A local website says “Driving west to Cowbridge, you pass through Beggars Pound before leaving the village. Its name on the 1885 village map is Beggars Bound. The name as also been recorded in the past as Beggars Pond, Beggars Bond, Beggars Well, Beggars Bush and Beggars Field. Within Beggars Pound are St John’s Well, and nearby Howell’s well. These Wells are believed to be of mediaeval origin, possibly earlier. The Wells are where travellers watered their horses and villagers got their daily drinking and washing water.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: October 9th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Glamorgan, The Oath | No Comments »
“I will take home the Lady to my Charge,
And these her Servants, and leave you my Cloke,
To travel in to Beggers Bush!”
Ben Jonson stood at the centre of the theatrical and literary life early modern England. He was connected with many writers who used the phrase Beggars Bush. Beggars Bush is mentioned in his late play when the character Peni-Boy senior reveals himself to his errant son, Peni-Boy junior. The usage is characteristic of the literary use of the phrase by Jane Anger and others. Peni-Boy junior, expecting an inheritance will instead fall into penury through his own folly. It is a state of being, not a geographical location.
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Posted: April 9th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Ben Jonson, Dutch, Henry Chettle, Henry Porter, Izaak Walton, John Day, John Taylor, Literary, Londons Ordinary, Philip Henslowe, The Oath, The Play, Thomas Nashe, canting, pubs | No Comments »
This broadside ballad “To a pleasant new tune” survives in a variety of editions. The English Broadside Ballad Archive has two dated from 1619-1629 and 1630, while the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads lists three further versions dated between 1674 and 1679. All of these include similar text which lists places, mainly hostelries (ordinaries) linked with the characters of the people who used them. Notably it is the spendthrifts who go to Beggars Bush – which is consistent with the literary usage of the phrase. It is sometimes connected to a song by Thomas Heywood, first published in 1608. For the full text see Londons Ordinarie.
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Posted: March 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Ballads, John Taylor, London, Londons Ordinary, Robert Greene, Southwark, St Giles, The Oath, The Play, Thomas Heywood, derogatory, pubs | No Comments »
