A George III oak cricket table, late 18th century

The origin of the word 'cricket' to describe these tables is interesting. There are historic references to crackets (or cracketts), a form of low stool in the 16^th century. The exact origin though could be more prosaic, in that the three legs resemble cricket stumps. The form was extremely practical and three legs perfect for the uneven floor of a tavern or the more domestic quarters of a dwelling. These sculptural forms in native timbers originate from across the British Isles.