Regency Pastimes: Taw

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Kids playing ring taw – 1890 Engraving

Defined in Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue as “a schoolboy’s game, played with small round balls made of stone dust, called marbles”, taw was a popular pastime for children in the 19th Century.  One author called marbles a good substitute for bowls that could be played in different ways, but the most common was taw or ring taw.

manners Taw wherein a number of boys put each of them one or two marbles in a ring and shoot at them alternately with other marbles and he who obtains the most of them by beating them out of the ring is the conqueror Glig-gamena Angel-deod: Or, The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England; Including the Rural and Domestic Recreations, May-games, Mummeries, Pageants, Processions, and Pompous Spectacles, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time: Illustrated by Engravings Selected from Ancient Paintings; in which are Represented Most of the Popular Diversions (1810)

Marbles of the era were typically made of clay or stone.  Below is a Victorian era description of taw.

FORTIFICATIONS The game called Fortifications is but little known out of France in which country it has obtained very considerable popularity It is however nothing more than a variation of other marble games differing but little and that only in detail and not at all in principle from the more generally known game of Ring Taw or the locally known game of Increase Pound though as a slight variation on this it will be found interesting Several concentric circles should be marked out on a piece of tolerably level ground the circles varying from six or nine inches to ten or twelve feet in diameter the outer circle being at least two feet outside that next inside The outer circle is to be left empty in the first inner circle each player should place one marble in the second two marbles and in the next three marbles and so on but unless the players are very anxious for a long game four eireles each player placing three marbles in the innermost circle and two and one respectively in the next two circles will be found generally sufficient see diagram The innermost circle is called the fort and contains the prize most to be desired The players having decided the order of their play No 1 knuckles down at the outside circle and shoots his taw endeavouring to knock a marble from the second circle if he succeeds he pockets the marble and leaves PLAN OF FORTIFICATIONS his taw where it rested if on the contrary he fails to secure a marble from the circle in question he pays a forfeit of one to that circle No 2 proceeds in the same way but no player shoots more times in succession until every player has had a chance than he placed marbles in the circle which is being attacked Upon the first round being completed No 1 begins again it being understood that no inner fortification be attacked until the one immediately outside it has been completely cleared No player who has failed to secure at least one marble from the circle attacked is allowed to participate in the attacks on those within but retires until a fresh game is started After the first shot the player has to knuckle down where his taw rests or if he elects to do so at any point on the outside circle nothing is gained by striking an opponent s taw but if it be struck it must remain at the spot to which it is knocked A taw may be temporarily lifted to allow of a clear shot at a marble when necessary Upon the attack on the circle in which the players have each placed two marbles a successful shot entitles the player to a follow and when the next inner circle is attacked two successful shots give the right to a third try and so on when the circles are more numerous it however being clearly understood that every unsuccessful shot entails the penalty of oue marble to be paid into the circle or fortification under attack Cassell’s Book of Sports and Pastimes (1882)

 

More on taw: https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/of-taw-or-marbles-through-the-regency/#:~:text=Curiously%2C%20taw%2C%20or%20marbles%2C,Lent%20and%20the%20Easter%20season.

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