Prophecies of Robert Nixon, Mother Shipton, and Martha, the Gypsy

THE LIFE OF ROBERT NIXON, COMMONLY CALLED THE CHESHIRE PROPHET. The Prophecy of Nixon has so often given a name to the productions of authors of different principles, that it is now almost become a doubt whether such a person ever existed. Passing through Cheshire lately, curiosity led me to inquire what credit these legends bore among the natives: and I was not a little surprised to find with what confidence they related events which have come to pass within the memory of many of the inhabitants; and how strictly they adhered to the notion that he would not fail in the rest. Amongst his number was a namesake and descendant of the same family with this famous idiot, who, at this time lives not far from Vale-Royal, from whom I had mostly what follows, which he said he had often heard his father and other ancient people in the country relate. I also obtained a manuscript copy which seemed to bear the appearance of antiquity.—Mr. Gerrard, Mr. Grimes and many others of the inhabitants of the forest of Delamere very obligingly told me what they knew, and confirmed what was past. John, or Jonathan Nixon, the father of our prophet was a husbandman who held the lease of a farm from the abbey of Vale-Royal, to this day known by the name of Bark, or Bridge-house in the parish of Over near New-Church, and not far from Vale-Royal, on the forest of Delamere, which house is still kept up and venerated by the natives of Cheshire for nothing else that I could hear of but this extraordinary person’s birth, which took place Whitsuntide, and he was christened by the name of Robert, in the year 1467, about the 7th year of Edward IV.; and from his infancy he was remarkable for a stupidity and invincible ignorance, so that it was with great difficulty his parents could instruct him to drive the team, tend the cattle and such sort of rustic employments. His parents at their decease left the farm and our Robert very young, to the care of an elder brother with whom he first gave an instance of that foreknowledge which renders his name so famous. As he was driving the team one day, whilst his brother’s man guided the plough, he pricked an ox so very cruelly with his goad that the plough-holder threatened to acquaint his master; on which Nixon said, the ox should not be his brother’s three days hence; which accordingly happened for a life drooping in the estate, the lord of the manor took the same ox for an heriot. [7