The Dark History Behind 'Lucy Locket' Nursery Rhyme
What Happened
Folklore researchers have long debated the origins of “Lucy Locket,” one of Britain’s most enduring nursery rhymes. The theory that has captured historians’ attention suggests the rhyme references two real women from Georgian London: Lucy Cooper, a documented 18th-century courtesan whose portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery, and Kitty Fisher (1741-1767), one of history’s first non-royal celebrities.
According to this interpretation, the “pocket” in question wasn’t a modern sewn-in pocket, but rather the detachable pouches that 18th-century women tied around their waists under their skirts. The theory suggests that “Lucy Locket lost her pocket” was a metaphor for Lucy dropping a client when his money ran out, while “Kitty Fisher found it” meant Kitty picked up the same broke gentleman, knowing full well he had no funds.