The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-01-28
THE THREE MOTHERS.
Three Famous Inns in Merry
England.
Mother Red Gap, Mother Black Cap, and
Mother Shipton.

Mother Red Gap, Mother Black Cap, and
Mother Shipton.
Superstition Surrounding Them.
Most people are satisfied with one
mother, and so they should be in the
course of nature. l have, however,
writes London correspondent to The
Boston 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
supposep Briefly, then, since you prob
ably give up the riddle, it is bar, not a
legal bar, but public bar, or, in Eng
iish abbreviation, "a pub" The moth
ers are the three names of inns of the
past, now degenerated 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 as can ascertain, are the only
ones called mother this or that, 1
made 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 possi-
BILE, however, to CLEAN most of my facts
from the places under consideration
namely, the ''Mother Red Cap," "Moth-
er Black Cap" and Mother Shipton"
hosteleries. The people living near
them have preserved large amount of
biographical lore, and, save that here
and there date needs verifying, Cam
dentown and its contiguous Kentish-
town are well grounded in all pertain
ing to their celebrated Three Moth
ers." As far back as 1880 these three
inns were in a fourishing condition.
Mother Red Cap and Mother Shipton
date back to the early seventeenth CEN
tury, and, believing vague rumors, even
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 op-
posite to red, or, likelier still, because
Mother Red Cap was once intended to
have been made second Tyburn.
Therefore black may have been used in
derisive spirit ''Orders." wrote The
Morning Post newspaper in 1776 shave
been given from the secretary of states
Office that the criminals capitally con-
victed at the Old Bailey shall in future
be executed at the cross-road near the
Mother Red Cap inn, the half way
house to Hampstead, and that no gal
leries, scaffolds 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
his 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 imperceptible develop
ment of his mental life.
The Mother Red Cap was from earli-
est times terror to travellers. She was
a character in history, sometimes called
Mother Damnable," of Kentishtown.
At her house the notorious '.Moli Cut
purse" the highway feminine marauder
Of Oliver Cromwell's day, halted and
lodged. Viragos these two beyond all
doubt. In 1850 the old house was taken
down and new one built on its sight,
with the same swinging sign over the
door of buxom, shrewish-looking wo-
man, with a formidable extinguisher-
shaped hat. The present house is in it's
turn successor to the 1850 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-
sonage as there are days in the week.
The venerable dame, witch, or alewife
is identified by many writer's as the cele-
brated Eleanor RUNNING, of Leather
head, in Surrey, who lived in the days
of Henry VIII. This old alewife is de-
scribed by the poet laureate of bluff
King Hal as being most uncomely of
face, ''ugly of cheer, her face all brow
sy, wondrously wrinkled, her 'een
bleared, and she gray-haired. :"
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 Camdentown.
"She was," says this record, ''some-
times called, besides Mother Damnable'
and Mother Red Cap the 'Shrew of
Kentishtown. She was the daughter
of one Jacob Bingham, brickmaker in
the town and neighborhood. firing of
the humble labors of a bricklayer, he
enlisted in the army and went to Scot
land, marrying there Scotch peddler's
daughter. The result of their union
was our Mother Red Cap, whom they
named Jinney. At last the father wear
led of the army and returned to his
bricks, sometimes relieving life's mon
otong 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 deal of bother to the magis-
trates, and, truth compels us to record,
he lived by his wits, which were most
disreputable ones. In his evil deeds he
was seconded by the lawless 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. 2 in her lawless affec-
ions was drunken fellow named Dar-
oy. They were constantly quarreling,
md at last Jinney 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
;he courts for secretly practicing the
black art, comprising thus the death of
an innocent maiden. Indignation in
5he people rose high, proofs were over
whelming, and they were both hanged.
Perhaps the enforced violent deaths of
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