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The history of
Nursery Rhyme,
Little Nancy
Etticote, is in our
category 'Lost
Lyrics of an Old
Nursery Rhyme' and
the origins of the
poem were unknown
until one of our
visitors, Rilla,
provided us with the
following
information!
The origins of
the Little Nancy
Etticote Nursery
Rhyme
"The origins of the
'Little Nancy
Etticote' rhyme is,
in fact, a
traditional English
one and is actually
a riddle!!! The
answer is a
candle!!!
The White petticote
is the white candle.
The Red nose is the
flame.
And of course the
longer (older) the
candle burns the
shorter it gets!!!"
Many thanks to Rilla
for this fascinating
explanation.
The History of
the Petticoat!
The practice of
wearing the
petticoat was well
established by 1585
and would have been
worn by Queen
Elizabeth I
(1533-1603). The
Elizabethan
petticoat is
described as an
underskirt gathered
to the waist and
sometimes decorated
with bands of fabric
or lace trim.
Petticoat Lane -
the History of
London
A London Map, dated
1603, shows a street
called Petticoat
Lane. Trade in
petticoats was
established there by
the highly skilled,
lace-making,
Huguenots who came
to London from
France following
their persecution
and the infamous St.
Bartholomew's Day
Massacre of 1572.
The petticoat Lane
Market still exists
in London and is
situated in
Middlesex Street
(the name was
changed by the prim
Victorians who
believed it totally
inappropriate to
mention an item of
ladies
underclothing)
Petticoat Lane holds
over 1,000 clothing
stalls on Sunday
We recommend the
following page for
additional Facts and
Information
Elizabethan era |
