Who was Lorna Doone and why does she have a cookie named after her?
Lorna Doone is the heroine of R.D. Blackmore’s novel of the same name. Published in 1869, the historical romance set in southwest England tells the tale of John Ridd, a young farmer who clashes with the Doones, a Scottish family of murderers and outlaws based on real people. Ridd eventually meets Lorna, a ward of the Doone family, and falls in love. It’s a classic tale complete with love, murder, revenge, and, of course, a cliff-hanger ending. In answering a similar cookie question, our frequently cited, reliable source Cecil at The Straight Dope offered this quote from a Nabisco executive: “No record exists as to the exact motivation behind the selection of that name, but in those days [1912] shortbread biscuits were considered a product of Scottish heritage, and the Lorna Doone character was symbolic of Scotland.” Another web page confirmed this theory.
