Sir John Suckling

Perhaps the most notable individual in Cribbage history is Sir John Suckling (1608-1642). In his book of short biographies, Brief Lives, author John Aubrey credits Suckling with the creation of Cribbage.

Suckling was knighted by King Charles the 1st and is described as one of the King's favorites in the court. Suckling even went so far at to finance an army of 100 cavalry men for the King at his own expense. Suckling is probably best known historically for his works as a poet and playwright, although most records of his personal life reveal that his greatest passions were cards, bowling, and gambling. According to Aubrey's account:

"He was the greatest gallant of his time, and the greatest gamester, both for bowling and cards...He was one of the best bowlers of his time in England. He played cards rarely well, and did use to practise by himselfe a bed, and there studyed how the best way of managing the cards could be."

You would not have been wise to set a wager in a game against Suckling, for it is also in the record that he was accustomed to marking cards and sending these to the gambling hubs of his era to improve his prospects!

If you study up on Suckling a bit more you'll find that he had a full life of card play, gambling, love, and war, before his early death in or around 1642. Although he may have been somewhat of a cheat, a royalist to a tyrannical king, and a coward according to some, we can still appreciate Suckling's innovations in the world of Cribbage. The precursor to Cribbage is a game called Noddy, which was in desperate need of an upgrade. Cribbage has lived on for centuries but you probably won't ever come across anyone who knows how to play Noddy.

So Cheers to Sir John Suckling, and to continued innovations to the games we love! For the latest in Cribbage innovation and Cribbage board technology, check out our store at universalcribbage.com.