Card game set, 'The countries of England' by John Jaques & son ltd., slipcase, cards and instructions, printed paper, England, 1895-1905

Design: printed card printed with 48 picture cards and 14 County cards listing all the towns for each required; the reverse sides are printed in oranges to show the map of England divided into counties
No. of cards: 48
No. illustrated: some

There are three series which cover the whole of England and Wales. Jaques introduced the sets in 1866. Each costs 1/6d.
see also Misc. 16-1969
Games & Puzzles, C G Goodfellow, 1991

These cards are a later date, printed directly on to the thinner card rather than on sheets; the reverse sides are also decorated. The box lid label printed with the title and an outline of the country has a border reflecting the Art Nouveau designs of the late 19th/early 20th century.

Rewards: see rules
There are two sets of rules; the basic Happy Families and a second which requires counters to be paid as forfeits and rewards.
Forfeits: see rules
No. of Players: any above 3
Equipment required: 10 county cards, each numbered and listing the towns needed to complete the county set
37 picture cards, each of a specific town listing a well known feature and/or its commercial claims (eg. Penrith, the Giant's Tomb, Penrith Churchyard and Paper, Granite, 8,970) associated with the town and its population
key card and a sheet of instructions

Rules:
RULES FOR THE GAME OF THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND.

Any number above three can play. The cards to be shuffled and dealt round. The player next to the dealer ( or the winner of a previous round) begins the game by asking for a card of any county of which he holds either a town or the county card. If he gets it, he continues asking for what he wants till he is refused. Then the privelege of asking devolves upon the player who refused him; he in his turn asks for any card he requires to complete his set, until he is refused, and so the game goes on.
When a player has the County card in his hand he knows how many towns he requires to make up a set. Every set made up is proclaimed and laid down on the table.
The player who has made up most sets is winner when the cards are all played out, and has the privilege of the first question at the next round.
Any player withholding a card asked for, forfeits a set. Disputes to be settled by reference to the key.

OR THE GAME MAY BE PLAYED THUS:-
1. One player to be chosen as President.
2. The president to retain the county cards, and deal the picture cards round.
3. Six counters to be given to each player and some put in the pool.
4. The president to ask each player in turn for a card of the town belonging to the country which he mentions.
5. If a card of another county is offered, the person forfeits one to the pool; but if the right one is offered, he takes one from the pool.
6. Any person relating a fact or describing scenery, manufactures, etc. connected with his card, receives an additional counter from the pool.
7. The sets being all made up, he who has the most counters wins.

Set covers Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham, Lancashire North, Lancashire South, Yorkshire North Riding, Yorkshire East Riding, Yorkshire West Riding, Cheshire.

published by John Jaques & son, Hatton Gardens, London

B.277:1to51-1996