THE ORIGIN OF BILLIARDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 957, 9 July 1908, Page 13

THE ORIGIN OF BILLIARDS.

Bil.iards were first invented, says a good authority, by a pawnbroker. About the middle of the sixteenth century there was one William Kew, a pawnbroker, who, during wet weather, was in the habit of taking down the three balls, and, with a yard measure, pushing them, billiard fashion, from the counter into the stalls. In time the idea of ; a board with side pockets suggested itself. A black letter MS. says:.. “ Master William Kew did make one board whereby a game is played with three balls, and all the young men were greatly recreated thereat, chiefly the young clergyman from St. Pawles, hence one of ye said clergymen was named a cannon, having been by one of ye said clergymen invented. This game is known now by ye name of billiards, William or Bill Kew did first playe with his yard measure. The stick is now called a kew or kue.” It is easy to comprehend how “ Bill-yard” has been modernised into Billiard, and the transformation of kew or kue into cue is equally apparent.