Extract from "Social England Under the Regency"

by John Ashton - pub: Ward & Downey 1890

On 25th August 1812, an interesting occurrence took place at Folkingham. A poor woman was sitting by the fire of the kitchen of the Greyhound Inn, with an infant child at her breast, when two chimney sweeps came in who had been engaged to sweep some of the chimneys belonging to the inn early the next morning.

They had begun to eat their supper, when the younger, a boy of about 7 years of age, happened to cast his eyes upon the woman, started up and exclaimed in a frantic tone "That's my mother!" and flew into her arms. It appears that her name is Mary Davis, wife of a private in 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards now serving in the Peninsula; she left her son in the care of a neighbour while she did some washing but on her return, found the neighbour had decamped with her son. Learning that she came from Leeds, Mary had walked from London to Folkingham (106 miles). The boy's master said he had come upon the boy with a woman claiming to be his mother, and was beating him most severely. She offered him the boy for 2 guineas fare to get her home, and the boy was regularly indentured, she having sworn affidavit as to being his mother. He immediately offered the boy to his rightful mother and the inhabitants raised the fare for her coach journey home and £2.5s in addition.