Hickory, Dickory, Dock: The Meaning Behind a Traditional Nursery Rhyme
It almost certainly refers to the short reign as Lord Protector of Oliver Cromwell’s son Richard
“Hickory, dickory, dock” is a simple little rhyme about a mouse and a clock, but it probably refers to one of Britain’s least known-about rulers who made a brief appearance on the political scene in the 17th century.
Hickory, dickory, dock
Hickory, dickory, dock
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
This nursery rhyme first appeared in print in 1743 but is thought to refer to events of the previous century.
Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector
Britain was a republic between the execution of King Charles I in 1649 and the restoration of the monarchy, under King Charles II, in 1660. The name of Oliver Cromwell is well known, given that he assumed the title of Lord Protector for most of this period, but that of Richard Cromwell, Oliver’s eldest surviving son, is much less familiar.
Oliver Cromwell died in September 1658, having proposed to Parliament that Richard…