Investigating the origins: The creators behind the popular games of 'squopping' and 'squidging', known to many as tiddlywinks.
Tiddlywinks: A Game with Victorian Origins
Tiddlywinks, a popular game played on a flat felt mat, originated in late 19th-century England [2][4]. The exact inventor and the date of its first creation are not definitively known, but the game was patented during this period.
The game began as a simple children's pastime, involving the flicking of small discs or "winks" into a target area using a larger disc called a "squidger." Over time, it evolved into a game with strategic and competitive elements.
In 1889, Jaques and Sons, a British toy manufacturer, published the game of Flitterkins, a modification of lawn tennis, and secured the first tiddlywinks-based patent (GB 1888/18789A) [4]. This marked a significant milestone in the formalization of the game's rules and play equipment.
Just six days before Flitterkins' patent, another variant called Spoof was published and produced by F H Ayres [4]. This game involves players trying to flip their counters into a Spoof cup using a larger counter, with each player taking turns to shoot all their men.
Joseph Assheton Fincher, a 25-year-old from Hampshire, is credited with inventing the game and calling it Tiddledy-Winks in 1888 [4]. Fincher's patent for the game was accepted on October 19, 1889, and the trademark was approved on March 6, 1890 [4].
George Scott's Golfette or Table Golf, another tiddlywinks-style game, was granted a patent in England on March 22, 1890, shortly after Fincher's [4]. The modern version of the game was established in 1955 by a group of undergraduates at Christ's College, Cambridge [2].
The game's objective is to shoot a wink (colored disc) into a pot using a squidger (larger disc), with a defensive element called 'squopping' [2]. Sporting variants such as Spoof Golf, Cricket, Tennis, Croquet, and Quoits were marketed until the turn of the century [2].
The rules of the game were formalized on January 16, 1955 [2]. J W Spear & Sons published variations around the tiddlywinks theme, including Sweet Wedding Bells, North Pole, Over the Garden Wall, and Chronowinks [2].
An early advertisement for the game appeared in The Evening Standard on March 1, 1889 [4]. The game was published by Jaques and Son of Hatton Gardens and featured wooden winks cups [4]. The antecedents of the modern game of tiddlywinks can be traced back to the late 19th century [2].
Golfette, another variant of the game, consists of a course made from felt or other elastic material, a series of hazards, and some 'springers' or clubs used to propel counters around the field of play [2]. The object of Golfette is to sink the counter in the hole in the fewest shots, similar to golf [2]. The object of Spoof is to shoot the most counters in an agreed time into the cup [2].
In summary, Tiddlywinks originated in 19th-century England, was patented in the 19th century, started as a children's game, evolved into competitive play, and has since developed into both a casual children's game and a serious competitive sport with organized championships [2][4]. The game's rules were formalized in 1955, and various sporting and themed versions have been marketed over the years.
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