|
More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
|
Little Jack Horner
|
|
Rhyme about a boy who puts his thumb in a Christmas pie and pulls out a plum. It is often said to refer to Thomas Horner who in the 16C (after the *dissolution of the monasteries) acquired the manor of Mells in Somerset, which had previously belonged to Glastonbury Abbey. The theory is highly improbable – there is no link other than the surname. The connection was first made in the 19C and is typical of attempts to find historical origins for *nursery rhymes.
|
|
|
|