Fox and Geese is a strategy game for two players. There are many variations of the game as well as names for the game. It has been known as Fox and Hounds, Fox and Sheep, Wolf and Sheep, Hounds and Hare and has been played by fishermen, mill boys, soldiers and was a favorite with Queen Victoria. Etchings of the grid for this game have been found on stone seats in Cathedrals and Castles in England as well as in Rome.
The game became popular in Britain some time duringthe Medieval period (500 AD to 1500 AD) and was also popular during the Tudor period (1485-1603), English Civil War times (1625-1649) and during the Napoleanic Wars (1799-1815). In Colonial America, Fox and Geese was played by soldiers during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). This game was brought to America either by the Hessian mercenary troops (German soldiers who fought the English) or by French troops
under Lafayette’s command. It was a game for adults before it became a game for children.
Fun Fact: The same board can be used to play solitaire.
Fun Fact: The household inventory of King Edward
IV of England listed this game.
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