History of tennis royal families of Europe were besieged and real tennis was largely abandoned. Real tennis played a minor role in the history of the French Revolution, through the Tennis Court Oath, a pledge signed by French deputies on a real tennis court, which formed a decisive early step in starting the revolution. In England, during the 18th and early 19th centuries as real tennis declined, three other racquet sports emerged: racquets, squash racquets, and lawn tennis (the modern game). The modern sport is tied to two separate inventions. Between 1859 and 1865, in Birmingham, England, Major Harry Gem, a solicitor, and
Oriel Square tennis court site is now the location of Oriel College's Harris Building, used for student accommodation, a seminar room and lecture theatre. Oriel Square tennis court The Oriel Square tennis court was a real tennis court that was located in Oriel Square, central Oxford, England. The "Liber Albus" mentions the Oriel court being in Vinehall Lane in 1577. The only active court left in the city is in Merton Street. Charles I played tennis here with his nephew Prince Rupert in December 1642 and King Edward VII had his first tennis lesson here in 1859. The court survived until 1923, when it