history of croquet
History of Croquet
Though the history of croquet points to England as its point of origin, the game can actually be traced back to France. Some sources say that peasants created this game as long back as the 13th century, even though there is no documented proof about this.
- The game is a supposed derivation of the game known as Paille-maille, or Pall Mall, which was played in France in the 16th and 17th centuries. Some also say that the game originated there as far back as the 14th century. The game started off as a form of 'ground billiards' but soon evolved to something resembling modern-day croquet. Interestingly, the game of golf can also trace its origin back to this game.
- The game slowly spread to other parts of Europe, thanks in no small part to the allied nature of France and Scotland at the time. When Scotland and England united, the game became popular in England as well due to the crown prince's (James I of England) love for the game.
- Eventually, the game evolved in France to become known as croquet (since the word loosely means 'crooked stick'). This name soon passed to Ireland in the middle of the 19th century (and was known as Crooky), and then eventually back to England as well. In 1868, the All England Croquet Club was formed in Wimbledon, in order to unify the game and its rules.
- This club eventually became the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in 1877. The title 'Croquet' was then removed in 1882 because lawn tennis was becoming increasingly popular and commercial, but in 1899 the name was again changed to All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet club, and this name has stuck on since then. This also happens to be the site for the Wimbledon Open, one of the most widely watched tennis tournaments in the world. Additionally, the All-England Croquet Association was formed in 1896, which became the Croquet Association (CA) in 1900.
- In the Victorian Era, croquet became very popular amongst English ladies, because it gave them an opportunity to get away from their chaperons and mingle with men during the game. This increased the popularity of the game, since many people would then hold and attend special croquet parties in order to teach the game to everyone.
- Simultaneously, the game was making headway in the United States of America as well. 1865 witnessed the birth of the Newport Croquet Club, and in 1882, several bodies combined and formed the National American Croquet Association. By 1900, croquet became an official sport in the Olympics.
- The 20th century saw croquet becoming popular all around the world, and today the game is played competitively in more than 20 countries. All of these countries have official croquet bodies which regularly hold tournaments and invite people for commercial reasons.