Old English Bagatelle Balls

The History of Bagatelle

The original game of bagatelle was and is a pub game of skill that is closely related to the games of Billiards, Pool and Snooker.  A competition bagatelle table is of a similar form to a Billiards table, slate bed, cloth covered with cushions and measuring 6 - 10 feet long and 2 - 3 feet wide.  The first major difference from a billiard table is that one end is rounded instead of square. The second diversion is that instead of pockets around the edge, the semicircular end features nine holes (in the manner of Bar Billiards), one in the middle of the semi circle and the rest surrounding it evenly in a ring. A variety of games can be played with it but all involve the players standing at the square end of the table and hitting the balls with a cue towards the holes at the other end.  The origins of bagatelle are even less clear than most games of a similar history although, since the name is a French one, the most obvious guess is a French derivation.  From 1770 to 1850, it seems that the bagatelle was just as popular as Billiards throughout England and Britain.  To add to the mystery further, the French version of his catalogue refers to the game as "Billiards Anglais"....  In the mid 19th century, bagatelle joined the long list of restricted and banned games when a Gaming Act decreed that there should be "no play on a public billiard table or bagatelle table from 1 am to 8 am and on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday".

These days, the name bagatelle is far more likely to conjure up the image of the children's pastime wherein marbles or ball bearings are shot onto a board which features areas fenced in by nails hammered into its surface. Each container scores different points depending upon the likelihood of a ball finishing in it. An entertaining game, generally considered to be for children, the resemblance to the original pub game is not overwhelming. This smaller version began to appear in the late 19th century. The similarities are that the players shoot balls from the square end of the board towards the semi-circular end of the board with the objective of getting the balls to land in scoring holes and areas on the board surface. However, the whole board has been miniaturised to a tabletop size.  Presumably because aiming the balls was too difficult for youngsters, the balls are run up a channel on the right hand side instead of needing to be aimed. The targets are enlarged by virtue of surrounding nails. And the elements of skill have generally been almost replaced by that of luck. No points are scored if the balls roll right back down to the bottom edge of the board. Early boards all required the balls to be struck up the channel by a cue in the same way as for the adult game. Modern games usually feature a sprung plunger as an alternative or a replacement to the more traditional stick.

Of course, as many readers will have realised, the evolution of the game did not stop at here because children's bagatelle has two children of its own - pinball and pachinko in all their myriad forms.  Even though the success of these modern electronic forms has eclipsed the old games, most people will find the original games to be an experience just as rewarding....