John Jaques & Son Ltd
Taken from the Jaques’ website and personal correspondence, 2004
Passing down the family business from father to son has become increasingly rare. Passing it down in happy circumstances for six generations may be something of a record. Thus it seems only fitting that John Jaques is the company that invented Happy Families.
Today, John V and Christopher run what is the oldest games and sports manufacturer in the world. Their sons, Benjamin, Emmett, Joe and daughter Clare, will be the seventh generation in an unbroken line which began with a country boy named Thomas.
Thomas Jaques was a farmer’s son of French Huguenot descent born in 1765. Following a country childhood in the Wiltshire village of Grittleton near Chippenham, Thomas, having finished his schooling, left in a wagon for London to seek his fortune. He was, by then, an ambitious young lad of fifteen.
Thomas arrived in London in 1780 where his traditional Huguenot craftsmanship skills flourished, and became apprenticed to a bone and ivory turner, Mr Ivy, at 65 Leather Lane in Holborn. Thomas’s instinct and good sense extended into his private life: at twenty-one, Thomas married Mr Ivy’s niece!
Thomas continued to work for Mr Ivy. Nine years later, his employer and mentor died. Thomas, now thirty, was so well-versed in his craft that he could take on the business and establish himself as “Thomas Jaques, (Manufacturer of Ivory, Hardwoods, Bone, and Tunbridge Ware)”. Thus, it is from this date, 1795, that John Jaques marks its official beginning.
His decorative card illustrates his bold, ambitious nature as well as his meticulous attention to detail: a one-man business, he nonetheless offered his wares “for Wholesale and for Exportation”, the latter indicated by sailing ships. The elephants tell us of the then not-endangered materials in which he principally worked. The commanding figure of a Greek goddess, quill pen in hand, seems on the verge of signing a contract. Beehives, of course, symbolise industry.
Thomas worked in wood, bone and ivory, handcrafting carved snuff-boxes, coat, hat and hair brushes, paper knives, work boxes, glove stretchers, and the inlaid woodwork known as Tunbridge Ware. In 1795, a son John was born, the third of seven children, and the son who would carry on and expand the family business. At fifteen, John was apprenticed to his father and five years later partnered him in the firm, which became “T. and J. Jaques, Wholesale Ivory Turners”.
It was, by this time, too narrow a description, as their materials now included hardwoods. Lignum vitae was the unique wood which was to become Jaques croquet mallets. Turkey boxwood was destined for mallets and balls. In fact, before long Jaques would become timber-based, as they are now, 206 years on. As the father and son partnership prospered, so the family grew. John married, and fathered a son: John Jaques II. He, too, was apprenticed as a young man, to the family firm, which by now, had expanded into additional premises at 102 Hatton Garden. (Leather Lane was retained.) From this time on a series of events shaped the history of Jaques, especially the invention of many famous games and sports, which led Jaques to ‘teach the world to play’.
Early 1800′s
John Jaques II invented Happy Families (first published around 1840), Tiddledy-Winks, Ludo and Snakes and Ladders and was awarded the freedom of the City of London in 1869.
1849
Nathaniel Cooke (John Jaques II father-in-law) took the basic chess pieces and with a revolutionary design based on the Elgin marbles, changed the look completely, into today’s design. Howard Staunton, a famous exponent of the English School of Chess was so impressed that he allowed his name and signature to authenticate every box of pieces.
1851
John Jaques II won a place in sporting history and a gold medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851 for his introduction of Croquet to Britain.
1864
John Jaques II wrote and published “Croquet: The Laws and Regulations of the Game”.
1884
John Jaques III joined the company and expanded production into sports equipment for cricket, tennis, football, hockey, badminton and archery. With this expansion the company moved to Kirby Street.
1902
John Jaques III invented Gossima which swept the country and became Ping-Pong. This later was renamed “Table Tennis”.
1941
Jaques factory in Hatton Garden was demolished in the blitz leaving only a burnt safe, containing the original Pattern Book of designs from 1795 to 1870. John Jaques IV re-established the factory from the ashes of Hatton Garden with the help of his loyal staff, who scowered London for new premises and machinery whilst office staff contacted customers asking for payment of their bills. The new factory address was; 361 Whitehorse Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey.
MI 9 employed Jaques to make prisoner of war escape kits in the form of many games including cribbage boards with secret map compartments.
1946
John Jaques IV invented the resin lawn bowl, which was superior to anything of its time.
1950
John Jaques IV introduced the laminate glass fibre archery bow, laminated tennis racket frame and transformed the traditional wooden badminton racket into a lightweight, steel-shafted 4oz version.
1965
John V and Christopher take-over the business.
1995
John Jaques and Son celebrate two hundred years and to celebrate introduced the “Bi-centenary Limited Edition Chess Set.”
2000
John Jaques moved their offices, showroom and distribution warehouse to new premises at “The House of Jaques”, 1 Fircroft Way, Edenbridge, Kent as the company continues to expand.
And the plans…
2002
Thornton Heath manufacturing side of the business moves to Edenbridge, closing another chapter in the history o
