Alfred Ernest Crawley (11 July 1867'Death of Mr A. E. Crawley. An Expert in Ball Games', ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 25 October 1924 – 21 October 1924) was an English schoolmaster,

sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists app ...

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

sports journalist Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

and exponent of

ball games This is a list of ball games and ball sports that include a ball as a key element in the activity, usually for scoring points. Games that include balls Ball sports fall within many sport categories, some sports within multiple categories, inclu ...

Biography

Ernest Crawley was born in

Lincoln, Lincolnshire Lincoln () is a cathedral city and district in Lincolnshire, England, of which it is the county town. In the 2021 Census, the city's district had a population of 103,813. The 2021 census gave the urban area of Lincoln, including Bracebridge He ...

, the eldest child of Rev. Samuel Crawley, rector of

Oddington, Oxfordshire Oddington is a village and civil parish about south of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The village is close to the River Ray on the northern edge of Otmoor. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 129. History The toponym is ...

. He was the elder brother of the Olympic lawn tennis player

Walter Crawley Walter Cecil Crawley FES (29 March 1880 – 11 October 1940) was a British male tennis player and entomologist. he was active from 1901 to 1927 and won 8 career singles titles. Life Crawley was born on 29 March 1880 and educated at St Jo ...

. He was educated at

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, North West England. It comprise ...

and

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mo ...

, where he graduated BA in classics in 1890. He became an assistant master for seven years at

St John's School, Leatherhead St John's School in Leatherhead, Surrey is a fully co-educational private school for pupils aged 11 to 18. The school offers day, weekly and flexible boarding for approximately 800 pupils. St John's was founded in 1851 to educate the sons of ...

, before teaching at

Lancing College Lancing College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils aged 13–18 in southern England, UK. The school is located in West S ...

from 1898 to 1901 and at Bradfield School from 1901 to 1905. From 1905 until the Lent Term of 1906 he taught the Sixth Form at

Abingdon School Abingdon School is an independent day and boarding school in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is the List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, twentieth oldest Independent School (UK), independent British school. In May 202 ...

. In 1906 he became headmaster of

Derby School Derby School was a school in Derby in the English Midlands from 1160 to 1989. It had an almost continuous history of education of over eight centuries. For most of that time it was a grammar school for boys. The school became co-educational a ...

, though he resigned in December 1908 and took up journalism. In 1913, he resigned from being a clergyman under the terms of the Clerical Disabilities Act 1870 ( 33 & 34 Vict. c. 91). Crawley reached the quarterfinals of

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...

and

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

. He also reached the quarterfinals of

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

in 1913. Though

lawn tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

was Crawley's favourite sport, "he was also fond of golf,

figure-skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic dis ...

fives Fives (historically known as hand-tennis) is an English handball sport derived from ''jeu de paume'', similar to the games of handball, Basque pelota, and squash. The game is played in both singles and doubles teams, in an either three- or f ...

, and revolver shooting". His ''Book of the Ball'' (1914) compared several games, trying to discover and illustrate general principles governing the behaviour of the ball. Crawley wrote on sport for publications including ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', ''

'', and ''Fry's Magazine''. Crawley's best-known anthropological book, ''The Mystic Rose'' (1902), dealt with the anthropology of marriage. He emphasised the importance of marriage ceremonies,'Obituary: Mr A. E. Crawley', ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'', No. 114 (8 November 1924), pp.689–90 explaining sexual and marriage custom with reference to

taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

. He contributed to the ''

Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries that are arranged alphabetically by artic ...

'' on a range of anthropological topics: '

Anointing Anointing is the ritual, ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, ...

', '

Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...

', ' Cursing and

Blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will. Etymology and Germani ...

', 'Dress', ' Drinks, Drinking', 'Fire', ' Fire-Gods', 'Food', '

Kissing A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, Passion (emotion), passion ...

', 'Life and Death (Primitive)', '

Oath Traditionally, an oath (from Old English, Anglo-Saxon ', also a plight) is a utterance, statement of fact or a promise taken by a Sacred, sacrality as a sign of Truth, verity. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths ...

(Introductory and Primitive)', '

Obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...

', ' Ordeal (Introductory and Primitive)', '

Orgy An orgy is a sex party where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swinger parties the sexual partners may all know each other o ...

', and '

Processions A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

and Dances'.Extracts from 'Dress' have been reprinted in He was a Fellow of the

Royal Anthropological Institute The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) is a long-established anthropological organisation, and Learned Society, with a global membership. Its remit includes all the component fields of anthropology, such as biolo ...

and the Sociological Society. Crawley died on 21 October 1924 in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

Works

* 'Branchos', ''Folk-Lore'', Vol. 6, No. 2 (June 1895), pp. 267–69 * 'Achilles at Skyros', ''The Classical Review'', Vol. 7 No. 6 (June 1893), pp. 243–45 * 'Sexual Taboo: a study in the relations of the sexes', ''Journal of the Anthropological Institute'', Vol. 24 (1895), pp. 116–25 * 'Sexual Taboo: a study in the relations of the sexes (Part II)', ''Journal of the Anthropological Institute'', Vol. 24 (1895), pp. 219–35 * 'Sexual Taboo: a study in the relations of the sexes (Part III)', ''Journal of the Anthropological Institute'', Vol. 24 (1895), pp. 430–446 * 'Taboos of Commensality', ''Folk-Lore'' * ''The mystic rose: a study of primitive marriage'', 1902. ** Revised and enlarged ed., 2 vols, 1927. Ed. by

Theodore Besterman Theodore Deodatus Nathaniel Besterman (22 November 1904 – 10 November 1976) was a Polish-born British psychical researcher, bibliographer, biographer, and translator. In 1945 he became the first editor of the '' Journal of Documentation''. Fro ...

. * Translation into

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

for multilingual private printing of ''Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, the astronomer-poet of Persia'', English tr. by Edward Fitzgerald, privately printed on hand-made paper / Japanese vellum, 1902 * ''The tree of life: a study of religion'', 1905 * 'The origin and function of religion', in Sociological Society, ed., ''Sociological Papers'', Vol. 3, 1906, pp. 243–278, Excerpts onlin
here
. * 'Exogamy and the Mating of Cousins', in ''Anthropological Essays presented to E. B. Tylor, 1907'', pp.52–68 * ''The idea of the soul'', 1909 * Review of ''The Threshold of Religion'' by R. R. Marett, ''

Man A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

'', Vol. 9 (1909). pp. 140–41 * 'Primitive eugenics', ''The Eugenics Review'', Jan. 1910, pp. 275–80. Reprinted onlin
here
* 'Totemism Unveiled', ''Nature'' 84 (1910), pp. 31–2 * ''Book of the ball'', 1913 * ''Lawn tennis'', 1919. * ''Skating: English, international, speed'', 1920 * ''Lawn tennis do's and don'ts'', 1922 * ''The technique of lawn tennis demonstrated by cinematography'', 1923. * ''The lawn tennis umpire & referee: what he must know, and what he should do'', 1923 * ''Studies of savages and sex'', 1929. Ed. by

. * ''Dress, drinks, and drums: further studies of savages and sex'', 1931. Ed. by Theodore Besterman. * ''Oath, curse, and blessing, and other studies in origins'', 1934. Ed. by Theodore Besterman.

Thinker's Library The Thinker's Library was a series of 140 hardcover books published between 1929 and 1951 for the Rationalist Press Association by Watts & Co., London, a company founded by the brothers John and Charles Watts and then run by the latter's son Ch ...

, no. 40. (Selection from the 1929 ''Studies'' and the 1931 ''Dress, drinks, and drums''.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawley, Alfred Ernest 1867 births 1924 deaths People educated at Sedbergh School Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Schoolteachers from Lincolnshire English anthropologists English folklorists English sports journalists British sexologists Headmasters of Derby School Teachers at Abingdon School Tennis writers English male tennis players British male tennis players Sportspeople from Lincolnshire