Little Jack Horner

Jack Horner pulls a plum from his Christmas pie and congratulates himself: "What a good boy am I!" A persistent legend says the plum was really a property deed, and Jack a steward who pocketed it for himself during Henry VIII's seizure of the monasteries. The rhyme reached print in 1725.

Who was the real Jack Horner?

The most popular legend connects the rhyme to Thomas Horner, who was a steward to Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury during the reign of King Henry VIII. According to this theory, the abbot sent Horner to London with a Christmas pie containing the deeds to twelve manor estates. The pie was intended as a bribe to appease the king during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, hoping to save the abbey's properties from being seized.

What does the plum represent in the rhyme?

According to the historical theory, the "plum" in the rhyme represents the valuable deed to the Manor of Mells in Somerset. The Horner family did indeed acquire Mells Manor around this time, and their descendants still reside there. While the family claims the property was purchased legitimately, the popular legend suggests Horner extracted the deed for himself on his journey to the king.

What is the historical context of the Christmas pie?

The rhyme emerged during a turbulent period in English history when Henry VIII was seizing Catholic Church properties. During this era, it was common practice to hide valuable documents inside food items when traveling, as pies would be less likely to be searched by thieves or officials. This practice adds credibility to the story of deeds being transported inside a Christmas pie. Whether the tale of theft is true or simply a colorful legend, the Horner family's acquisition of Mells Manor remains a documented historical fact.