Origins and Meaning
The first recorded version of the rhyme was collected by James Orchard Halliwell in the mid-nineteenth century with the lyrics:
- Rowley Powley, pumpkin pie,
- Kissed the girls and made them cry;
- When the girls began to cry,
- Rowly Powley runs away.
However, the version with Georgie Porgie was known to George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) in his childhood and so may be at least as old.
There are various theories that link the character Georgie Porgie to historical figures including George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), Charles II (1630-1685) and George I (1660-1727), but there is no evidence to corroborate such claims.
Read more about this topic: Georgie Porgie
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