The Market Place in Knaresborough has two sculptures sat on benches commemorating two local characters, Mother Shipton and Blind Jack.
Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil) is said to be England's most famous Prophetess. She foretold the fates of several rulers within and just after her lifetime, as well as the invention of iron ships, the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Mother Shipton was born Ursula Sontheil in 1488, during the reign of Henry VII, father of Henry VIII. Although little is known about her parents, legend has it that she was born during a violent thunderstorm in a cave on the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough. Her mother, Agatha, was just fifteen years old when she gave birth, and despite being dragged before the local magistrate, she would not reveal who the father was. With no family and no friends to support her, Agatha raised Ursula in the cave on her own for two years before the Abbott of Beverley took pity on them and a local family took Ursula in. Agatha was taken to a nunnery far away, where she died some years later. She never saw her daughter again. When Ursula was twenty-four she met a young man by the name of Tobias Shipton. He was a carpenter from the city of York. Tobias died a few years later, before they had any children, but Ursula kept his name, Shipton. The Mother part followed later, when she was an old woman.
The prophecies may not be all historically correct, and the stories may have been embellished slightly over the centuries, but she remains one of those legendary figures of romance and folklore entwined in our imaginations and the local surroundings.
Blind Jack (John Metcalf) was born in Knaresborough in 1717 in a thatched cottage opposite Knaresborough Castle, and he led a hugely varied and characterful life, which included a pioneering career in road construction. Metcalf designed and helped to build around 180 miles of road across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire. Many of his routes still survive today, for example as parts of the A59 and the A61. By 1752, Jack was operating a stagecoach company between York and Knaresborough, exposing him to the appalling condition of local roads. Soon after a new Turnpike Act in 1752, the enterprising Metcalf obtained a contract for building a three-mile stretch of road between Ferrensby and Minskip with his gang of workmen. This was the start of a remarkable career in road buildind, bearing in mind that he was blind. The statue has him sat on a bench holding his pedometer.
Itching to do new things even in old age, Metcalf walked all the way from Spofforth to York to dictate his life story to a publisher, who printed the biography in 1795. E. & R. Pick’s The Life of John Metcalf, Commonly Called Blind Jack of Knaresborough also describes Jack’s exploits in hunting, card-playing, cock-fighting, bridge construction and ‘other undertakings’. Upon death in 1810, Blind Jack left behind 4 daughters, 20 grandchildren and a phenomenal 90 great and great-great grandchildren.
The sculpture of Blind Jack was unveiled in 2008, and that of Mother Shipton in 2017.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and fav, they are very much appreciated.
I'm particularly impressed by the history of Blind Jack. How could someone without sight be responsible for the surveying and building of 180 miles of roads?
You are quite right Margaret, Paul Daniels did own the caves. Before then it was quite nice to walk along the bank of the river with the caves, cross over and walk back on the other side. Sadly when he took over the admission price rocketed so it became a walk that was hard to justify because of the cost.
Ian
June 30th, 2023
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Didn’t Paul Daniels the magician own the caves at one time?
Thank you all for your lovely comments and fav, they are very much appreciated.
I'm particularly impressed by the history of Blind Jack. How could someone without sight be responsible for the surveying and building of 180 miles of roads?
Ian
You are quite right Margaret, Paul Daniels did own the caves. Before then it was quite nice to walk along the bank of the river with the caves, cross over and walk back on the other side. Sadly when he took over the admission price rocketed so it became a walk that was hard to justify because of the cost.
Ian