The Counties of England, A New Round Game
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1870
This educational card game, titled "The Counties of England, A New Round Game", was published in England by John Jaques & Son Ltd around 1870. Designed as a geographical round game played similarly to Happy Families, it aims at collecting sets. A pack requires 61 cards alongside a key card and a set of rules. Each set comprises a lead county card together with two to four picture cards depicting specific towns or locations within that county, accompanied by relevant facts.
The cards are produced from paper using coloured wood engravings. In their manufacture, wood engravings were printed on large paper sheets, pasted onto card, and subsequently cut to size. Each individual card measures 8.3 cm in height and 6.4 cm in width. The shown cards display printed textual titles, numbers, and descriptive details alongside rectangular pictorial views of locations.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
John Jaques introduced the game in 1866, and it was published in three series covering England and Wales, with sets originally priced at 1s. 6d. each. Designed for more than three players, the rules describe gameplay where participants ask one another for specific county or town cards to complete sets. An alternative version employs a designated President, county cards held in hand, and counters paid into or drawn from a pool for forfeits, correct identifications, and related factual descriptions.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Coloured engravings on paper
- Dimensions
- Height (card): 8.3 cm; Width (card): 6.4 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- John Jaques & Son Ltd
- Place recorded
- England
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- The Counties of England, A New Round Game
- Museum object number
- MISC.16&:1-1969
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.