England: The Birthplace of Figure Skating

This chapter traces the early development of figure skating in England. Topics covered include the publication of the first skating book entitled The Art of Skating by Robert Jones in 1772; the first skating club, Edinburgh Skating Club; one of the earliest and most important books about skating, George Anderson's The Art of Skating, dating from 1852 and published under the pen name Cyclos; founding of the London Skating Club in 1830; the development of the English style of skating and new turns and figures; the advent of combined skating; the development of speed skating in the agricultural area of the fen country north of London; and establishment of the National Skating Association in 1879.