Jaques London

passing down the family business from father to son has become increasingly rare. passing it down in happy circumstances for six generations may be something of a record. thus it seems only fitting that john jaques is the company that invented happy families. today, ben, clare, emmett and joe jaques run what is the oldest games and sports manufacturer in the world. thomas jaques was a farmer’s son of french huguenot descent. his recent forebears must have found refuge in england sometime after 1685 when the edict of nantes forbade protestantism in france. thomas was born in 1765 by which time george iii had been on the throne for five years and was already fighting a losing battle to retain the american colonies. at home, the georgian period was in full flower. thomas’s instinct and good sense obviously extended into his private life: at twenty-one, thomas married mr ivy’s niece! thomas continued to work for mr ivy. nine years later, his employer, mentor (and uncle by marriage), died.