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Civic Heraldry of the United Kingdom
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BETHNAL GREEN
Borough of London
Incorporated into : 1965 Tower Hamlets
Origin/meaning :
The borough had no arms, but the design of the Common Seal adopted by the
Council bears reference to the apocryphal legend of The beggar's daughter of
Bednall Greene, a lengthy poem which appeared in Percy's Reliques of ancient
English poetry in 1765, and was probably written in Elizabethan times. The
story tells how Henry, son and heir of Simon de Montfort, believed to have
fallen at Evesham in 1265, was found and nursed by a baron's daughter, who
he afterwards married. Henry, blinded in the battle, dressed as a beggar to
escape King Henry's spies. Later his daughter, "pretty Bessee", had four
suitors at once - a knight, a gentleman of fortune, a London merchant, and
the son of the innkeeper at Romford, and all (except the knight) cooled in
their affections when told they must ask the consent of her father, the poor
blind beggar of Bethnal Green. The knight, however, went and asked the
beggar's leave to marry his daughter and, unknowingly, gained a considerable
dowry, Henry giving Bessie £3,000, and £100 to buy her wedding gown. At the
wedding feast it was explained to the guests who Henry really was. The
story, although almost certainly legend, enjoyed a wide vogue and must have
had a basis in fact. Three plays on the subject are in existence, and
printed versions have appeared in numerous editions. As far back as 1690 the
theme was used as a decoration for the Beadle's staff.
Literature : Information and image provided by Laurence Jones (laurencejones@eircom.net)
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