The lost sport of Pall-Mall

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

Picture description. / Photo by 'username', licensed by Envato.com.

Bridgerton, a period piece on the Regency era in England, is an incredibly popular show on Netflix. With the release of its newest season and a new love affair. Aside from the promenade and debutantes talking, there is a fair amount of sports featured in the show. One of those being Pall-Mall.

The game originated in France before spreading to areas like Scotland and England. However, there are some disputes about this due to a song in 15th-century Italy that references the game. The song was called “Palla a Maligo”. The game itself reached its height of popularity in Scotland and England during the 16th and 17th centuries before dying off. However, in 1717, a man named Joseph Lauthier wrote a book entitled “New rules for the game of Mali”. Due to his origin being from France, it led historians to believe that the game itself was still popular for aristocrats and nobles in France.

So, how did the game get to England, you might be wondering? Well, historians believe that when Mary Queen of Scots traveled to England in 1548, she was seen playing the game. They drew this conclusion because during her return to England in 1567, she was documented playing Pall-Mall.

Following this brief introduction, the next time the game was introduced was by King Charles II. In 1646, the King fled England in fear for his life, which led him to France. During his time in France, the King was able to pick up the sport, growing his personal enjoyment for it. Following his return to England after his father’s death in May of 1660, the King made some much-needed changes to St. James Palace, such as the addition of a Pall-Mall Alley.

If this game was so well-loved in so many countries, then why did it die? Well, it didn’t; different attributes of the sports are present among multiple sports today. Many, such as cricket and golf, have elements that are reflective of Pall-Mall. Historians came to these conclusions about similarities after finding a mallet and a ball in 1854. They noted that the mallet was similar to mallets used for cricket; however, there were slight changes, such as the head of the mallet being curved. The ball, as well, was a bit different, being six inches in circumference and made out of boxwood.

Historians debate whether the modern-day game of cricket derived from this game. They seem to have similar methods; however, many conclude that the pall-mall is more similar to modern-day golf than cricket. The way in which players are meant to swing, furthermore, as players got closer to the hoops, they changed their swinging pattern, similar to the change in club and swing in golf.

Pall-Mall was a very diverse game, having multiple ways to play and enjoy. Furthermore, there are other games that are similar in nature.  In 1332, it was documented that individuals were enjoying a game called ‘Crosse’ or ‘Chloe’. The game was played in a clear field or area in the countryside. Each team had a common target and had a certain number of attempts to reach it. The opposing team was allowed to strike their ball away. 

The combination of Pall-Mall and Chole created the game that is present in Bridgerton. The TV show uses information about how the games are played and cleverly combines them to make a thrilling game between the characters. Aside from all the love and drama that is present in the popular show, there is another thing to learn from the show. The different and lost sports that were once very present within high society.