"Little Jack Horner" is the best-known English nursery rhyme. The melody of the rhyme is credited to composer and nursery collector, James William Elliott (an English collector of nursery rhymes), which is recorded in 'National Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs 1870'.
Theories related to the origins of Little Jack Horner
Like many other nursery rhymes and kids' songs, many theories have been advanced to explain the appearance of "Little Jack Horner" nursery rhyme. One of a chapbooks contained a bit different version of this rhyme.
The rhyme with few variations in the lyrics has been also published in a popular ballad, 'Namby Namby' by Henry Carey (an English poet and dramatist), which appeared in 1725. It is evident that the nursery rhyme was familiar by early eighteenth century. His poem is satire on Ambrose Philips (Politician and an English poet).Â
Since then, the nursery rhyme has been associated with acts of opportunism! Henry Fielding's 'The Grub Street Opera (1731)' is a satire of the prime minister of Great Britain, Robert Walpole.
Later in the nineteenth century, it was believed that the nursery rhyme tells about Thomas Horner, who was steward to Richard Whiting (last abbot of Glastonbury). The story tells that prior to abolition of abbey, abbot has sent Horner to London with big Christmas pie, that had the deeds to a many manors hidden within it, as a present for King and convince him to not to nationalize Church lands. On his way to London, Horner opened the pie and removed the deeds of the manor of Mells in Somerset and kept it for himself.Â
Lyrics to Little Jack Horner
"Little Jack Horner" is one of the short and simple kids' songs, which is popular among the children and preschoolers. The modern version of the rhyme, which is most commonly know to the kids is as follows:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie;
he out in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I". Â
The songwriter of "Little Jack Horner" is not known. It is believed that the nursery rhyme was first printed in 1725.Â