However, it may well be older and derived the German game of Black Peter whose rules are recorded as early as 1821. The rules of the game are first recorded in a book for girls by Eliza Leslie, who published them in America in 1831 and England in 1835 under the names Old Maid (when played by girls) or Old Bachelor (when played by boys).
Old Maid is a 19th century, American card game for two or more players, probably deriving from an ancient European gambling game in which the loser pays for the drinks.
