Little Jack Horner

[Merry]

Nothing to add to BK6 from this thread

One of my cousins believes they are descended from the real Little Jack Horner. Her great-grandmother was Ada Harriet Horner b 1861 in Clifton District.

Having googled, I see LJH was actually Jack Horner, Steward to The Bishop of Glastonbury, Richard Whiting 1461 – 1539.

Should I be investigating this???? (it's the wrong side of her tree to be my relative).

[kiterunner]

How will she take it if you find out it isn't true, Merry?

[Merry]

I already assume it isn't true and also imagine I would not manage to confirm either way!

Reminds me of mum always saying we are related to Sainsburys and Clarks shoes. She never even imagined it might not be true!! (it's not!)

I just wonder how people get these ideas? Maybe it's because they have been asked the question?

[Mary from Italy]

My great-grandfather is firmly believed by some of my Australian relatives to have been related to the Inmans of the famous shipping line. He was actually a butcher, and as far as I can discover, the nearest he ever got to the sea (before emigrating to Australia) was when he was hired to work on a fishing smack as a youth, and absconded. Shortly afterwards he found himself in court for theft, and the court was informed that the captain of the boat wouldn't have him back at any price. He doesn't seem to be even distantly related to the shipping Inmans.

[Shona]

Merry,

NO!!!!

In the nineteenth century a story began to gain currency that the rhyme is actually about Thomas Horner, who was steward to Richard Whiting, the last abbot of Glastonbury before the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII of England. The story is reported that, prior to the abbey's destruction, the abbot sent Horner to London with a huge Christmas pie which had the deeds to a dozen manors hidden within it and that during the journey Horner opened the pie and extracted the deeds of the manor of Mells in Somerset. It is further suggested that, since the manor properties included lead mines in the Mendip Hills, the plum is a pun on the Latin plumbum, for lead. While records do indicate that Thomas Horner became the owner of the manor, paying for the title, both his descendants and subsequent owners of Mells Manor have asserted that the legend is untrue.

[HarrysMum]

One of hubby's side wills has a Joseph Horner, a baker in Yorkshire.

[Merry]

One of hubby's side wills has a Joseph Horner, a baker in Yorkshire.

Oh, so he will be related too! :rolleyes: