Mother Shipton: England's Prophet Witch

Born in 1488 in a cave in Yorkshire, Ursula Southeil was said to be hideously ugly—a witch's child if ever there was one. She became Mother Shipton, prophetess and wise woman, whose predictions allegedly foretold the Great Fire of London, the Spanish Armada, and even automobiles and airplanes. Separating truth from legend is impossible now, but her legacy endures.