UK Patent 16,215 (1888)
Joseph Assheton Fincher of London is the inventor of the game of tiddlywinks. He also applied to trademark the name TIDDLEDY-WINKS in 1889 in England. His game of Tiddledy-Winks was first published by John Jaques and Son of London in 1888. The early editions included a sticker noting that J. A. Fincher was the inventor, as was the norm for newly invented games in that era.
No 16,215 A.D. 1888
Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1889—Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Game.
JOSEPH ASSHETON FINCHER 114 Oxford Street London, W. Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:–
A new and improved game played with two sets of counters of different sizes and a bowl made of china or some other substance, or small pieces of wood, counters, and a bowl, the object of the pieces of wood, or of the larger counters being to press the edge of the smaller counters and cause them to jump into the bowl.
Dated this Eighth day of November 1888.
J. A. FINCHER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Game.
I, JOSEPH ASSHETON FINCHER 9, Berners Street London W. Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
A new and improved game played with counters or flippers made of wood, ivory, bon[e]<! original: bonn>, or other substance, and a bowl or vessel of any shape, made of wood, china, glass, ivory or other substance, the object of the said counters or flippers being to press the edge of a smaller set of counters provided for the purpose and so cause them to jump into the bowl or vessel placed in the centre of the table, vide drawing in which A represents the hand of the player, B the larger counter or flipper, C the smaller counter, and D the bowl; by drawing the flipper B sharply backwards and at the same time pressing downwards, the small counter C is made to jump into the bowl D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is.
1st. The use of a bowl or vessel of any shape made of wood, china, glass, ivory or other substance, and counters, and flippers made of wood, ivory, bone, or other substance, for playing the above described game.
2nd. The act of flipping a counter of any shape made of wood, ivory, bone, or other substance into a bowl or vessel of any shape, made of wood, china, glass, ivory[,] bone or other substance.
3rd. The use of a counter, or flipper, made of wood, ivory, bone, or other substance for the purpose of flipping the aforenamed counter, mentioned in claim 2, into the bowl or vessel.
Dated this 7th day of August 1889.
J. A. FINCHER.
London: Printed for Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, by Darling & Son, Ltd.—1889.
Not satisfied with just inventing one of the world’s most classic games, Fincher also patented (UK patent # 3238, application submitted in 1890), Improvements in Sleeve Links. Here’s an excerpt from that patent:
My invention relates to an improved construction of double sleeve links whereby the necessity of passing the studs of the links through the button holes of the cuff is considered unnecessary, and thus the inconvenience and the wear of the button holes, attendant on this operation, avoided.
Fincher’s future claims to fame are unknown, other than an unsuccessful third attempt at a patent in 1897, this time for some improvement to candlesticks (UK patent application # 14,931 that year).