Bowls historians believe that the game developed from the Egyptians. One of
their pastimes was to play skittles with round stones. This has been determined
based on artefacts found in tombs around 5,000 B.C. The sport spread across
the world and took on a variety of forms, Bolla (Saxon), Bolle (Danish), Boules
(French), Ula Miaka (Polynesian) and Bocce (Italian) . The oldest Bowls green still
played on is in Southampton, England where records show that the green has been in
operation since 1299 A.D. There are other claims of greens being in use before
that time, but these are, as yet, unsubstantiated
Certainly the most famous story in lawn bowls is with Sir Frances Drake and the
Spanish Armada. On July 18, 1588, Drake was involved in a game at Plymouth Hoe
when he was notified that the Spanish Armada were approaching. His immortalised
response was that "We still have time to finish the game and to thrash the Spaniards,
too." He then proceeded to finish the match which he lost before embarking on the
fight with the Armada which he won. Whether this famous story really took place
has been heavily debated.
King Henry VIII was also a lawn bowler. However, he banned the game for those who
were not wealthy or "well to do" because "Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers and
Arrowhead makers" were spending more time at recreational events such as bowls
instead of practising their trade. Henry VIII requested that anybody who wished
to keep a green pay a fee of 100 pounds. However, the green could only be used for
private play and he forbade anyone to "play at any bowle or bowles in open space
out of his own garden or orchard".
King James I issued a publication called "The Book of Sports" and, although he
condemned football (soccer) and golf, encouraged the play of bowls. In 1845, the
ban was lifted, and people were again allowed to play other games of
skill.
The earliest documented use of the word 'Jack' in Bowls is from 1611 "Was there euer man had such lucke? when I kist the Iacke vpon an vp-cast, to be hit away?". It appears that Jack in some contexts meant a slightly smaller version of something - in this case a 'Jack-Bowl', later shortened to 'Jack'. In 1697 R. Pierce wrote "He had not Strength to throw the Jack-Bowl half over the Green".
As with many British sports, Lawn Bowls spread to the the British colonies from the 1600s onwards. Lawn Bowls was first played in North America in the early 1600's. In the United States records show that President George Washington played bowls on his estate. In Canada the sport was introduced around 1730 at Port Royal in Nova Scotia. In Australia bowls was first played in Sandy Bay, Tasmania in 1844. The game appeared in New Zealand sometime during the 30 years after that.
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