Colchester is reputed to be the home of three of the best known
English nursery rhymes: ‘Humpty Dumpty’,'Old
King Cole' and 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses, And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
Colchester is the most widely credited source of the rhyme of
Humpty Dumpty. During the siege of Colchester in the Civil War, a
Royalist sniper known as One-Eyed Thompson sat in the belfry of the
church of St Mary-at-the-Walls (Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall) and
was given the nickname Humpty Dumpty, most likely because of his
size; Humpty Dumpty being a common insult for the overweight.
Thompson was shot down (Humpty Dumpty had a great fall) and,
shortly after, the town was lost to the Parliamentarians (all the
king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together
again.)
Another version says that Humpty Dumpty was a cannon on the top
of the church. The church of St Mary-at-the-Walls still retains its
Norman tower until the top few feet, which are a Georgian
repair.
