Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-02-25
THE THREE MOTHERS.
Three Famous Inns in Merry
England.
Mother Red Cap, Mother Black Cap, and
Mother Shipton.
Superstition Surrounding Them,

Superstition Surrounding Them.
Most people are satisfied with one
mother, and so they should be in the
course of nature. | have, however,
writes London correspondent to The
Bostos Herald. discovered in one por-
ton OF London three mothers, and all
of them mothers of the same offspring,
all living at Camdentown and Kentish-
town, all easily reached by tram-car
starting from Kings Cross railway sta
ton, which is situated in the northern
part of this vast city. The offspring of
these mothers, three, is-what do you
suppose? Briefly, then, since you prob
ably give up the riddle, it is bar, not
legal bar. but public bar, or, in Eng
lish abbreviatiOn, "a pub. The moth
ers are the three names of inns of the
past, now degcnerated into mere way
side resorts for the expenditure of the
nimble coins of the realm. which seem
somehow to burn in the pockets of the
British workman and his spouse. Gu
rious to learn something of inns, which,
AS far rs can ascertain, are the only
ones called mother this or that, I
made a little tour of investigation as to
their origin and history, both on the
premises themselves and at that mine of
knowledge, the British museum, which
includes the histories of every sort of
English enterprise and of the books and
literature of all nations. 1t was posi-
bic, however, to CLEAN most of my facts
from the places under consideration
namely, the Mother Red Cap" Moth
er Black Cap" and Mother Shipton"
hostelcrics. The people living near
them have preserved Il large amount of
biographical lore, and, save that here
and there II date needs verifying, Cam
dentown and its contiguous Kentish-
town are well grounded in all pertain
ing to their celebrated Three Moth
rrS.' As far back as 1880 these three
inns were in flOurishing condition.
Mother Red Cap and Mother Shipton
date back to the early seventeenth CEN
fury, and, believing vague rumors, even
further back. Mother Black Cap can
not trace with authority earlier than
1920. With Mother Red Cap it was and
is at rivalry, and its name was doubt
less given in order to be one quite OPP
posite to red, or, likcler still, because
Mother Red Cap was once intended to
have been made II second Tyburn.
Therefore black may have been used in
dersive spirit. ''Ord"rs.' wrote The
Morning Post newspaper in 1916 ''have
been given from the S crctary of states
Office that the criminals capitallv con-
victed at the Old Bailey shall in future
be executed ut the cross-road near the
Mother Red Cap inn, the half way
house to Hampstead, and that no gal
leries, scatfOldS or other temporary
stages be built near the place.
The first home of Charles Dickens in
London was within sight of the Red
Cap when he came here with his par
ents from Chatham in 1921. 1t was
then about the poorest portion of the
London suburbs. The thoughtful little
lad saw about him that sorry poverty
which he so graphically portrayed later
on in his marvellous word paintings. That
lis childhood was lonely in consequence
of his having at that period of his life
no suitable companions was perhaps
the best thing which could have hap
pened for the imprrcrptiblc develop
mcnt of his mental life.
The Mother Red Cap was from earli-
est times terror to travellers. She was
Il character in history. sometimes called
Mother DamnablG," of kcntishtown.
At her house the notorious ''Moli Cut
purse" the highway feminine marauder
If Oliver CromweIl's day, halted and
lodged. Eiragos these two beyond all
doubt. In 1870 the old house was taken
down and new one built on its Sight,
with the same swinging sign over the
door of a buXom, sllrcwish- looking wo-
man, with Il formidable cNtinguisher-
shaped hat. The present house is in its
turn a successor to the 1880 one, built
about 1875. Much of the walls and
stone foundations are not only those
comprising the later but the former
domicile. As many histories are pre-
sented of this somewhat mythical per-
senage as there are days in the week.
The venerable dame, witch, or alcwife
is identified by many writers as the celc-
GRATED Eleanor Running, of Leather
mead, in Surrey, who lived in the days
of Henry VIII. This old alcwife is de-
scribed by the poet laureate of bluff
King Hal as being most uncOmely of
face, ''ugly of cheer, her face all brow
~, wondrously wrinkled, her cen
6leared, and she gray-haircl.
In work on the history of st. Pan
creas is the account of her life which is
most probable, and the one nearest the
traditions still eXtant in Camdcntown.
"She was saws this record, some
times called, besides Mother Damnable'
and Mother Red Cap the 'Shrcw of
kentishtown.' She was the daughter
of one Jacob Bingham, brickmaker in
the town and ncighborhood. firing of
the humble labors of bricklayer, he
enlisted in the army and went to Scot
land, marrying there Scotch pedller' 5
daughter. The result of their union
was our Mother r Il Cap, whom they
named Jinncy. AT last the father wear
led of the army and returned to his
bricks, sometimes relieving LIES mon
otony by travelling, with his wife and
child, as peddler. Thus the girl got
into vagabond ways, and at 16 had an
intrigue with one Gypsy George, or as
he was less frequently known, George
Coulter, an idle ne'er-dO-well. This
man was a deal of bother to the magis-
crates, and, truth compels us to record,
ue lived by his wits, which were most
disreputable ones. In his evil deeds he
was seconded by the lawlcss Jinney.
At last Coulter was caught sheep steal
ing, sent to Newgate, tried at the Old
Bailey, and hung at Tyburn.
- Reckless Jinney did not long wear
the willow. No. in her lawless atfec-
tons was drunken fellow named OAR
by. They were constantly quarreling,
and ut last Jinncy talked matters over
with her mother. After this Darby was
missed, nor could he be found by the
authorities. AT this period both of jim
aey's parents were summoned before
the courts for secretly practicing the
black art, comprising thus the death OF
an Innocent maiden. Indignation in
he people rose high, proofs were. over.
Nhelmino and they were both HANGED,