Mother Hubbard
☞ Public domain character. Folkloric. First appearance, Juvenile Amuſements (1797) if not Proſopopoia; or Mother Hubberds Tale (1591 or earlier).
Mother Hubbard or Dame Hubbard is a kindly old Englishwoman who has a beloved dog that does some very unusual and comical things each time she leaves to get him something. In some texts, her name is spelled as Mother Hubberd and Mother Hubbord. Depending on the source, the dog’s name is said to be Tray, Prin, Doggie Hubbard or Rover, but Tray is the name used earliest and most often. According to one text, the dog dies in 1819 and is survived by Mother Hubbard, but another text states that, by the week of 14 December 1886, Mother Hubbard has died and is survived by her dog, and yet another text indicates she dies in 1931; nevertheless, both she and the dog continue to have multiple adventures over the centuries, evidently at least into the 1940s. Mother Hubbard’s counterpart in the world of Yankee Mother Goose is Mother Santry (who goes to the pantry), her counterpart in the world of The Bull Moose Mother Goose is Mother Cutler (who rings for the butler), and her counterpart in the world of Mary Gay Stories is Mother Hubbard Squash.
Proſopopoia; or Mother Hubberds Tale, by Ed. Sp. [Edmund Spenſer], 1591 (or earlier), reprinted in Complaints: Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie; VVhereof the Next Page Maketh Mention, 1591. (Internet Archive)
The Hind and the Panther: A Poem, in Three Parts, pt. 3, by John Dryden, 1687. Only mention: “And mother Hubbard, in her homely dreſs / Has ſharply blam’d a Britiſh Lioneſs ….” (umich) (2nd ed., Internet Archive)
Reprinted in Poems on Various Occasions; and Tranſlations from Several Authors … Now Firſt Publiſh’d Together in One Volume, 1701. (Google Books)
“Old Mother Hubbard” (nursery rhyme), Roud 19334, 1790s or earlier.
Juvenile Amuſements, music by Samuel Arnold, 1797.
Gammer Gurton’s Garland: or, The Nursery Parnassus; A Choice Collection of Pretty Songs and Verses, for the Amusement of All Little Good Children Who Can Neither Read nor Run, pt. 3, 1810. (HathiTrust)
The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, by Sarah Catherine Martin, (June) 1805.
The Adventures of Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [ca. 1790?] or [182‒?]. (Internet Archive) (most of the illustrations reprinted, Internet Archive) (oclc, oclc)
Manuscript, 1804, already in the public domain when published in 1938. (information, HathiTrust)
The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard, and Her Dog: In Which Is Shewn the Wonderful Powers That Good Old Lady Possessed in the Education of Her Favourite Animal, 1819. Includes epilogue about dog’s death. (Internet Archive) (oclc)
The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [between 1810 and 1841] or [ca. 1820?]. Includes prologue, “Mother Hubbard’s old dog Tray.” (Internet Archive) (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust) (oclc, oclc)
Komische Abentheuer der Frau Hubbard mit ihrem Hunde, trans. Joseph Scholz, ca. 1830.
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog, 1834. (1839, Internet Archive) (oclc, oclc)
Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [1840]. Abridged. (Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [ca. 1841] or [ca. 1845]. (Internet Archive) (oclc)
The Nursery Rhymes of England, Collected Principally from Oral Tradition, collected by James Orchard Halliwell, 1842. (HathiTrust)
The Droll Adventures of Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [between 1840 and 1845] or [186‒?]. Different epilogue. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust) (oclc)
The Adventures of Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [not before 1852?] [1855?]. Different prologue. (Dunigan’s ed., Internet Archive) (Albany ed., Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [between 1850 and 1857]. (Internet Archive)
Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, Ancient Illuminated Rhymes, [1870]. (Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard, illustrated by Walter Crane, [1873 or 1874]. Includes the 1819 epilogue. (Internet Archive)
Reprinted in The Marquis of Carabas’ Picture Book Containing Puss in Boots[,] Old Mother Hubbard[,] Valentine and Orson[,] the Absurd ABC, [1874]. (Internet Archive) (Internet Archive)
Reprinted with additional matter in Mother Hubbard: Her Picture Book Containing: Mother Hubbard[,] The Three Bears, & The Absurd A B C: With the Original Coloured Pictures, an Illustrated Pre Face, & Odds & End Papers, Never Before Printed, [1897]. Includes new prologue and preface. (Internet Archive)
Wood’s Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [between 1858 and 1874]. (Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard, Aunt Mary’s Little Series, [between 1858 and 1899]. (Internet Archive)
The History of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [between 1860 and 1885]. (Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog, [between 1860 and 1885]. Additional lines after each stanza. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [186‒?]. (Internet Archive)
Mother Hubbard, [18‒‒] or [1840?]. (Internet Archive) (oclc)
A Continuation of the Comic Adventures, of Old Mother Hubbard, and Her Dog, by Sarah Catherine Martin, (Jan.) 1806. Dog marries.
The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, illustrated by Will Gibbons (d. ?), The Old Corner Series, [1888?], seems to reprint both books. (ufl) (oclc)
A Sequel to the Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, by W. F., (Mar.) 1806.
A History of Goody Two Shoes’ Birth‐day, in Verse, 1809. (Internet Archive)
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog; or, Harlequin and Tales of the Nursery, Theatre Royal, 1833.
Critica Novazealandica futura: A Notable and Right Marvellous Edition of the Melodrame of Old Mother Hubbord, Foreseen in the Vista of Futurity by the Telescopic Art of That Most Erudite Doctor Alfraganus Trismegistus; to Be Published in the Country of New‐Zealand A.D. 3211, and Now Præ‐Brought‐Forth for the Edification of the English Reader; the British Anteprint, by John Hannah, 1837. (HathiTrust) (Google Books)
Mother Hubbord: A Burlesque upon Classical Hypercriticism, and Hypercritics, 1837. The same book as that above?
Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog, [ca. 1840?]. Suggests that Mother Hubbard is the woman from Banbury Cross; dog is named Prin. (Internet Archive) (Internet Archive) (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
Essay on the Archæology of Our Popular Phrases, Terms and Nursery Rhymes, by John Bellenden Ker, 1840. (HathiTrust)
Mother Hubbard’s Fortune Teller, [between 1830 and 1850?]. (Commons) (oclc)
Humpty Dumpty, Crook’d Back Dick & Jane Shore! or, Harlequin Pearl Prince and Grape Queen, by Mr. Melbourne, [1857?] (1856–57). Called by her correct name in the main body of the play’s text, she is erroneously listed as Mother Bunch among the dramatis personæ. (HathiTrust)
“Old Mother Hubbard” (song), additional words by George Bennett, music by T. Crampton, The Nursery, vol. 11, no. 64, 1872. (HathiTrust)
Children of Nature, ch. 6, by William Cuffe, 4th Earl of Desart, Vanity Fair, vol. 17, no. ?, 5 May 1877. (HathiTrust, missing a page) (Google Books, missing a page)
Children of Nature: A Story of Modern London, ch. 3, 1878. (HathiTrust)
“Who Was Old Mother Hubbard? A Modern Sermon Illustrating the Method upon Which Some Parsons Construct Their Discourses,” Who Was Old Mother Hubbard? A Modern Sermon [from The Portsmouth (Eng.) Monitor] and a Refutation, 1882. (HathiTrust) (2nd ed., Internet Archive)
“Directions for a Mother Goose Party,” by Geo. B. Bartlett, 1877. Reprinted in New Games for Parlor and Lawn with a Few Old Friends in a New Dress, 1882. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
Reprinted in A Dream of Mother Goose and Other Entertainments, 1908. (HathiTrust)
“The Marriage of Santa Claus” (poem), The Reading Club and Handy Speaker: Being Serious, Humorous, Pathetic, Patriotic, and Dramatic Selections in Prose and Poetry, for Readings and Recitations, no. 9, ed. George Melville Baker, 1881. (HathiTrust)
“Who Was Old Mother Hubbard? A Refutation in the Combative, Lucid, and Argumentative Style of Some Others,” by M. M. C., Who Was Old Mother Hubbard? A Modern Sermon [from The Portsmouth (Eng.) Monitor] and a Refutation, 1882. (HathiTrust) (2nd ed., Internet Archive)
“The Adventures of Mrs. Wishing‐to‐Be,” The Adventures of Mrs. Wishing‐to‐Be and Other Stories, by Alice Corkran (d. 1916), uncredited illustrations, [Oct. 1882]. Doggie Hubbard. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
“A New Mother Hubbard” (poem), by Eleanor A. Hunter, St. Nicholas, vol. 10, no. 6, Apr. 1883. (Internet Archive)
Fairy’s Album with Rhymes of Fairyland, 1884. Stated copyright‐holder is O. M. Dunham, who has authored other books as early as 1879. (Internet Archive)
“Life of Spenser” (essay), ch. 7, “Early and ‘Lost’ Poems, and Publication of the ‘Shepheard’s Calendar.’ 1579” (77), and ch. 11, “‘Home Again’ in Ireland” (172), by Rev. Alexander B. Grosart (d. 1899), The Complete Works in Verse and Prose of Edmund Spencer: Edited, with a New Life, Based on Original Researches, and a Glossary Embracing Notes and Illustrations, 1884. (HathiTrust)
“Father Gander” (poem), by G. T. Lanigan (George T. Lanigan posthumously?), Harper’s Young People, vol. 8, no. 372, 14 Dec. 1886. Tray. (HathiTrust)
“The Mother Goose Carnival,” by Mrs. John D. Thayer, The Ladies’ Home Journal, vol. 9, no. 2, Jan. 1892. (HathiTrust)
“A Smile Within a Tear,” A Smile Within a Tear and Other Fairy Stories, by Guendolen Ramsden (d. 1910), 1897. (Google Books) (BL) (Internet Archive, two pages illegible)
“Christmas Eve at Mother Hubbard’s (A Christmas Play for School or Parlor Entertainment),” by S. J. D., St. Nicholas, vol. 25, no. 3, Jan. 1898. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
The Rhymes of Father Goosie Gander: A Companion and Sequel to Mother Goose Melodies, by Blanche Carpenter Huleatt and Belle Carpenter Sabin, illustrated by Blanche Carpenter Huleatt, 1898. (Internet Archive) (UF)
“Christmas Chimes Cantata or Santa Claus’ Dilemma,” by Maude M. Jackson, Practical Programs for School and Home Entertainments …, 1899. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
“The Commendable Castigation of Old Mother Hubbard,” Mother Goose for Grown‐Ups, by Guy Wetmore Carryl, illustrated by Peter Newell and Gustave Verbeek, 1900. (See note about earlier publications.) (Internet Archive)
“The Santa Claus Rat,” Mother Wild Goose and Her Wild Beast Show, by L. J. Bridgman, 1900. (Internet Archive)
“Little Tommy Tucker,” In Happy Far‐Away Land, by Ruth Kimball Gardiner from tales told by Frances Palmer Kimball, 1902. Tray. (Internet Archive)
Moon Children, by Laura Dayton Fessenden, illustrated by Robert J. Campbell, 1902. (synopsis, Google) (synopsis, WorldCat)
“Old Mother Santry,” Yankee Mother Goose, by Benj. F. Cobb, illustrated by Ella S. Brison, 1902. (Internet Archive)
The Surprising Adventures of the Man in the Moon, Showing How, in Company with Santa Claus, Robinson Crusoe, Cinderella and Her Prince, Jack the Giant Killer, Little Red Riding Hood, Old Mother Hubbard, Jack Sprat and His Wife, Tommy Tucker and Some Others, He Made a Remarkable Tour over Land and Sea and Through the Air, by Ray M. Steward (pseudonym of Edward Stratemeyer), illustrated by L. J. Bridgman, 1903.
“The Sources of Spenser’s ‘Mother Hubberd’s Tale’,” by Edwin A. Greenlaw, Modern Philology, vol. 2, no. 3, Jan. 1905. (HathiTrust)
Mrs. Goose: Her Book, by Maurice Switzer, 1906. Mention of Father Hubbard. (HathiTrust)
“Mother Hubbard and Her Dog,” A Book of Plays for Little Actors, by Emma L. Johnston and Madalene E. Barnum, uncredited illustrator, 1907. (Internet Archive) (HathiTrust)
“A Dream of Mother Goose,” A Dream of Mother Goose and Other Entertainments, by J. C. Marchant, S. J. Mayhew et al., 1908. (HathiTrust)
“Old Mother Hubbard” (46) and “Little Bo‐peep and Her Sheep” (114), Rimes and Stories, by Lura Mary Eyestone, illustrated by Emma Bell, 1910. Rover. (HathiTrust)
“Old Mother Cutler,” The Bull Moose Mother Goose, by Sallie Macrum Cubbage, illustrated by Chauncey F. Cagney, 1912. (HathiTrust)
The Marriage of Jack and Jill: A Mother Goose Entertainment in Two Scenes, by Lilian Clisby Bridgham, 1913. (Internet Archive)
Miss Muffet Lost and Found: A Mother Goose Play, by Katharine C. Baker, 1915. (HathiTrust)
Amateur and Educational Dramatics, ch. 3, “Teaching Reading by Means of Dramatics,” by Evelyne Hilliard, Theodora McCormick and Kate Oglebay, (Oct.) 1917. (HathiTrust)
“The Story Book Ball” (song), by George Perry, music by Billie Montgomery, cover illustration by William Austin Starmer (d. 1955) or Frederick Waite Starmer (d. 1962), 1917. (Johns Hopkins U.)
Mother Goose Comes to Portland, by Frederic W. Freeman, 1918. (Internet Archive)
The Metropolitan Mother Goose, by Elizabeth C. Watson, illustrated by Emma Clark, 1920. (Internet Archive)
“There Was a Boy Who Lived on Pudding Lane: A True Account, If Only You Believe It, of the Life and Ways of Santa, Eldest Son of Mr. and Mrs. Claus,” by Sarah Addington, illustrated by Gertrude A. Kay, The Ladies’ Home Journal, vol. 38, no. 12, Dec. 1921. (HathiTrust)
The Strike Mother Goose Settled, by Evelyn Hoxie, 1922. (Internet Archive)
Uncle Wiggily and Old Mother Hubbard: Adventures of the Rabbit Gentleman with the Mother Goose Characters, by Howard R. Garis, illustrated by Edward Bloomfield and Lansing Campbell, 1922. (upenn)
“Mrs. Dumpty’s Dilemma,” by Sarah Addington, The Ladies’ Home Journal, vol. 39, no. 9, Sept. 1922. (HathiTrust)
“Bones: The Classic and Romantic History of Mother Hubbard and Her Faithful Friend, ‘Old Dog Tray,’ as It Might Have Been Rendered by Various Playwrights,” by M. S., illustrated by Herb Roth, Life, vol. 80, no. 2085, 19 Oct. 1922. (HathiTrust)
“Mother Hubbard Squash,” Mary Gay Stories, by Stella Boothe and Olive J. Carter, illustration by Ann Cooper, 1924. (HathiTrust)
The Real Personages of Mother Goose, by Katherine Elwes Thomas, 1930. (HathiTrust)
Plain English: Examples of Everyday Writing, sec. 4, “What Is the Gist of the Story?,” ed. Edward Hodnett and Minnie S. Keyes, (May) 1931. (HathiTrust)
It Really Happened: An Autobiography, by Princess Catherine Radziwill, 1932. (HathiTrust)
http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/BGMG134.html
https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2017/05/the-adventures-abroad-of-mother-hubbard-and-her-dog/