The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-04-27
Queen Of the Costermongers.

"The Queen of the Costermongers" was an
old woman named Mary Robinson, well known
throughout London by her singular title. She
was buried at Finchley Cemetery. At one
time this "Queen Mary" had a stall in Somer-
stown, but for many years prior 10 her death
she was veudor Of cats meat, She amassed
fortuna Of G6S.0S0 Of 300. S003Oi. SbD ma1
z truly eccentric character Wtlh her caster
mongerinG business she combined money
lending system TO her fellow-costers. On
Fridays and Saturdays she loaned them money
TO 60 to market with, charging them a shilling
in tue pound for the accommodation. Although
seemingly a female Shylock, she was often
generous, anu, outside of money transactions,
gave many poor creatures helping hand
Especially In cases of illness and death was
she generous. In short, she was a humble
finanoier at the worst, and had she been born
in better circles, doubtless would have turned
her speculative talents to loftier account.
About twenty years ago she fell ILL.,, and
| for some weeks lay in a critical condition. On
her recovery she brooded much on death and
funerals, and the short-sghtedness of the
people who in health make no practical burial
provisions in case they are suddenly called
hence. Finally, she paid visit to an under
taker, and deposited with him tae sum of EGO
to defray her funeral expenses when the iu-
eyitable occasion arose for such expenditure.
This she took a regular receipt for, and the
money remained intact for twenty years.
When at last she died the story Of her oddities,
gaining each year in the telling of them, be-
came Baron Munchausen romances at her
decease. All sorts of requests had been ac-
credited to her, as her will Was known to
have been made at the time she provided her
undertaker's fee. One of these wild rumours,
which proved true. was that she had ordered
that her remains should be carried to the
grave by four men wearing white smocks.
But anoib er, that twenty-four young women
should follow, wearing violet or purple
dresses, Paisley shRwls, hats with white
feathers in them, and white aprons did not
trsnspiro in fact. Again, 1t was rumoured
that 10 rye sum of money was to be spent in
drink for costermongers at certain public
houses she named, and that there was to be
a band of music in attendance. These ex-
trayagaut tales led to the congregation Of
thousands of persons in Bemerton street, where
she lived, along the Caledonian road and along
the route to Finchey Cemetery. The crowd
blocked the streets for time, and IN some
cases people paid for windows to see the pro-
cession. The coffin, which was of handsome
polished oak, bore GRASS plate, with the in
criptiou "Mary Robinson, aged a." followed
by the date of her death. The stories of the
fantastic ceremonials to be enacted were Of
course msrvellously exaggerated, button the
other hand much was done of an elaborate
character. The corpse, by her special request,
was shrouded in white satin, and round her
head was very handsome wreath. The
funeral car, or hesrse, was covered with ex-
pensive wreaths and crosses. There were in
the procession, besides the relatives and
friends of the deceased, a great number OF
pony carts, donkey barrows, aud cabs, all be-
ing overilled with costermongers Tue dece-
ased left sum of ElO to be spent in drink,
and sovereign for pipes and tobacco after
the funeral. Thus ended the record Of the
"Queeu of the Costermungers," woman who
was descended from long line Of costers on
both sides.-LoHdoa Cor. Oiago Ns,rs