The uncle's present : a new battledoor [sic]

The battledore or alphabet sheet first appeared in the 18^th century and was a development of the hornbook, a simple alphabet sheet sometimes with the Lord's Prayer added if space allowed. The battledore remained in use until late in the 19^th century.

Benjamin Collins is credited with the development of the battledore, and the first, The Royal Battledore was issued in 1746. Unlike the horn book, the battledore was enhanced with illustrations. The text could vary considerably and range from the alphabet to simple rhymes or poems: the short texts and illustrations made them a more attractive option for learning than had previously existed with the horn book. Many different versions were published both in Britain and in the United States.

The battledore was printed or mounted on thin card, which was then folded in two or sometimes into three. Tradition has it that the printed battledore was used by children to play shuttlecock, but this seems unlikely given the relative fragility of the card. Originally the battledore was a short paddle for beating the washing; children then used this for their games of shuttlecock. How the term came to be applied to a printed sheet used for teaching children to read is however obscure.

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