FUNERAL OF THE QUEEN OF THE COSTERMONGERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3955, 24 March 1884, Page 4

FUNERAL OF THE QUEEN OF THE COSTERMONGERS.

Extraordinary Proceedings

Yesterday afternoon (6ays aLondon paper of a recent date) an extraordinary scene was enacted in the Caledonian-road and its neighbourhood, in connection with the funeral oi an aged woman, named Mary Robinson, who ■was well known not only at Islington and at St.Pancras, by the titlo.of fcho "Queen of the Costermongers," but throughout the metropolis. ' Mary Robinson, who had resided at 137,{Bemerton-strcet, Caledonian-road, at oiio' time used to have a stall in Soiners Town, and of late years had been a vendor of cnts'-meat. It is stated thatsho amassed a great fortune, being worth no less than £60,000. It was her custom to lend to costermongers money on Fridays and Saturdays to go to market with, they paying her for the loan a shilling in the pound. She paid some twenty years ago to Mr Frank tiharman, of Caledonhin-road, £20 for her funeral expenses. Owing to the rumour that the deceased in her will had ordered that her remains should bo carried to their last testing jilnce by four men wearing white smocks, and that 24 young women should follow, wearing violet or purple dresses, Paisley shawls, hats with white feathers in them, and white aprons ; that there was to bo £20 spent in drink at certain publichonses she named, by the costermongers, and that there was to be a band of music in attendance, somo thousands of persons congregated in Bcmcrton street, along the Caledonian road, and the route the procession was to take to Finchley Cemetery. So great, indeed, was the concourse of people that it blocked the wholo traffic for tho time l;pihg, and in some cases persons'paid for windows to sec tho procession pass by. The police, under tho direction of Inspojtor Tucker, of tho V division, had a most difficult task to keep the space clear so as to allow tho funeral procession, when it did start, to get along. The coflin, which was of handsome polished oak, bore a, brass plate, with the inscription, "Mary Robinson, aged 71; died Ist January, 1881." It was reported that the corpse was dressed in white satin, and that round the head was a handsome wreath. , A funeral car contained tho coffin, which was completely covered with expensive wreaths and crosses. There wero, besides tho relatives sind near friends of the deceased, who followed in the mourning carriages, a great number of pony-carts, donkey-burrows, and cabs, all being overfilled with costermongers, whilst hundreds followed on foot to the Finchley Cemetery, where tho deceased, was buried in her family grave. The scene, •which was a strange one, caused a great deal of excitement. Tho deceased, it was said, left a sum of £10 to be spcu.t in drink, and 10s for pipes and tobacco after the interment. Tho money was afterwards spent in the manner in-, dicated by the deceased.