Old Mother Hubbard' owes her existence to to Sarah Catherine Martin (1768–1826). The story goes that she was inspired by her sister's housekeeper on a visit to Devon and entertained visitors with a comic rhyme.
In 1805 she published it as The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog.
'Old Mother Hubbard' lyrics
Old Mother Hubbard Went to the Cupboard, To give the poor Dog a bone; When she came there, The Cupboard was bare, And so the poor Dog had none.
She went to the Baker’s To buy him some Bread; When she came back The Dog was dead!
She went to the Undertaker’s To buy him a coffin; When she came back The Dog was laughing.
Famous nursery rhyme lyrics
Main image: © Sarah Catherine Martin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons