Mom: Jack and Jill went up the hill, to fetch a pail of water! Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after! Hurray for indoor plumbing!
King Charles I tried to increase the taxes on liquid measures in his favour but Parliament voted against the tax reform. However, not being undermined by parliament Charles ordered a mandate that the volume of a ‘Jack’, which was ½ pint be reduced whilst the tax remained the same.
So although parliament voted against a tax increase, as far as King Charles was concerned they didn’t vote against the reduction of the measure of a Jack, so ‘Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after’. A ‘Gill’ is ¼ pint, when the Jack fell down, the Gill followed.Even today, pint glasses in the UK have a half pint mark with the crown etched above it.
The ale was often watered down and there is speculation that the line “fetch a pail of water” related to this element.
Very interesting (on both sides). I always thought it was rather gruesome to be a children’s rhyme… it would make sense if something was behind it, though. :-s
pouncingtiger over 12 years ago
Mom looks a bit “flushed.”
Joeboyzzq over 12 years ago
Amen to that
hlagallah over 12 years ago
I always wondered what the moral to that story was
jay_dallas over 12 years ago
King Charles I tried to increase the taxes on liquid measures in his favour but Parliament voted against the tax reform. However, not being undermined by parliament Charles ordered a mandate that the volume of a ‘Jack’, which was ½ pint be reduced whilst the tax remained the same.
So although parliament voted against a tax increase, as far as King Charles was concerned they didn’t vote against the reduction of the measure of a Jack, so ‘Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after’. A ‘Gill’ is ¼ pint, when the Jack fell down, the Gill followed.Even today, pint glasses in the UK have a half pint mark with the crown etched above it.The ale was often watered down and there is speculation that the line “fetch a pail of water” related to this element.
Comic Minister Premium Member over 12 years ago
Good story.
Demonick over 12 years ago
Aw lighten up.
burleigh2 over 12 years ago
Very interesting (on both sides). I always thought it was rather gruesome to be a children’s rhyme… it would make sense if something was behind it, though. :-s