The History of the Jack

Although it may seem that the Jack would be a most natural part of the game of lawn bowling itself and that it would date as far back as the game, the term ‘jack’ actually has many different theories as to how it came to be in existence. The first time the term ‘jack’ has ever been documented was in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, which is believed to have been written in 1609. In this, Shakespeare writes, “Was there ever man had such luck! When I kissed the jack, upon an up-cast to be hit away.”

Others believe that the term ‘jack’ comes from the Latin term jactu lapidum, which refers to a sport in which stones were thrown at a target, thought to be what we know today to be the jack. 

Still yet another theory points to another writer, R. Pierce who wrote in 1967, “He had not strength to throw the Jack-Bowl half over the green.” In this theory, it’s thought that ‘jack’ is meant to refer to a lesser or smaller version of something else (such as a jackrabbit is a small rabbit.) Here, the Jack-Bowl would be a smaller version of the regular bowls.