Jaques Original HAPPY FAMILIES

For any number of players.

The illustrations on all the cards in this game are reproduced under licence by permission of John Jaques and Son Ltd., the original publishers.

First published before the Great Exhibition of 1851

The following are the names of the eleven families in this edition:

Bun the Baker

Grits the Grocer

Bones the Butcher

Dose the Doctor

Block the Barber

Pots the Painter

Bung the Brewer

Tape the Tailor

Chip the Carpenter

Soot the Sweep

Dip the Dyer

The original method of play

The object of the game is. firstly to collect cards from other players to make up complete Families, and secondly, to collect complete families until one player has them all.

The cards are shuffled and dealt to each player until the pack is finished.

Each player contributes 3 counters (safety matches will do) to a POOL. The counters are placed together on the table.

First part

Players take up their cards and look at them. The player to the left of the dealer is first to play. He decides which cards he will need to make up Families with the cards in his hand. He then asks any other player for any card he needs to make up a Family. There are four cards to each Family.

If the player asked possesses the wanted card he must give it to the asker: if, however, he has not this particular card he must reply "Not at home." The turn then passes to the player who said "Not at home" who may ask any other player for a card he himself needs.

A player who is successful in getting the card he asks for continues to ask other players for other cards he needs until he receives the reply "Not at home."

Play continues in this way, the turn always passing to a player who has replied "Not at home."

A player must not ask for any character unless he holds at least one member of that family in his hand. Each player must produce any character asked for if he has it.

As families are completed they are placed face-down on the table in front of the players who completed them. When all have been completed the player with the greatest number takes half the counters in the POOL. I an odd number of counters, he leaves the odd one in the POOL.

Second part

Only those who have one or more complete families take part.

The player with the most families (who won the First Part) asks any other player for a complete family (naturally it will help players considerably if they can remember who won the various families). If the player asked does not have that family he replies "Not at home" and the game continues exactly as in the First Part, except that families are asked for instead of single characters.

When one player has won all the families he is the winner and he takes the remaining half of the Pool.

Optional "please" and "thank you" rule

If the players want to use thin rule then a player, when asking for cards, MUST say "Please," e.g., "Please may I have Mrs. Bun?" If he forgets, he loses his turn to the player he asked. When a card is handed over, the receiver MUST say "Thank You," as he takes it. If he forgets the player who handed it over can take it back, but he too must say "Please" and "Thank You" for it.

Castell Brothers Ltd
15 – 17 Cross Street, Hatton Garden
London EC1N 8UT
Made In Great Britain