The UK game descended from the Roman invaders
Played with 5 cubes only, usually made from plaster although some commercial sets in the 1950s were wood. No rubber ball. Called “CHUCKS” in NE England, other names elsewhere. Could be made with primary school technology – press an existing cube into modelling clay, fill the hole with plaster perloined from a building site. Can be stacked which jacks can not, Nelson’s Column, Lamp posts, cricket all require this.

Query? when did the American metal version come to England?