Games of Patience for One or More Players, 1st series by Mary Whitmore Jones – 1888

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  • Name Book: Games of Patience for One or More Players (first series)
  • Author: Mary Whitmore Jones
  • Year: 1888
  • Publisher: L Upcott Gill
  • Location: London, United Kingdom
Games of Patience for One or More Players, 1st series by Mary Whitmore Jones book cover
Source: My Solitaire Bibliography

Games of Patience for One or More Players (first series) by Mary Whitmore Jones 1888

Mary Whitmore Jones dedicated a big part of her life writing Patience books. She admitted she rarely had time to play herself since she was entirely dedicated to research for her books. She wrote 13 books and was the inventor of the Chastleton Patience Board, a device to play Solitaire with real cards.

Games of Patience for One or More Players was her first book about Solitaire and featured 40 patience game rules. She extended the book four times with new games resulting in an impressive five series of books with a total of 172 patience games explained.

The first series of the book Games of Patience for One or More Players by Miss Mary Whitmore Jones contains the following 40 solitaires:

  • Sir Tommy (Old Patience)
  • Knaves
  • Dial
  • Roll-Call
  • Puzzler
  • Travelers
  • Grandfather
  • Push-Pin
  • Number Eleven
  • One to Six (Duchess de Luynes)
  • Noir et Rouge (Blonde and Brunette)
  • Square
  • Fair Lucy
  • Number Fourteen
  • Windmill
  • Metter- nich
  • Sultan
  • Congress
  • Backbone
  • Legitimist
  • St. Helena
  • Q.C.
  • Nivernaise
  • Salic Law
  • Blockade
  • Lady of the Manor
  • Fifteen in a Row
  • Conjugal
  • Sympathy
  • Domino
  • Dictation
  • Hasty
  • Imaginary
  • Thirteen
  • King’s
  • Number Ten
  • Wheat-Ear
  • Bezique
  • Clock
  • Grabbage

As you can see, she neither mentions Canfield Solitaire nor Klondike Solitaire in the book. Also, it’s the first time that “Old Patience” is named “Sir Tommy.”

Other important books about Patience and Solitaire written by Miss Whitmore Jones are: