Why the Cow Logo for the
Heritage ( Bells and History ) Project
Why has a cow jumping over the moon been chosen
as a logo for the Heritage Project?
The answer goes back to the early 1500’s and St Mary's long association with Bolton Priory.
Prior Moone was born in Long Preston and was the last prior at Bolton Priory at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. He left his personal silver chalice to St Mary's and that is still in use today.
Whilst at Bolton Priory it would appear that Prior Moone had a bit of a dispute with
a local farmer that resulted in the well-
The interpretation of the rhyme goes like this:
Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle
A local farmer called Hey swindled Prior Moone and the Catholic faith (referred to irreverently as the cat and the fiddle – Catholica Fide)
The cow jumped over the moon
over the sale of some cows
The little dog laughed to see such fun
The Bolton Priory community laughed at these local antics ( two carved laughing dogs can still be seen on the tower built by Prior Moone at the entrance to the present day church)
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Hey's daughter wished to get married but could only do so in her local church (the
Priory). To get his own back, Prior Moone refused so she
(the dish) ran off with her
intended (the spoon)!
Rev Rachel / Gill Jones
Before you all Google “the cow jumped over the moon” ( 44,100 references )
-
ranging
from an Elizabethan scandal to an Astronomy Lesson.
Some are here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Diddle_Diddle
http://childrens-
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/hey_diddle_diddle.htm
We leave you to decide which is the real one.