John Jaques of London is something of a rarity in the modern business world - not only is it oldest games and sports manufacturer in the world, but also a father and son business that has been handed down in happy circumstances through 7 generations! It seems only fitting that John Jaques is the company that invented 'Happy Families'!

John Jaques Croquet

John Jaques II won a place in sporting history and a Gold Medal for introducing croquet to England at the Great Exhibition in 1851. His display there attracted such wide attention that the game quickly became the vogue, not only here but in Europe and throughout the British Empire. It was especially popular in India, reportedly played by the Viceroy himself with a solid ivory mallet, made by Jaques as part of their finest set.

Jaques croquet equipment has always been used in every single world championship event the world over. It is also supplied to clubs from Reigate to Russia and virtually every club the world over. Jaques is still the byword for all first class equipment.

Garden Croquet is becoming increasingly popular: it a versatile game that can be played on any size lawn. So there's no excuse, we should all be enjoying a game of croquet with family and friends after that summers day BBQ!

Every single Jaques English Ass corrigrip mallet is made from wood that has been laid in stick in the Jaques factory for over 5 years and takes over 3 man hours to complete from start to finish. The finest laser Tuftex Lignum Vitae mallets, as used in the finest Sandringham 8 player set are currently being produced from wood that was added to the Jaques fine woods cellar in 1982. It has to be put in stick for this amount of time due to the density of the wood - it is the only wood in the world that sinks in water.

Should any aspect of a mallet need replacing, repairing or repolishing, or should you require one custom-made, compiled to a specific weigh, Jaques can comply to within an ounce. Croquet professionals the world over still beat a path to the experts tucked away at Jaques HQ, painstakingly making croquet equipment that is highly treasured.

John Jaques Outdoor Games

Jaques were the original pioneers in creating the 'out of doors' gaming concept. This started with the Jaques invention of Croquet in 1851. Following the instant worldwide success of the game Jaques was then responsible for the growing popularity of the games cricket, tennis, football and hockey in the late 1800's.

The Jaques range of outdoor games has continued to grow apace with new introductions and innovations each year. With the arrival of computer games, sales have only continued to grow as parents have wanted their children and grandchildren alike to be enjoying the mental and physical exercise that only playing 'out of doors' can provide!

John Jaques Table Tennis

John Jaques had originally marketed a game called Gossima, presumably because of its featherlight ball. It had attracted little attention, but John Jaques III saw its vast and delightful possibilities: he re-christened it Ping-Pong.

John Jaques III's instinct was correct: its success was spectacular and Ping-Pong became another of his brilliant, innovative offerings. In 1902-3 the ping-pong boom swept the country, and its more passionate players developed it into a championship game. 'Ping-Pong' is still used colloquially here and throughout the world, including China where it is their national sport. However John Jaques III's catchy name eventually gave way to the more dignified Jaques Table Tennis.

Jaques have always lead the market, providing excellent equipment for what has become a standard activity in schools throughout the country, as well as internationally competitive and televised sport. Jaques tables have been used at more National, European and World Championships than any other. Jaques is the only manufacturer in Britain to offer quality tables in quantity; not as kits but as complete, well crafted, sturdy tables, ready for years of play at any level.

John Jaques Staunton Chess Pieces

In 1847 Jaques Staunton Chess Pieces were born, and to quote from a famous book on early chess 'Throughout its history, nothing has made such an impact on the design of chessmen as the introduction of the English Staunton Chess Pieces'. Simple symbols were used for each piece, a crown for the king, a coronet for the queen, a mitre for the bishop and a castle for the rook. The horse's head for the knight was taken from the marble sculptures on the Parthenon in Athens, collected by Lord Elgin and known as the Elgin marbles, and the pawn was based on the Freemasons Square and Compasses.

The set was launched in late 1847 with the benefit of Staunton's name - a byword in chess at the time, and a considerable amount of free publicity in the Morning Herald, a whole front page column being devoted to its introduction. With these advantages and a superlative design, success was guaranteed and within 10 years nearly all important chess games were played with Staunton Chessmen, which is still the case today.

John Jaques Indoor Games

For most of the 1800's Jaques were developing and introducing new indoor games, many of which, such as Hit-a-Pin Bagatelle, Happy Families and Shove Halfpenny, are still very popular today. There are many others such as "Squails, Ascot and Minoru" which are no longer available but are featured in Jaques precious Pattern Book.

Many games from Jaques current catalogue are still very popular as Pub Games, and they continue to introduce new games such as Carpet Bowls and Roulette sets and reintroduce some of their original games such as Bagatelle, Crokinole and Step Quoits.