Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1914 — Old Mother Hubbard. [ARTICLE]

Old Mother Hubbard.

A rare discovery has been made in the realm of literature—nothing ten than the author of “Old Mother Hubbard,” whose lines, unprotected by copyright, were appropriated by successive editors of Mother Goose without the least bit of a “thank you.” The discovery of the name of the author was made by a clergyman of the church of England, the present vicar of Yealmpton, in County Devon, who has given the news of his happy finding to the presß. He says that the author was Sarah Catherine Martin, who wrote the imperishable rhyme more than a hundred years ago, and that Mother Hubbard herself was housekeeper to the squire of Yealmp ton. The pronunciation of this name is not given, but taking the hungry dog of the poem- into account, one, may guess It off as yelp-ton.