Links mentioning early origins.....

www.bar-billiards.co.uk/intro.htm
Bar Billiards Ltd, Ascot, who have now withdrawn from Table Hire.

www.elstonandhopkin.co.uk/tables-renthire-i-17.html
Northern firm still doing table hire

www.tarratttables.co.uk/
Southern firm still doing table hire

www.studio18.co.uk/jbbl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1
Mention of Leagues starting up in the 1930s

www.mastersgames.com/cat/pub/bar-billiards.htm
Brief history of origins.

[Chris_Sav]

The Norman Clare Collection

Stumbled on this whilst researching the connections between Clare, Peradon and Thurstons

Loads of facinating history and mentions bar billiard table being prepared for export to Guyana

Sav

Here is a quicker link to the aforesaid information, Sav:

www.normanclare.co.uk/EAClare.html


....and an interesting article on the history of E J Riley and the various subsequent takeovers:

www.normanclare.co.uk/Riley.html


....comparatively recent definitive early history of the game, much on B-b Ltd, Ascot:

www.snookerheritage.co.uk/company-histories/bar-billiards-ltd/
www.snookerheritage.co.uk/articles/bar-billiards-the-strory-of-the-tables-the-game/

....specifically history on Sams Bros/Sams Atlas, with a Jamaican connection:
www.snookerheritage.co.uk/samsbros/

interesting page here mentioning an export to Canada, plus a pic showing the inner workings of a Jelkes table:

webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~holte/House/barbilliards.html