This name refers to a folk story set in the time when smuggling was a significant industry in rural England, with Wiltshire lying on the smugglers' secret routes between the south coast and customers in the centre of the country.[1]
The story goes that some local people had hidden contraband barrels of French brandy from customs officers in a village pond. While trying to retrieve it at night, they were caught by the revenue men, but explained themselves by pointing to the moon's reflection and saying they were trying to rake in a round cheese. The revenue men, thinking they were simple yokels, laughed at them and went on their way. But, as the story goes, it was the moonrakers who had the last laugh. In the words of Wiltshire shepherd William Little who recounted the story to writer John Yonge Akerman: "Zo the excizeman 'as ax'd 'n the question 'ad his grin at 'n,...but they'd a good laugh at 'ee when 'em got whoame the stuff."[note 1][2]
Originedit
The story dates to before 1787, when the Moonrakers tale appeared in Francis Grose's Provincial Glossary.[3] Research by Wiltshire Council's Community History Project shows that a claim can be made for the Crammer, a pond at Southbroom, Devizes, as the original location for the tale.[4] Other accounts naming the village of Bishops Cannings2+1⁄2 miles to the north-east of Devizes, which has no pond, are explained by a change in the parish boundaries in 1835, which transferred the Crammer from that parish into the town.[5][4] However, many other places in the county have laid claim to the story.[6]
Modern-day usageedit
Supporters of the association football club Oxford United use moonraker as a derogatory term for fans of their Wiltshire-based rivals Swindon Town.[7]
Notesedit
^Expanding the elisions gives "So the exciseman as asked un the question had his grin at un, but they had a good laugh at he when them got home the stuff." From the OED: "As: replaced by that, but still common in southern dialect speech." "Him: en, un, 'n, is still current in southern dialect speech." "Him: In s.w. dialects he is the emphatic objective, beside the unemphatic 'en, 'un."
^Smith, A. C. (1874). "On Wiltshire Traditions, Charms and Superstitions". Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. 14. Devizes, England: Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society: 326–327. ISSN 0262-6608. if the trade of the smuggler seems somewhat an unlikely one...in the heart of the downs of North Wiltshire...whole population[s]...carried cargoes of contraband goods by the little-frequented ridgeways or trackways...and so handed them on to the very middle of England
^Akerman, John Yonge (1853). Wiltshire Tales. Soho, London: John Russell Smith. pp. 168–9. OCLC 793719788.
^Provincial Glossary, OCLC 84873860, Quoted in "moonraker". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. December 2008.
^ ab"Bishops Cannings". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 1 September 2009. the Crammer in Devizes, a seemingly excellent pond for moonraking used to lie within the parish of Bishop's Cannings.
^"Smugglers myth lives". Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
^"The Legend of the Moonrakers". Swindon Life. Retrieved 2 September 2009. The site of the pond is a matter of fierce...conjecture, with any one of the many Wiltshire towns and villages which boast a pond laying claim to be the home of the original moonrakers at one time or another.
^(PDF). The Football Fans Census. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
moonrakers, other, uses, moonraker, colloquial, name, people, from, wiltshire, county, west, country, england, 1903, postcard, illustrating, legend, contents, legend, origin, modern, usage, notes, also, references, further, readinglegend, editthis, name, refer. For other uses see Moonraker Moonrakers is the colloquial name for people from Wiltshire a county in the West Country of England A 1903 postcard illustrating the legend Contents 1 Legend 2 Origin 3 Modern day usage 4 Notes 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingLegend editThis name refers to a folk story set in the time when smuggling was a significant industry in rural England with Wiltshire lying on the smugglers secret routes between the south coast and customers in the centre of the country 1 nbsp The Crammer Devizes The story goes that some local people had hidden contraband barrels of French brandy from customs officers in a village pond While trying to retrieve it at night they were caught by the revenue men but explained themselves by pointing to the moon s reflection and saying they were trying to rake in a round cheese The revenue men thinking they were simple yokels laughed at them and went on their way But as the story goes it was the moonrakers who had the last laugh In the words of Wiltshire shepherd William Little who recounted the story to writer John Yonge Akerman Zo the excizeman as ax d n the question ad his grin at n but they d a good laugh at ee when em got whoame the stuff note 1 2 Origin editThe story dates to before 1787 when the Moonrakers tale appeared in Francis Grose s Provincial Glossary 3 Research by Wiltshire Council s Community History Project shows that a claim can be made for the Crammer a pond at Southbroom Devizes as the original location for the tale 4 Other accounts naming the village of Bishops Cannings 2 1 2 miles to the north east of Devizes which has no pond are explained by a change in the parish boundaries in 1835 which transferred the Crammer from that parish into the town 5 4 However many other places in the county have laid claim to the story 6 Modern day usage editSupporters of the association football club Oxford United use moonraker as a derogatory term for fans of their Wiltshire based rivals Swindon Town 7 Notes edit Expanding the elisions gives So the exciseman as asked un the question had his grin at un but they had a good laugh at he when them got home the stuff From the OED As replaced by that but still common in southern dialect speech Him en un n is still current in southern dialect speech Him In s w dialects he is the emphatic objective beside the unemphatic en un See also editThe Dog and Its Reflection Red herring Wise Men of GothamReferences edit Smith A C 1874 On Wiltshire Traditions Charms and Superstitions Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine 14 Devizes England Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society 326 327 ISSN 0262 6608 if the trade of the smuggler seems somewhat an unlikely one in the heart of the downs of North Wiltshire whole population s carried cargoes of contraband goods by the little frequented ridgeways or trackways and so handed them on to the very middle of England Akerman John Yonge 1853 Wiltshire Tales Soho London John Russell Smith pp 168 9 OCLC 793719788 Provincial Glossary OCLC 84873860 Quoted in moonraker Oxford English Dictionary Oxford England Oxford University Press December 2008 a b Bishops Cannings Wiltshire Council Retrieved 1 September 2009 the Crammer in Devizes a seemingly excellent pond for moonraking used to lie within the parish of Bishop s Cannings Smugglers myth lives Wiltshire Gazette and Herald Retrieved 31 July 2012 The Legend of the Moonrakers Swindon Life Retrieved 2 September 2009 The site of the pond is a matter of fierce conjecture with any one of the many Wiltshire towns and villages which boast a pond laying claim to be the home of the original moonrakers at one time or another Rivalry Uncovered page 9 PDF The Football Fans Census Archived from the original PDF on 20 October 2013 Retrieved 11 April 2007 Further reading editWiltshire Ralph Whitlock ISBN 0 7134 3117 2 The Story of the Wiltshire Regiment p 105 Colonel Neville C E Kenrick 1963 OCLC 5934114 nbsp This England related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Moonrakers amp oldid 1195221556, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
