Mother Goose

Research notes

The original Mother Goose might have been an 8th century French noblewoman named Bertrada II of Laon. In 740 AD, she married Pepin the Short who became King of the Franks. Their son, Charles, was Charlemagne. Bertrada, was a loving woman and became known as a patroness of children. She believed that all children, no matter of their circumstances, should be educated. The children’s stories that she was known to tell were meant to teach them morals and other solid life lessons. Bertrada came to be called “Berte aux Grand Pieds,” Bertha Greatfoot or Queen Goosefoot. In the late 1600s, the book “Tales From the Past With Morals” published by Charles Purrault had 10 children’s stories and was illustrated with a drawing of an old woman with children gathered around her wide skirts. In 1760 a popular trio of books were published by John Newbery and one was “Mother Goose’s Melody”. The first American publication by the same name was in 1787 and was called “Mother Goose’s Melody or Sonnets for the Cradle”. Some of the most familiar tales appear in this book, including Jack and Jill.

Featured in

• Greenberg's Guide to Marx Toys vol.1 — p. 49