The History of Bagatelle
Introduction
 Bagatelle
is a traditional game of skill which has been played in English homes, pubs and
social clubs for nearly 200 years since the early part of the 19th century.
It is one of the oldest pub games in the country.
The principle of the game is very simple:- pot as many balls as you can!
As the game is played from the front end of the table only, it is ideal
for situations with limited space (landlords please note!).
A bagatelle table is an elegant piece of furniture
which gives many hours of happy entertainment in homes across the world.
Bagatelle tables make excellent dining tables with a well made cover on top and
are fast becoming collectors items.
Early History
The origins of bagatelle are entwined with the antiquity
of many other games. Its roots are at a time when people tossed or rolled rocks
and pebbles on the ground in the outdoors, eventually confining this aimless
play to a defined targeted area marked out on the ground. It has been reported
that the ancient Egyptians played a game on a grass course, with a targeted area
laid out in the shape of a diamond. A "ball" was used to knock down "pins" in
the targeted area.
By Greco-Roman times, rocks had given way to
fabricated leather or wooden balls, and pebbles evolved into something akin to
marbles. One ancient Roman version of this outdoor game became Boccie (an
Italian form of what the British refer to as Lawn Bowls). Minor versions
of outdoor bowling games (which used the evolved pebbles) became
the many marble games which children continue to play to this day.
Full-sized "bowl" games became a number of other games which people still play.
 One variation introduced sticks and arches (or
wickets) into the outdoor bowls game as early as the 14th century and this
modification evolved into the modern outdoor games of Shuffleboard and
the game of Croquet - and indoor games such as Billiards and
Snooker. When people began to adapt the outdoor games to the indoors -
initially they moved them to a very special indoor place - public taverns or
pubs.
At first, game play may have simply been on the floor of a
pub, and these games evolved into the indoor game of Bowling and all it's
derivatives such as Tenpin Bowling. Eventually people made use of
fabricated defined targeted areas which could sit on a table or stand on the
floor on four legs. In time, floor standing games became Skittles, and
table-top games became Carom and Crokinole games.
15th - 16th Century
Little is known about the game for this period. References to indoor billiard tables start to
appear in the late 15th Century with one notable table owner being Louis XI of
France (1423-1483) and, in the next century, Mary, Queen of Scots
(1542-1587) was known to be a bagatelle
player.
 Early billiard tables
featured "arches or wickets" as targets. These targets later became the pockets
on a modern billiard table. The tables changed gradually over a period of time.
One type evolved into the standard pocket billiard table (3' to 6' wide by 6' to
12' long), a second developed into a smaller pocket-less table (5' x 10') known as a
Carom Billiard table.
Carom Billiards is played with only 3 balls, one each
of white, yellow and red. Both the yellow and white are cue balls (one for each
player) and the red is always the object ball. A third type became known
as the Bagatelle table.
17th - 18th Century
 Opinions
as to the origin of Bagatelle are divided. Many people take the view that,
by reason of its name, the game was a French invention. In all
probability, bagatelle is of English derivation, being an improvement of the
pastime played on the old English shovel-board (see Cotton's Compleat Gamester
1674). It is also possible that the game began life as an indoor version
of croquet, as early tables had scoring arches similar to those used in croquet
(see picture).
Another theory is that in France, around the reign of Louis XIV
(1636-1715), someone designed a narrow oblong table, half the width of a
billiard table. It is believed that the
Bagatelle table was designed to be a leveller of talents and to give equal
opportunity to the casual player lacking the skill for pocket or carom billiards.
This new table featured a target area at one end and enabled play only from the
other end. From its beginnings sticks and balls were used as in standard
billiards, but the targets were nine "pins" placed in a pattern at the far end
of the table. Wooden arches or wickets were used to increase the challenge.
A player would have a turn, attempt to
knock down the pins, and then the pins would be reset for the next player who
would try to beat the score of the previous player. It is believed that
resetting the pins, arches and wickets each time delayed the play and a solution
was sought to speed up the game play.
 Eventually, scooped out target areas
(cups) replaced the pins, arches and wickets and this speeded things up
considerably, making the game much more popular. This more modern type of nine
cup bagatelle table was brought to England around the late 18th/early 19th Century and has
remained a fixture in some British pubs to the present day.
One
popular theory is that the name 'Bagatelle' was introduced in the late 18th
Century from France. Back in the 17th Century, Louis XIV gave one of his
granddaughters a piece of land outside Paris on which a small house was
built. Initially the house was called Mademoiselle Pavillon. Much later,
in the 18th Century, the house
became known as Castell Bagatelle and then the
Château de Bagatelle.
Louis XVI gave the house and land to his younger brother, Duke Arthur
(the comte d'Artois), a bit of a
playboy by all accounts, who was an inveterate gambler who always found himself
in financial difficulties. Winning big on a bet in early 1777, Arthur expanded the Castell Bagatelle,
and included a salon du jeu (a games room) which featured a new half-width
billiard table with cups instead of pins.
Later in 1777 a party was thrown in honour of Louis XVI and the Queen at
the newly renovated and re-named Château de Bagatelle. The highlight of
the party was the new table game featuring the slender table and cue sticks,
which players used to shoot ivory balls up an inclined playfield. The game
was dubbed 'Bagatelle' by Duke Arthur and swept through France.
It is said that the game became very well known in aristocratic French gambling
circles in the latter part of the 18th century. It is likely that at this
time bagatelle was equally as popular as billiards.
The famous
manufacturer John Thurston started business in 1799 and recorded that he manufactured significant numbers of
Bagatelle tables between the years of 1818 to 1845. A sales brochure he produced
for the French market actually describes the tables as “Billiards Anglaise”
which adds weight to the theory that the game is of English origin.
However, it could also mean that Thurston was merely describing
the tables as being of English manufacture. Could an early table of English manufacture
have been sent to France from Liverpool docks, bought by Duke Arthur
and installed into
Château de Bagatelle?
19th - 20th Century
In the early 19th Century, gambling was seen as a serious problem, and bagatelle
was deemed morally dangerous enough by the government for it to be included in
its Gaming Act legislation of 1845. It was decreed that there should
be no play on public Bagatelle tables from 1am to 8am and on Sundays , Christmas
Day and Good Friday!
Section
10 of the Gaming Act 1845 (grant and transfer of
billiard licences) —
“10
Billiard licences
(1)The
licensing justices for any licensing district may at any licensing sessions held
by them—
(a)grant
billiard licences to such persons as the justices shall in their discretion deem
fit and proper persons to keep public billiard tables and bagatelle boards or
instruments used in any game of the like kind ;
(b)transfer
such billiard licences to such other persons as they in their discretion shall
deem fit and proper to continue to hold the same.
(2)The
provisions of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Licensing Act (which relate to the
holding of licensing sessions) and the provisions of Schedule 2 to that Act
(which relate to the procedure to be followed in connection with applications
for justices’ licences) shall apply in relation to applications for the grant or
transfer of billiard licences as they apply to applications for the grant or
transfer of a justices’ on-licence under that Act.
(3)A
billiard licence shall be in the form given in the Third Schedule annexed to
this Act and shall have effect for a period of one year beginning with such date
as may be specified in the licence.
(4)There
may be charged by the justices’ clerks in respect of the grant or transfer of
billiard licences such fees as may be provided for by order of the Secretary of
State ; and the fee so provided for in relation to the grant of a licence may be
different from that provided for in relation to the transfer of a licence.
(5)An
order under subsection (4) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be
subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.”.
(6)There shall be no play on any public billiard table
or bagatelle board from 1am to 8am and on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good
Friday.
The legislation in 1845 also made reclaiming gambling debts legally
unenforceable. In 1854 it was made illegal to run a casino or any “common gaming
house”. The rich, as a result, took their holidays in Monte Carlo and
other Continental gambling fleshpots. Working people had fewer options, and the
police were kept busy by raiding pub backrooms in the hope of finding a game of
bagatelle being played with a couple of bob on the table. The antigambling
laws were not relaxed until 1960.
A recently discovered document written by William
Cobbler put forward the notion that Bagatelle was in fact, a game of Italian
origin. Bagatelle from Italian
bagattella, signifies a trifle, a little decorative nothing.
There was speculation that this had come from the
legendary Captain Crawley, but there is no doubt in my mind that the idea is
entirely Cobbler's...
During the early 19th century, many
different types of bagatelle table began to appear in France, England,
throughout Europe, and in North America. The game that we know today, played on
a baize covered table with holes (cups) at the target end quickly became the
most popular pub game in Britain and remained so for the next century or so.
Charles Dickens, in the Pickwick Papers
(1836-37), wrote that Samuel Pickwick and other members of the Pickwick Club
often relaxed at the bagatelle table in the Peacock Tavern.
Can we assume then, that Charles Dickens was a follower of the game and a
bagatelle player? The book also confirms the game was popular in England
by the mid 1830's.
In an 1863/64 political cartoon, Abraham Lincoln is portrayed playing bagatelle. The game must have been very popular indeed
at this time to be so well known in the United States and there are still
bagatelle tables in the USA and Canada to this day.
 The latter part of the 19th Century and early part of
the 20th was arguably when Bagatelle was at its
most popular. Bagatelle halls such as the one pictured were known to exist all
over Britain, and the game was popular
with both men and women. Over the years, many different games have been
played on Bagatelle tables, and the man in the picture is playing from the side
of the table, something which does not happen in the Chester league where all
shots are made from the baulk end of the table.
During this time, enhancements were made to the playing
equipment. Old wooden maces, used to push the balls up the table, were
replaced by cues similar to those used to play snooker and pool today. Rubber cushions and
leather cue tips were introduced and ivory
balls, which had been used for many years, were gradually replaced with Bonzoline and Crystalate.
By the 1930's Crystalate had become the most popular
ball used, and it remained so until approximately 1973 when the Super Crystalate
ball was introduced. This ball was lighter and faster than Crystalate and
proved very popular with snooker players especially, who found that
it provided
greater screw control and power which allowed the average player to move the cue
ball about in a way that had only been possible before by top players.
As far as I am aware, there were leagues in Coventry and Flint in North Wales up
to a few years ago, but while the Coventry one remains, the Flint one has
recently ceased to operate. Bagatelle Leagues were known to have existed
in other parts of Britain including:- St. Helens, Walsall, Birmingham,
Cardiff, Exeter and Bristol. It is not known if any other Bagatelle League still
operates, and I would be delighted to hear from anyone who can give any
information.
21st Century
Sadly, with the steady decline in the number of public houses throughout the
20th Century, the game has declined also. Around 100 years ago there
were 365 pubs in Chester, one for every day of the year! A high number of
these were known to have bagatelle tables. In the 1950's there were four
divisions in the Chester & District Bagatelle League, each one having 12 teams
in it. Today there are only about 30 public houses within the city walls
of Chester and only one of these (the United Services Club) has retained its
bagatelle table. Outside the city walls the game has not fared much
better, with only about 15 pubs still retaining tables, although the game is
currently enjoying a mini-revival, as pubs are now actively looking for
bagatelle tables once more. In the last couple of years the Stanley
Arms and Cross Foxes pubs have both acquired bagatelle tables and the game is
now enthusiastically played in both.
While this is undoubtedly good news for the game of bagatelle, the Chester &
District Bagatelle League still faces a challenge
just to stay alive.
With Chester being an English Heritage city, the importance of bagatelle as an
item of living history cannot be stressed too highly, and it is important
that the game remains in Chester. It would be sad in future if the
only place you could see a bagatelle table was in Chester's Grosvenor Museum.
We are trying to ensure this does not happen.
 In
Chester we actively encourage as many people as possible to play bagatelle.
The popularity of pool has sadly impacted on our numbers which, I think,
is a shame. Bagatelle is free to play (no searching for coins!) and is a very skilful game which takes minutes
to learn and a lifetime to perfect. In 2007 we introduced an Open
Challenge Knockout, a competition designed to promote the game in Chester and
encourage more people to play. Anyone aged 18+ is welcome to enter
and have a go.
In a bagatelle match, each player plays 2 sticks which takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. The rest of the evening is then free to follow
any of the other social pursuits available in public houses, or you could just have a drink!
If any Chester landlords or club stewards are interested in joining the league
or acquiring a table, please see the
Tables Wanted page, or I would be
very happy to assist in any way possible. The advantage of bagatelle over
pool is that the game is played from one end of the table only, making it ideal
for situations where space is limited. Also, there are no coin slots on
bagatelle tables, it is free to play, making it a popular game with customers!
 Bagatelle
is a wonderful game
which takes 5 minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. If you are
planning a visit to Chester and have stumbled across this website in your search
for information, why not seek out one of our pubs and have a go at playing
the game yourself? You will be made very welcome and, if I can help with any information, please feel free to
contact me. If you are a potential visitor, you may also
find our
links page useful.
Cheers!
John Pritchard
Chairman
Chester & District Bagatelle League
Email:
john@chesterbagatelle.co.uk
Extract from
'Pickwick Papers' by Charles Dickens (written 1836-37)
Bagatelle gets a mention in 'Pickwick
Papers', and it is believed Charles Dickens was a keen bagatelle player.
Chapter 14 of Pickwick Papers begins…
It is pleasant to turn from contemplating
the strife and turmoil of political existence, to the peaceful repose of private
life. Although in reality no great partisan of either side, Mr. Pickwick was
sufficiently fired with Mr. Pott's enthusiasm, to apply his whole time and
attention to the proceedings, of which the last chapter affords a description
compiled from his own memoranda. Nor while he was thus occupied was Mr. Winkle
idle, his whole time being devoted to pleasant walks and short country
excursions with Mrs. Pott, who never failed, when such an opportunity presented
itself, to seek some relief from the tedious monotony she so constantly
complained of. The two gentlemen being thus completely domesticated in the
editor's house, Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass were in a great measure cast upon
their own resources. Taking but little interest in public affairs, they beguiled
their time chiefly with such amusements as the Peacock afforded, which were
limited to a bagatelle-board in the first floor, and a sequestered
skittle-ground in the back yard. In the science and nicety of both these
recreations, which are far more abstruse than ordinary men suppose, they were
gradually initiated by Mr. Weller, who possessed a perfect knowledge of such
pastimes. Thus, notwithstanding that they were in a great measure deprived of
the comfort and advantage of Mr. Pickwick's society, they were still enabled to
beguile the time, and to prevent its hanging heavily on their hands.
Notable billiards,
pool (and bagatelle?) enthusiasts (from
Wikipedia).
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