Ice skating for recreation dates back to at least the Middle Ages and roller skates were initially invented in the 18th century to enable ice-skaters to practise without ice, their first recorded sighting being in London in 1743. In 1760 the first patented skates were launched in London by Belgian inventor John Joseph Merlin: essentially these were shoes or bindings fitting over the regular footwear, but with wheels instead of the narrow blades used on ice – a style that today we would call inline skating. However, their rudimentary design meant that they were hard to steer and had no mechanism for braking. Reputedly Merlin wore a pair of his new skates to a masquerade party at Carlisle House in London but the esteemed inventor was not a skilled skater: his speed and direction becoming out of control, he crashed into a large mirror, severely injuring himself and possibly setting back the sport for decades.

Victorian roller skating
Roller skating remained a niche pursuit throughout the Georgian era but, like many physical activities, advanced considerably during the mid-late 19th century. In the 1840s Meyerbeer’s Opera Le Prophète included a scene in which performers wore roller skates to simulate ice skating on a frozen lake stage set, this novel display encouraging roller skating throughout the Continent. Over time, as ice skaters developed the skill of graceful figure skating, roller skaters also wanted to be able to turn on their skates in a similar fashion. In 1863, James Plimpton of Massachusetts, frustrated at the limited mobility of skates then available, invented the ‘rocking’ skate and used a four-wheel arrangement for stability with axles that could be turned manually. In the late 1870s and 1880s advances also occurred in the vulcanisation of rubber, which aided traction, and in steel ball bearings, improving speed and manoeuvrability: consequently, the sport expanded throughout Europe, Britain and America during the late 19th century. The first official roller hockey game, called roller polo, was played in 1878 at the Denmark Rink in London, while Britain’s National Skating Association was created in 1879. Hobbyists skated on the roads, in parks and began to frequent the first dedicated roller skating ‘rinks’.

Edwardian craze
Consolidating and expanding the existing network of roller skating facilities, many more purpose-built and converted rinks arose in British towns and cities during the early 20th century. By this time our Edwardian ancestors were enjoying all manner of energetic activities from cycling and walking to ping pong and Diablo, and roller skating was set to become a major craze. From 1908 onwards chains of rinks became established nationwide, with one company, Rinking Ltd., operating over 20 rinks by autumn 1909. In 1910 well over 500 indoor rinks existed throughout Britain, from Birmingham to Bournemouth, with others established outdoors on piers and at popular entertainment locations.

The heyday of Edwardian roller skating or ‘rinking’, as it was popularly called, spanned just a few years, from 1908 to 1912. During the boom period, about 17,000 people were employed in the British roller skating industry, some operating the venues, others providing an associated service: for instance, many musicians made up the bands and small orchestras that played live music for skaters, until ‘automated’ music became a cheaper, more convenient option. The larger roller skating venues could accommodate literally thousands of skaters and spectators, offering some idea of the impressive scale of the pastime and the large numbers of people whom it attracted.

Between 1909 and 1911 four special-interest monthly or weekly roller skating magazines were published, for example The World of Wheels and Roller Skating Records. Additionally, humorous postcards – always a powerful vehicle for commenting on the latest trends and news – were published in their thousands, typically presenting comic views of the craze that literally threw people together in an unprecedented way. A notable feature was its popularity with young women, the local press in certain areas reporting how some girls spent every spare shilling on roller skating. Undoubtedly young single men and the many young women now enjoying more active lives found the sport a fun way to gain exercise, socialise and meet members of the opposite sex.

Surviving images seem to suggest that indoor roller skating was especially popular in winter time, perhaps due to its traditional association with ice skating and also because most venues were open all year round, providing regular entertainment during the cold season. As a public activity, skating also gave young women a welcome opportunity to display their smart ‘tailor-made’ suits, stylish feathered hats and fashionable fur neck wraps, gloves and muffs – accessories once expensive status symbols but now becoming affordable for more ordinary women.

Public objections
Not everyone approved of roller skating: rinks were often constructed with a metal surface, making a great deal of noise, and along with rowdy skaters and loud rounds of applause, they prompted complaints in some neighbourhoods. The poorer sectors of society could not usually afford the entrance fee into rinks and some, including children, skated outdoors in the streets. A few skaters travelled at speed along the pavements, creating a nuisance and danger to pedestrians, even fatal accidents. Some local authorities tried to introduce by-laws prohibiting or limiting street skating, but there was opposition from other quarters, reluctant to make roller skating a punishable offence.

Skating events and competitions
Part of the allure of roller skating was the range of associated activities, from roller football to New Years’ Eve parties and fancy dress carnivals. Serious skating competitions were also immensely popular, many speed and figure skating events being held at London’s Crystal Palace rink. In 1909 the National Skating Association organised the World Professional Roller Skating Championship, which took place in several large cities, including Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow. The final heat occurred in Edinburgh, a one-mile race, the winner gaining a trophy and £150 prize money.

Subversive skaters
Roller skating, when the activity was at its height, was even linked to a major act of defiance. On 2 April 1911, UK census night, about 70 men and some 500 women gathered at a rally in Trafalgar Square, before marching together to the Aldwych skating rink for what was probably the largest mass avoidance of the census. Several militant suffrage organisations including the Women’s Freedom League, the WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union) and the Tax Resistance Group hired the rink for the entire night. Officially they were not allowed to sleep there, so they skated until the early hours, when, at around 3.30am, Christabel Pankhurst pronounced the protest a success: nobody present had been enumerated.

End of an era
The late-Edwardian craze that had involved so many people as participating skaters, spectators and industry workers ended rather abruptly, due to a combination of factors: over-supply of facilities, inadequate management, wage cuts, strike action, and a general decline in popular interest in the face of the rapidly expanding cinema industry. The sport and social pastime of roller-skating did continue throughout the 20th century and has experienced fluctuating appeal ever since, but has never regained the astonishing popularity that ‘rinking’ enjoyed just over a century ago.