Jelly Babies

Jelly Babies are a type of soft sugar jelly sweet, shaped as plump babies in a variety of colours. They were first manufactured in Lancashire, England in the 19th century. Their popularity waned in England before being revived by Bassett's of Sheffield, Yorkshire who were responsible for mass-producing Jelly Babies from 1918.

History

'Jelly Babies' are known at least since advertisements by Riches Confectionery Company of 22 Duke St, London Bridge in 1885, along with a variety of other baby-sweets including 'Tiny Totties' and 'Sloper's Babies'. But the pricing of these at a farthing each suggests that they were very much larger than the modern Jelly Baby.

Sweets called "unclaimed babies", which may pre-date Jelly babies, are known to have been produced by Thomas Fryer of Nelson in Lancashire, and seem to have been hugely popular in the early 20th Century. in 1939 it was reported that, of all the comforts sent to troops abroad; "the sweets which are in greatest demand are those which we all know as 'unclaimed babies'".