--Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, September 23, 1813.
Please join us for a quiet afternoon of Regency-era card and other parlor games on the afternoon of Sunday, October 17th. Tea and delicious Regency-era refreshments will be served. Advance reservations for the card-party are $10 per person, or admission at the door is available for $12. Young ladies and gentlemen ages 13-21 will be admitted for only $8, and are expected to display adult manners.
Card Games"We found ourselves tricked into a thorough party at Mrs. Maitland's, a quadrille and a commerce table, and music in the other room. There were two pools at commerce, but I would not play more than one, for the stake was three shillings, and I cannot afford to lose that twice in an evening."
--Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, October 7, 1808
Many, many card games were popular during this period and are mentioned in the novels of Jane Austen. Decks and rules for Piquet and Whist will be available with experienced players to teach and advise. Please note that absolutely no gambling for money will be permitted as we would be devastated should anyone gamble away their estates at our Assembly.
Other Regency-era card games include Vingt-et-Un (known today as Blackjack), Quadrille, and the infamous Faro and Ecarte, both famously good games for gambling away thousands of pounds.
Other Games
"Half her time was spent at spillikins, which I consider as a very valuable part of our household furniture, and as not the least important benefaction from the family of Knight to that of Austen."
--Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, February 8, 1807
Backgammon, chess, and dominos were all played in or close to their modern forms, and we will have sets available. Spillikins are better-known now as "pick-up sticks"; period sticks would be carved bone or ivory and shaped like miniature tools and inspire surprisingly cutthroat competition. An actual 19th-century spillikin set made of bone will be available for gentle, closely-supervised play.
Games We Won't Be Doing
"I was surprised to hear that you did not know what a Bullet Pudding is, but as you don't I will endeavour to describe it as follows: You must have a large pewter dish filled with flour which you must pile up into a sort of pudding with a peek at top. You must then lay a bullet at top and everybody cuts a slice of it, and the person that is cutting it when it falls must poke about with their noses and chins till they find it and then take it out with their mouths of which makes them strange figures all covered with flour but the worst is that you must not laugh for fear of the flour getting up your nose and mouth and choking you: You must not use your hands in taking the Bullet out. "
--Fanny Austen to a friend, January 17, 1804
Snapdragon was a children's game played with a bowl of brandy and raisins. The raisins were dropped in the brandy and the brandy set on fire. The object of the game was to reach in quickly, pull out raisins, and pop them into your mouth without being burned.
While we're sure that Bullet in the Pudding and Snapdragon are good, clean fun, we won't be doing them at the Assembly due to messiness and fire regulations.