The cow jumped over the moon

Long Preston Heritage Group
 JOURNAL 
 2009 
 North Craven 
 Heritage Trust 

Why has a cow jumping over the moon been chosen as a logo for the Long Preston Heritage Group? The answer goes back to the early 1500s 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.

Whilst at Bolton Priory it would appear that Prior Moone had a dispute with a local farmer that resulted in the well-known nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle”. However, it has to be admitted that there are very many other hypotheses for the origin of the rhyme and no historical evidence.

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. (The cat and the fiddle was an irreverent way of referring to the Catholic faith - in Latin 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 (three carved 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)!

There are four statues on the Bolton Priory tower. Three are animals, two of which look like dogs and the third is probably a dog but looks more like a baboon with repaired front legs. One of the dogs appears to be laughing. Dogs were symbolic of fidelity in medieval times. The fourth statue is of a pilgrim with a staff but he appears to be carrying a dish under one arm! All four statues show the ravages of time.

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Bolton Priory
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Pilgrim with staff
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Dog
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Dog (or baboon?)
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The laughing dog



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Bolton Priory


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Pilgrim with staff


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Dog


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Dog (or baboon?)


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The laughing dog