Edit Hirstling Kate
ONE of the most unfortunate of all the well-known street characters in Glasgow during the early 19th century was 'Hirstling' Kate.
At a time when crippling deformity was a common enough site, this poor woman painted a truly tragic picture.
She was extremely coarse, dirty and ragged.
Kate earned her nickname from the manner by which she was forced to propel herself along the dirt-strewn cobbled streets between the Merchant City and the River Clyde.
Her crippled and deformed legs were almost completely useless.
Therefore she 'hirstled' herself along the streets, using her hands in which she held boards with spikes on the underside to provide grip.
As her entire life was spent almost at ground level she was able to see and pick up all manner of objects.
She gathered anything from scraps of food to pins and pennies and in this way managed to scrape together a meagre living.
Around her neck hung an old shoe on a piece of string which kindly passers-by would fill with drinking water from the city's water pumps.
But despite her pathetic existence she was not a beggar and was a familiar favourite among many people in the city, especially the children.
She had a great store of old ballads and verses, which she would sing to the youngsters, who in return would attach a pin to her dress by way of payment.
When 'Hirstling' Kate passed away she was laid to rest in the Cathedral kirkyard.
At a time when crippling deformity was a common enough site, this poor woman painted a truly tragic picture.
She was extremely coarse, dirty and ragged.
Kate earned her nickname from the manner by which she was forced to propel herself along the dirt-strewn cobbled streets between the Merchant City and the River Clyde.
Her crippled and deformed legs were almost completely useless.
Therefore she 'hirstled' herself along the streets, using her hands in which she held boards with spikes on the underside to provide grip.
As her entire life was spent almost at ground level she was able to see and pick up all manner of objects.
She gathered anything from scraps of food to pins and pennies and in this way managed to scrape together a meagre living.
Around her neck hung an old shoe on a piece of string which kindly passers-by would fill with drinking water from the city's water pumps.
But despite her pathetic existence she was not a beggar and was a familiar favourite among many people in the city, especially the children.
She had a great store of old ballads and verses, which she would sing to the youngsters, who in return would attach a pin to her dress by way of payment.
When 'Hirstling' Kate passed away she was laid to rest in the Cathedral kirkyard.
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