AFTER Robert Nixon made his first prophecy to which he foresaw correctly that the ox he was treating badly would be gone in three days, and it was. His ramblings were given more credence.

A short while later, Robert was working with others in a field when he suddenly stood still and appeared to be thinking. He was heard to mumble “Now Richard; Now Harry”.

Northwich Guardian:

He was still for a while and then said, “Now Harry get over that stile, and you gain the day.”

When news of the Battle of Bosworth Field reached Over, they realised that Robert had witnessed the battle between Richard and Henry and had predicted the winner of this War of the Roses battle.

Like most prophets, their prophecies have to be translated, and Robert made many all in the form of doggerels, doggerel is a poem or rhyme.

Northwich Guardian:

For instance, one prophecy is that ‘Between a rick and two trees a great battle shall be.’ This could be a prediction of the battle of St Albans in 1461 between Rickmansworth and Edwinstree and Elstree, again in the Battle of the Roses.

Another prediction was: ‘The weary eagle shall to an island in the sun retire, where leaves and herbs grow fresh and green, there shall he meet a lady fair’.

In the Napoleonic wars, an eagle on a staff was carried into battle on a standard by the ‘Grande Armee of Napoleon’. When captured Napoleon was sent to St Helena in 1815. The fair Helena!

Northwich Guardian:

There are many many more. Let’s try a more modern one. ‘The Dragons out of Ireland shall come and make war with England for their abomination so that London will run with blood.’The IRA bombings perhaps?

And one more was ‘Rise up, Richard, and crown George, heir to Edward. Before this shall be mickle ado.’ (Mickle is old Scottish for a large amount). The Abdication of Edward V111?

In the final part tomorrow, we shall learn what happened to our hero and how his demise came about.