Mother Shipton and the End of London

Born in 1488 as Ursula Southeil, Mother Shipton came to be known as one of the most famous soothsayers in history. She was born in a cave in Knaresborough, Yorkshire and was said to been absolutely hideous to look at, but apparently had a knack for prophesy. She told fortunes for the locals, while on the side writing her predictions about the world at large.

While the majority of her predictions dealt with local and regional issues, her flair for the dramatic was best illustrated in her predictions about London. Her work came out in two publications, both nearly 60 years after her death in 1561.

She like other clairvoyants line Edgar Cayce and Maria Taigi, predicted great world changes in the years to come. She made general prediction centered on her region of the country but also had words for the greater world around her. Hers was one of the first well-documented cases of prediction, which included a vision for things inconceivable in her time. She predicted electronic communication, motorized vehicles, and tunnels that went through entire mountains, transportation under water. She also predicted that men would fly, cruise around the world in Iron Ships and that great discoveries of gold would be made in countries not yet discovered.

Her most famous prediction it is told, mentioned the Great Fire of London, which occurred inside the walls of the medieval roman cities and nearly burned the entire city to the ground. Samuel Pepys, a Member of Parliament and Naval administrator noted that when the great fire occurred, Mother Shipton had been the one to accurately foretell it. Her last prediction concerning the end of the world was that London would no longer exist prior to it.

So, those of you who wish to see the great city before it disappears can stay in any number of Mayfair hotels to make a comfortable, luxury home base from which to see the amazing city before it’s too late. London hotels can provide all manner of tourist information to help you organize your trip throughout London and direct you to sites of interest fitting of your budget.