief, ball bias, &c., in which a large portion of those present heartily participated.”

Sources

Maidstone and South Eastern Gazette, Sept. 21, 1847, p. 6

Ball Bias in Kent on July 9 1850

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Tuesday, July 9, 1850
Location Kent
Data

“Ball bias” was named in a newspaper advertisement as one of the amusements to be offered at the upcoming Grand Temperance Rural Festival to be held near Maidstone, Kent. According to the ad, “various amusements will be permitted during the day, as cricket, archery, ball bias, &c. &c.”

Sources

Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser, July 9, 1850, p. 1

Ball Bias in East Sussex on June 6 1856

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Friday, June 6, 1856
Location East Sussex
Data

A newspaper described that ”ball-bias” was played as part of a huge festival staged in Hastings, East Sussex, celebrating the end of the Crimean War: "There were scrambling for nuts, marbles, &c., and racing amongst the girls as well as boys for toys, footballs were bounding all over the hill, blindman's buff engaged one circle, and drop-handkerchief excited some interest in others, while ball-bias (see note) and other games engaged the attention of the rest."

Notes

It is not quite clear whether use of the word “ball-bias” was intentional or whether the writer or editor confused it with baseball. This very same newspaper article was reprinted 30 years later, on Jan. 8, 1887, in the Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, and the reprinted article is identical in all respects to the 1856 original excepting that the word "ball-bias" was changed to "base-ball." So which was correct?

Sources

Hastings and St Leonards News, June 6, 1856, p. 3

Ball Bias in Kent on August 23 1859

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Tuesday, August 23, 1859
Location Kent
Data

“Ball bias” was one of the games played at the annual festival of the Wesleyan Sunday School of Tunbridge Wells, Kent: “The children to the number of 120 assembled with their teachers at the school, and thence proceeded straight to the play grounds just mentioned, the procession being adorned by a goodly number of beautiful banners. Cricket, ball bias, racing, &c. were engaged in till about five, when the scholars were assembled in the booth, and had tea, cake, &c., after which they resumed play till dusk.”

Sources

Sussex Advertiser, Aug. 23, 1859, p. 3

Ball Bias in Kent on July 1 1867

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Monday, July 1, 1867
Location Kent
Data

A game of “ball bias” was among the entertainments offered to a gathering of as many as 500 people at the annual Church Festival in West Malling, Kent. Following a church service and the consumption of a lavish meal, a newspaper reported that “amusements of various kinds, the Rifle Band (39th Kent), singing, croquet, trap bat, ball bias, promenading, &c., were enjoyed and carried on by various parties with much spirit until dusk.”

Sources

Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser, July 1, 1867, p. 5

Ball Bias in East Sussex on August 2 1873

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, August 2, 1873
Location East Sussex
Data

“Ball bias” was played at a treat for children belonging to the Hastings Juvenile Temple of Good Templars of Hastings, East Sussex. “They mustered at the Temperance Hall, Castle-road, in the afternoon, and forming in order of procession, marched with banners flying to their destination, which being reached the children amused themselves with various sports, such as running, swinging, ball bias, &c.”

Sources

Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, Aug. 2, 1873, p. 5

Ball Bias in West Sussex on August 19 1873

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Tuesday, August 19, 1873
Location West Sussex
Data

“Ball bias” was one of the games played at a picnic and “gipsy party” organized by an unnamed grouping of 40 adults and children, and held in a park near Cuckfield, a village near the eastern border of West Sussex.The ladies in the group prepared tea, but, according to a newspaper report, “just as the beverage was being served a shower brought umbrellas, mantles and rugs in request; but they kept it up merrily at stoolball, trap, and ball bias, there being swings on the branches for the little ones.”

Sources

Chichester Express and West Sussex Journal, Aug. 19, 1873, P. 2

Ball Bias in London in 1875

Block Game Ball Bias
Date 1875
Location London
Data

The term “ball-bias” was linked to cricket, base-ball and rounders in a London magazine article examining the English use of sticks, i.e., walking sticks, sporting sticks, etc. After stating that “in Kent and Sussex...the stick is called a 'bat',” the author proceeded to write that: “cricket, born in the south of England,has naturally adopted the same nomenclature. The cricket-bat is simply the 'crooked stick;' it is merely a development of that game of ball, other forms of which exist in ball-bias, base-ball, rounders, hockey, cum multis aliis. Originally the person of the player is aimed at whilst he is running from station to station, and if struck he and his side are 'out;' and hence you have the 'run' in cricket as the standard of success.”

Notes

The inferences we must take from this are that ball-bias was played with a bat, and that the author was referring to American baseball. The inclusion of hockey makes little sense since it is not a safe haven game like the others.

Sources

“Upon Sticks,” appearing in “Belgravia: A London Magazine,” Sept. 1875, pp. 434-435

Ball Bias in East Sussex on June 28 1879

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, June 28, 1879
Location East Sussex
Data

A newspaper reported that “ball bias” was among the games played at the annual excursion of the Young Men's Christian Institute affiliated with the Congregational Chapel of Hastings, East Sussex. The members of the society choose the small village of Sedlescombe for their outing, traveling by train or by waggonette. “When the party arrived at their rendezvous, cricket, ball bias, and other games were immediately entered into with great spirit, and carried on up till five o'clock, when tea was partaken of in a large marquee in a field.”

Sources

Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, June 18, 1879, p. 5

Ball Bias in East Sussex on July 5 1879

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, July 5, 1879
Location East Sussex
Data

“Ball bias” was among the games enjoyed at the annual treat for children attending the Sunday School of the Robertson-street Congregational Chapel of Hastings, East Sussex. The scholars, to the number of about 500, assembled at the schools early in the afternoon, and marched to the valley under the guidance of the teachers. On their arrival they were dismissed and indulged in a variety of games, such as cricket, ball bias, swinging, racing, &c., till four o'clock when they were summoned for tea.”

Sources

Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, July 5, 1879, p. 7

Ball Bias in East Sussex on July 26 1879

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, July 26, 1879
Location East Sussex
Data

Following an unusual incident, the game “ball bias” was played at the annual outing to the nearby town of Battle (where the Battle of Hastings was fought) by children attending the St. Leonards Congregational Sunday Schools of St. Leonards, East Sussex. “We soon arrive...and the youngsters make a rush for the meadows. In one of these the hay has only just been cut, and here a large number of adults, as well as juveniles, amuse themselves for the space of two hours, when two gentlemen in blue make their appearance, and the party is requested—of course, in the politest manner possible—to adjourn to the next field. Why the police should be sent to do this we cannot imagine; but, surely, as the request of any other person would have been acceeded (sic) to with as much cordiality, it would have been better not to have brought the police into the question. Other games were then resorted to—cricket, 'tagger,' swinging, and ball bias.”

Sources

Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, July 26, 1879, p. 2

Ball Bias in East Sussex on July 10 1880

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, July 10, 1880
Location East Sussex
Data

“Ball bias” was one of the amusements offered at an outing to nearby Fairlight Glen for high school students and friends of the St. Leonards School, of St. Leonards, East Sussex. “On arriving at their journey's end, various amusements, such as croquet, ball bias, and &c., were indulged in, and the refreshments, which had been taken in a van, were done full justice to.”

Sources

Hastings and St. Leonards Observer, July 10, 1880, p. 6

Ball Bias in Kent on August 9 1884

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Saturday, August 9, 1884
Location Kent
Data

“Ball-bias” was one of the games enjoyed by 200 children at the annual treat for students of the Wesleyan Chapel Sunday Schools of Goudhurst, a village in Kent near the Sussex border. A newspaper reported that “the amusements provided for the children included swinging, cricket, the tug of war, ball-bias, bat, trap and ball, and some of the children of a larger growth amused themselves and the bystanders by playing French tag, &c.”

Sources

South Eastern Gazette (Maidstone), Aug. 9, 1884, p. 3

Ball Bias in Kent on July 29 1887

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Friday, July 29, 1887
Location Kent
Data

“Ball bias” was played along with other games at the annual summer festival of the Mount Pleasant Congregational Sunday School of Tunbridge Wells, Kent. According to a newspaper report: “The children began to assemble at 2:30 p.m. and a lively scene soon presented itself, cricket, ball bias, racing for prizes, scrambling for sweets, donkey riding and a variety of other amusements were freely indulged in, to the great delight of the youngsters.”

Sources

Kent & Sussex Courier (Tunbridge Wells), July 29, 1887, p. 5

Ball Bias in East Sussex on July 26 1889

Block Game Ball Bias
Date Friday, July 26, 1889
Location East Sussex
Data

“Ball-bias” was among the games enjoyed by members of the Band of Hope of the town of Wadhurst, East Sussex, on their annual treat. A newspaper reported that after a rainstorm had passed the children began their organized amusements. “The boys' races were exceedingly well contested, and the three-legged races, sack races, and obstacle races caused a great deal of merriment. The visitors and elder children appeared to enjoy themselves immensely with French tag, ball-bias, the jolly miller, and other games, while many swings and see-saws were in constant requisition.”

Sources

Kent & Sussex Courier (Tunbridge Wells), July 26, 1889, p. 8

Ball Bias in Kent/London in 1898

Block Game Ball Bias
Date 1898
Location Kent/London
Data

“Ball-bias” was briefly defined in The English Dialect Dictionary in an entry provided by a correspondent from Kent. “Ken. Ball-bias, a running game, much like 'rounders,' played with a ball.”

Sources

The English Dialect Dictionary, Vol. I, by Joseph Wright, London, 1898, H. Frowde, p. 143

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