The most obvious background check to be a member of the upper classes is what school one went too. In many cases some are so upper class they do not go to school at all and are self taught by a tutor. This was the case for William Pitt, plus the vast majority of monarchs of Britain. Yet it is possible to be upper class and still go to school. To be upper class one must almost allways go to a public school, although a cadet school can do to.
The King's College of Our Lady of Eton, known as Eton, is a prestigious and internationally known independent school, often described as the most famous school in the world. It is located in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor in England, situated about a mile north of Windsor Castle. It has a very long list of well known alumni, including 19 former British Prime Ministers.
Harrow School is a British public school, located in Harrow on the Hill in North West London. It was founded in 1572 under Royal Charter granted by Elizabeth I to John Lyon, a local yeoman, for the provision of education.
Fettes College is a leading independent boarding and day school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded 1870 as the result of a large bequest by Sir William Fettes, a wealthy Edinburgh merchant, in memoriam of his son, also called William Fettes, who died in 1815. It produced Prime Minister Blair and the head of Cairn Energy a large oil company, and numerous other alumni.
Gordonstoun is a Scottish private school.
Located in a 17th century house near Elgin, Moray, in Scotland founded as an international school in 1934 by Dr Hahn, who chosn to leave Germany, mainly on account of his Jewish background. However Hahn introduced many controversial German educational traditions, which were alien to Scottish education.
Here is a list of some of the old public school colleges in the UK
The King's School, Canterbury (597)
The King's School, Rochester (604)
Wells Cathedral School (909)
Warwick School (914)
Abingdon School (1256)
Hereford Cathedral School (1384)
Oswestry School (1407)
Durham School (1414)
Sevenoaks School (1432)
Tonbridge School (1553)
Rugby School (1567)
Emanuel School (1594)
Wellingborough School (1595)
In public school rugby is more popular than football, obviously rugby union. Rugby union was invented in rugby public school. To go to puiblic school one must pay often hefty a fee, often thousands of pounds, or one can pass a test.
In public school houses are often an important part so each pupil will be proud of their house, which is a sort of team they belong too. Often they will take pride in school v school rugby matches.
There have problmes of bullying and abuse in the public school system but these problems are hopefully being tackled with.
In terms of university Oxford and Cambridge refereed to as Oxbridge are regarded as bastions of upper class establishment.
The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The university traces its roots back to at least the end of the 11th century, although the exact date of foundation remains unclear. According to legend, after riots between scholars and townsfolk broke out in 1209, some of the academics at Oxford fled north-east to the town of Cambridge, where the University of Cambridge was founded. The two universities have since had a long history of competition with each other.
Balliol College 1263, Brasenose College 1509. Christ Church 1546, Corpus Christi College 1517, Exeter College 1314, Green College 1979, Harris Manchester College 1889 Hertford College 1282 Jesus College 1571 Keble College 1870 Kellogg College 1990 Lady Margaret Hall 1878 Linacre College 1962 Lincoln College 1427 Magdalen College 1458 Mansfield College 1886 Merton College 1264 New College 1379 Nuffield College 1958 Oriel College 1326 Pembroke College 1624 The Queen's College 1341 St Anne's College 1878 St Antony's College 1953 St Catherine's College 1963 St Cross College 1965 St Edmund Hall 1957 St Hilda's College 1893 St Hugh's College 1886 St John's College 1555 St Peter's College 1929 Somerville College 1879 Templeton College 1995 Trinity College 1554 University College 1249 Wadham College 1610 Wolfson College 1966 and Worcester College
Cambridge Univeristy
The University of Cambridge often called Cambridge University, located in Cambridge, is the second oldest university in the English speaking world.
Early records indicate the university grew out of an association of scholars in the city of Cambridge, probably formed in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with local townsmen.
The universities of Cambridge and Oxford are jointly referred to by the portmanteau term Oxbridge. In addition to cultural and practical associations as a historic part of British society, the two universities also have a long history of rivalry with each other.
Christ's 1505 Churchill 1960 Clare 1326 Clare Hall 1965 Corpus Christi 1352Darwin 1964 Downing 1800 Emmanuel 1584 Fitzwilliam 1966 Girton 1869 Gonville and Caius 1348 Homerton 1976 Hughes Hall 1885 Jesus 1496 King's 1441 Lucy Cavendish 1965 Magdalene 1428 New Hall Newnham 1871 Pembroke 1347
Peterhouse 1284 Queens' 1448 Robinson 1977 St Catharine's 1473 St Edmund's 1896 St John's 1511 Selwyn 1882 Sidney Sussex 1596 Trinity 1546 Trinity Hall 1350 Wolfson
The Oxford Cambridge boat race is a famous boat race which shows the
The Ivy league is the US equivlainet
Brown University Providence, Rhode Island Baptist
Columbia University New York,
Cornell University Ithaca, New York
Dartmouth College Hanover, New Hampshire Puritan
Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts Puritan
Princeton University Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, New Jersey
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Yale University
The upper class seems to enjoy sport which invloves a horse I have another website devoted to such sport http://www.lonympics.co.uk/new/equine.htm this does not cover horse racing.
Other types of sport played by the upper class include
Rugby Union, particulary university and public school rugby union. Much of the Englsh rugby union side are from public school.
rowing (Oxford Cambridge boat race)
Golf - Often seen as an upper class sport often women are banned from certain areas of the club. And the clubs often have a feel of a gentleman's club. Yet some clubs especially in Scotland are more working class.
Horse racing especially ascot,
Redirected from Royal Ascot)
Jump to: navigation, search
Ascot Racecourse is a racecourse, located in the village of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is closely associated with the British Royal Family and is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 31 annual Group 1 races. The site belongs to the Crown Estate. The centerpiece of Ascot’s year, Royal Ascot is one of the world’s most famous race meetings, steeped in history dating back to 1711. The royal family who arrive each day in a horse drawn carriage attend the meeting. A major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. Attendees must wear a morning suit in the royal enclosure, and most people outside of this section choose to wear one any way.
The accent of the upper class is one of the most obviously giveaway of social origin. Together with the Scottish, Irish and London accent it is probably the best known accent to American. Yet it is easily copied and often can be picked up with great ease. Nowadays the accent has been toned down. Some refer to this accent as plummy. Because of the famous joke that the accent is spoken as if one has a plumb in one's mouth. Many in the acting profession speak in an upper class accent. Many apparently working class men have picked up upper class accents in the profession. And many a butler, or employee of the uperr class picks up the accent too. Often many foreign student will learn English in upper class style.
The upper classes are almost always rich. Don't fall for the lie that they have no money. To get all the trappings of being upper class is an enormous expenditure, Public school, houses, sport, horse, car, clubs, a vastly expensive maintenance. Often the money is inherited and is earned from land rent payment, or for luxury services to other upper class types. This will be covered later in the employment section.
titleWhen one thinks of the upper class the first name that springs to mind is often a lord, or a lady, whether it be ther fifth earl Buckingridge, or the 7th Marques of Draylock. Yet not all upper classes have such a title
When William of Normandy conquered England, he divided the nation into many "manors", the owners of which came to be known as barons; those who held many manors were known as "greater barons", while those with fewer manors were the "lesser barons". When Kings summoned their barons to Royal Councils, the lesser barons were summoned through sheriffs, while the greater barons were summoned individually by the Sovereign. In 1254, the lesser barons ceased to be summoned; the body of greater barons, meanwhile, evolved into the House of Lords. By the beginning of the fourteenth century, the hereditary characteristics of the Peerage were well developed., and now accorss the whole of the UK,
The order is duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron, and In Scotland, the fifth rank is called a lord of Parliament
Lords
dukedoms
Marquessates
Earldoms
Viscountcies
Baronies
Most of these names have anicent traces but it is easy to get one for a welathy individual, some are sold on the market, some are sold by politcial parties. It is true that many a name is now bought but let us be honest many of the the original names were mainly got in often violent and dishonest ways, engaging in corruption or sychpancy with dishonest brutal opressions with corrupt regimes. It is allways rare for one of these names to go to someone for inventing something or charity work. That is not what a government would reward people for.
Many regard it as a disgrace that entry to the house of lords is hereditary, regarding it as an insult to democracy.
Upper class men often belong to a private gentleman's club. Just as the London stock exchange originated from a coffee house many say that these clubs originated from coffee houses in the 16th century. These clubs often ban women. Are often bastions of the conservative party and right wing views. The hey day of these clubs is seen as the 19th century the era of British imperialism. Often the imperial campaigns were privately planned in these clubs. This has often left dangerous right wing views nationalistic imperialist views to remain in these clubs. Into the sixties these clubs were often seen as the last bastions of imperialism in the UK.
The clubs were often the first port of call after leaving Oxbridge and still are. The clubs often contain a library, lounge, dining room, smoking room, billiard room, and card room. The current conservative party leader belongs to Whites a private club in London. The waiting list for such a club is often many a year long plus very expensive to join.
The upper class tend to be right wing, in their views as they are normally wealthy they often ask for a tax cutting agenda, no welfare state. Some see themselves as the natural government of Britain, so often see it as acceptable to have an unelected house of parliament. Often they will support the types of activity that upper classes enage in such as fox hunting, maintaining land ownership for the upper class, and often even aruging for feudalistic laws.
The upper classes tend to live in large old mansions, with large well maintained gardens, with a stable. These houses often have many employees a butler, maid, gardener etc to maintain these houses. Often the houses will be of such beauty it will be called a stately home. There are around 500 in England. In Scotland such houses tend to remain being called a castle. Often visitors can visist the home for a fee. Many upper classes have many many houses in London, the countryside, one abroad perhaps in Switzerland.
The traditional clothing for the upper classes can change with the fashion. In the 19th century it was bowler hat, but fewe people dress this way now. Now a smart suit is considered the usual dress.
Just as with clothing this can change. A cynical individual would suggest that anything the working class can have easily is regarded as unfashionable and anything that the working or middle class cannot have easily is often upper class. For instance pigeon is often regarded as upper class meal now. Although this will soon change I am sure, and i am probably allready out of date.
Caviar, and champagne are to some extent still regarded as upper class items, but the status these luxury items gain, causes them to be mass produced and they often lose their status as a result.
How easy is it to gain upper class status and not be seen as a con artist?
Well it depends on the definition and who is making the judgment. Most working and middle class people would regard anyone who went to an expensive public school and paid, and talks in a non faked upper class voice as upper class. Yet some upper classes talk about "breeding" which can mean that there has to be have a long tradition of carrying out upper class activities. Some will even look on fellow upper class types as not upper class enough as a result. Some say it takes 3 generations to make one upper class. Some regard one as upper class only if one is one of the aristocracy. Some feel if one talks with an upper class accent then one is upper class. Some feel the upper class
Morality is unfortunately not really an important attribute to gain upper class status. As with all classes there are many types of people in the upper class, bad ones and good guys. Some abuse the power, and money, and some are warped by some of the ideologies in upper class society. It is perhaps not surprising that some upper class people become fascist and believers in the nasty fascist theories, because of all the talk of breeding. Some become power crazed and convinced of their own superiority. Some will become criminal for the same causes that working and middle class people often become criminal simply out of greed, or pleasure from abuse.
'Upper class' = 'Supple scar'
Harrow school = 'Who or scholar'
'Eton college' = 'Cool! Genteel'
A gentlemans club = 'Nascent, glum able'
Plumby accent = 'Numbly accept.
No comments:
Post a Comment