Card game of Merry Families published in England by Multum in Parvo Co about 1900

Design: lithographs printed in colours. The box is not original to the card set but used to contain ball programmes.

The company made many indoor games.

Rewards: n/a
Forfeits: n/a
No. of Players: any
Equipment required: 24 cards in 6 sets of 4, milkman, brewer, gardener, fisherman, baker and builder
1 rules card


Rules:
RULES
Any number may play.
Deal out the cards equally. The first player asks any other player for a card that he wants. The game being to complete as many `Merry Familes' as possible. If a player has the card he is asked for, he must give it up, and the first player can ask again until refused. The one who refuses him, says OUT and then asks for what he wants himself in the same manner. A `Merry Family' is a complete set of 4 of one name, viz:- Mr. Gardener, Mrs. Gardener, Miss Gardener, Master Gardener. When all the cards are laid out in complete sets, the player who has the most is the winner.


GENERAL HAPPY FAMILIES RULES

Three or more can play and special cards are normally used, each showing four members of a family, mother, father, son and daughter, However, variations have been developed to use groups of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to a set. Also subject variations occur and some are educational, for example The Counties of England.

The object of the game is for each player to collect as many complete `families' as possible.
One of the players deals out all the cards. If more than one round is played, the players take it in turn to deal. It does not matter if some players have one card more than others.
Each player looks at his cards and sorts them into families.
It is important that players keep their cards hidden from each other. With young children it is a good idea if they can lay their cards out of view of the other players.
When all the players are ready, the person to the dealer's left asks any player, by name, for a particular card (eg Master Baker). He must already possess at least one of member of the same family, ie Mrs. Baker. If the person asked has the card, he must give it to the first player, who may again ask anybody for a card of any family as long as he already has one card belonging to that family.
He continues to do this until he fails to obtain a card. If the person asked does not have the card requested, it is his turn to ask for cards.
When a player collects all the cards of the same family, he puts them into a pile face down in front of him.
Play continues until all the families have been completed
The winner is the person who collects the most families.

Mullord Bros

MISC.122-1976