Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Annotations
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Bas-de-page scene showing four men playing at bob-cherry.
Image taken from Queen Mary Psalter.
Originally published/produced in England (London?); circa 1310-1320. http://www.imagesonline.bl.uk/results.asp?image=024143
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Samuells entry predates OED, showing childish pursuits existed long before being deemed worthy of comment.
first reference to game in the OED be
4. Comb., as bob-a-cherry transf. attrib.
(cf. bob-cherry);
bob-apple, a game in which children bob for apples, either floating in water, or suspended;
bob-cherry, a game in which the player tries to catch with his teeth a cherry suspended at the end of a string;
bob-chin, one who bobs his chin;
bob-fly, in angling, a second artificial fly that bobs on the surface of the water, to indicate the position of the end-fly;
bob-up attrib., that bobs up;
bob-wood, a bob or float used with a harpoon.1681 Reply Mischief of Imposit. 2 To see their Children play at *Bob-apple.
1614 B. JONSON Barth. Fair, Keepe it during the Fayre, *Bobchin.
1697 W. DAMPIER New Voy. (1699) I. 35 At the other end of his staff [for a Harpoon] there is a light piece of wood called *Bob~wood, with a hole in it, through which the small end of the staff comes.
1899 T. S. MOORE Vinedresser, etc. 19 ‘Kisses sadly blown across the sea..*Bob-a-cherry kisses ‘neath a tree{em}’O, give me one.’