Sources page biographical material

(Nine Men's) Morris, where Morris is spelled about 30 different ways, e.g. Marl, Merelles, Mill, Miracles, Morals, and Nine Men's may be given as, e.g. Nine peg, Nine Penny, Nine Pin. Also known as Peg Morris and Shepherd's Mill. Gomme I 80 & 414 419 and Strutt 317 318 (c= Strutt-Cox 256-258 & plate opp. 246, which adds reference to Micklethwaite) are the main entries. See 4.B.5 for material more specifically on this game.

Nine Holes, also known as Bubble justice, Bumble puppy, Crates, and possibly Troll madam, Troule in Madame. Gomme I 413 414 and Strutt 274 275 & 384 (c= Strutt Cox 222-223 & 304) are the main entries. Twelve Holes is similar [Gomme II 321 gives a quote from 1611]. There seem to be cases where Nine Men's Morris was used in referring to Nine Holes [Gomme I 414 419]. There are two forms of the game: one form has holes in an upright board that one must roll a ball or marble through; the other form has holes in the ground, usually in a 3  x  3 array, that one must roll balls into. Unfortunately, none of the references implies that one has to get three in a row -- see Every Little Boys Book for a version where this is certainly not the case. There are references going back to 1572 for Crates (but mentioning eleven holes) [Gomme I 81 & II 309] and 1573 [OED] for Nine Holes. Botermans et al.; The World of Games; op. cit. in 4.B.5; 1989; p. 213, shows a 17C engraving by Ménian showing Le Jeu de Troumadame as having a board with holes in it, held vertically on a table and one must roll marbles through the holes. They say it is nowadays known as 'bridge'.