# What were Jelly Babies originally called?

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**Source:** sweeties.net, online pick and mix sweet shop

## Summary

Jelly Babies were first sold as Unclaimed Babies, made in Lancashire in 1864. Bassett's made them as Peace Babies from 1918, then Jelly Babies from 1953.

## Description

In a 2009 poll of 4,000 British adults, Jelly Babies came sixth among favourite sweets. But they have not always gone by that name. Over their long history they have been Unclaimed Babies and Peace Babies too.
Unclaimed Babies
According to the history of the sweet, Jelly Babies were invented in 1864 by an Austrian immigrant working at Fryer's, a sweet maker in Lancashire. They were first sold as Unclaimed Babies. After a while their popularity faded.
The name jelly babies was around quite early, too. In 1885 a London firm, Riches Confectionery Company of Duke Street, London Bridge, advertised jelly babies alongside other baby shaped sweets called Tiny Totties and Sloper's Babies. They cost a farthing each, which suggests they were a good deal bigger than the Jelly Babies of today.
Peace Babies
The sweets were revived by Bassett's of Sheffield. By 1918 Bassett's was making them as Peace Babies, to mark the end of the First World War, and Bassett's has supported the Peace Babies name as part of the sweet's history.
Jelly Babies
Production stopped during the Second World War because of wartime shortages. When the sweets came back, in 1953, they were relaunched as Jelly Babies, the name they have had ever since. Ten years later, in October 1963, Beatles fans were pelting the band with them after it was reported that George Harrison liked them.
In 1999 a sweet called Jellyatrics was launched by Barnack Confectionery to celebrate what it called the Jelly Baby's 80th birthday, and as a celebration of the older generation.
Names within the name
Since about 1989, Bassett's Jelly Babies have each had their own name, colour, shape and flavour, from Brilliant, the red strawberry baby, to Bigheart, the purple blackcurrant one: see do Jelly Babies have names?
We sell Jelly Babies in our pick and mix. For why they are dusted, see why are Jelly Babies covered in powder?

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