Ginny Greenteeth and St James's Mount

Has anyone heard of Ginny Greenteeth (which, as far as I knew was a folkloric name for green pond weed used to scare kids away from bodies of water) or possibly Jenna/Jenny Green (yes, I know that the actress Jenna Leigh Green is currently touring with the show Wicked as a witch, so that might be a red herring) in association with Saint James' Mount (where the Anglican Cathedral is now)?

I'm trying to piece something together based on the following info:

Prior to the Cathedral being built workmen came across a life size wooden carving of a woman.

There was an old Liverpool song which contained the lines “On the mount there stands a lady, she is I know not who, she is I know not where”. (or similar)

Somebody referenced this statue to be Ginny Greenteeth.

Any information about the carving or the song or any association of Ginny (or Jenny) Greenteeth and the mount/cemetery would be brilliant.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by researchwriter

Has anyone heard of Ginny Greenteeth (which, as far as I knew was a folkloric name for green pond weed used to scare kids away from bodies of water) or possibly Jenna/Jenny Green (yes, I know that the actress Jenna Leigh Green is currently touring with the show Wicked as a witch, so that might be a red herring) in association with Saint James' Mount (where the Anglican Cathedral is now)?

I'm trying to piece something together based on the following info:

Prior to the Cathedral being built workmen came across a life size wooden carving of a woman.

There was an old Liverpool song which contained the lines “On the mount there stands a lady, she is I know not who, she is I know not where”. (or similar)

Somebody referenced this statue to be Ginny Greenteeth.

Any information about the carving or the song or any association of Ginny (or Jenny) Greenteeth and the mount/cemetery would be brilliant.

Cheers

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I've only heard of her. My mum used to say that name to me if I hadn't cleaned by teeth and I say it to my kids if they haven't cleaned theirs. Don't know what the origins of it are though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by researchwriter

Has anyone heard of Ginny Greenteeth (which, as far as I knew was a folkloric name for green pond weed used to scare kids away from bodies of water) or possibly Jenna/Jenny Green (yes, I know that the actress Jenna Leigh Green is currently touring with the show Wicked as a witch, so that might be a red herring) in association with Saint James' Mount (where the Anglican Cathedral is now)?

I'm trying to piece something together based on the following info:

Prior to the Cathedral being built workmen came across a life size wooden carving of a woman.

There was an old Liverpool song which contained the lines “On the mount there stands a lady, she is I know not who, she is I know not where”. (or similar)

Somebody referenced this statue to be Ginny Greenteeth.

Any information about the carving or the song or any association of Ginny (or Jenny) Greenteeth and the mount/cemetery would be brilliant.

Cheers

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You should contact Mike who runs the St James Website - http://www.stjamescemetery.co.uk/

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Originally Posted by Nightowl

You should contact Mike who runs the St James Website - http://www.stjamescemetery.co.uk/

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It was Mike who gave me the info actually.

Cheers for the quick response though.

Oh *&%$! It's a Slemen-ism! :PDT_Xtremez_42:

"Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral took 74 years to build on a site that was revered - St James Mount - once the home of a powerful witch who has only survived in Lancashire nursery rhymes for children as 'Jenny Greenteeth'. Part of the nursery rhyme goes: 'On the Mount there is a lady, who she is I do not know.' The Great Witch's statue was unearthed in the early years of the last century as excavations were taking place for the Anglican Cathedral on St James's Mount. The life-size figuring was situated in the centre of an ancient village, as if Jenny was revered by some Celtic community long lost in the mists of time."
from http://forums.canadiancontent.net/of...ss-darkly.html

Still, if there's a chance that anyone knows anything at all about this pre-dating Mr. Slemen's version, I would be very grateful.

When I was younger my dad used to tell me about Ginny Greenteeth who lived in the little lodge on St James Cemetery.
She had rotten teeth and children would bang on her doors and she would chase them away.
A lonely character by all accounts.

Mike from St James' Cemetery emailed me recently about this.
Will try and dig out the email,

I've heard of the saying that Jinny Greenteeth will get yer if you were playing out late at night etc etc - a ruse to get you home on before dark I think - pre mobile phone times. There were all sorts of local character names round our way 'Mary kill the cat' and 'Mary Herbert' too, mainly fictional, though there was once a scary looking scabby legged woman who got the blame for being one of the latter - good job the witches dunking stool wasn't still about.

And almost as scary........

Shane greenteeth.


http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5631/shaneaj0.jpg





.

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Originally Posted by DaisyChains

When I was younger my dad used to tell me about Ginny Greenteeth who lived in the little lodge on St James Cemetery.
She had rotten teeth and children would bang on her doors and she would chase them away.
A lonely character by all accounts.

Mike from St James' Cemetery emailed me recently about this.
Will try and dig out the email,

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Really? Now that is interesting. Could you elaborate at all (either here or by email)? When would this have been? Did you ever see/visit the lodge yourself? Did you see Ginny (as Ged pointed out, almost definitely just a cruel nickname and not the actual fabled Ginny). Any more info would be very greatly appreciated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ged

And almost as scary........

Shane greenteeth.


http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5631/shaneaj0.jpg

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Bloody hell!!!:shock:

I do hope that's nicotine on his fingers and he hasn't had an itchy arse.

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Originally Posted by Ged

I do hope that's nicotine on his fingers and he hasn't had an itchy arse.

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:PDT_Xtremez_42:

Hi Research Writer

It looks as if the legend of Ginny Greenteeth is not just local to Liverpool but is also known in other locales and counties. See this Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...+Greenteeth%22

Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by researchwriter

Bloody hell!!!:shock:

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Do you reckon he's a good kisser girls?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

Hi Research Writer

It looks as if the legend of Ginny Greenteeth is not just local to Liverpool but is also known in other locales and counties. See this Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...+Greenteeth%22

Chris

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Cheers Chris. Indeed the name is well know, but she's usually associated with water and the only water near the mount is the spring in St Jame's which would have been under many, many tonnes of sandstone for a long time.

I remember seeing a photo in the Liverpool Echo,several years ago, of a group of workmen standing around a statue of a woman, with outstretched arms, which had been dug up, somewhere in the vicinity of the Anglican cathedral! This,from what I remember, was early in the 20th century, possibly the 20's, but I dont know what if any,significance was attached.( I thought it may have been an old religious icon) I've also been told stories of "Ginny Greenteeth", who was used to frighten children away from the cathedral grounds, in the 30's, and even later! I might be wrong, but i'm sure this character has been mentioned on this site before, and that there was some connection with Garston, and more recent incidents!?!( but no relation to Sean McGowan:unibrow:)

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Originally Posted by wsteve55

I remember seeing a photo in the Liverpool Echo,several years ago, of a group of workmen standing around a statue of a woman, with outstretched arms, which had been dug up, somewhere in the vicinity of the Anglican cathedral! This,from what I remember, was early in the 20th century, possibly the 20's, but I dont know what if any,significance was attached.( I thought it may have been an old religious icon) I've also been told stories of "Ginny Greenteeth", who was used to frighten children away from the cathedral grounds, in the 30's, and even later! I might be wrong, but i'm sure this character has been mentioned on this site before, and that there was some connection with Garston, and more recent incidents!?!( but no relation to Sean McGowan:unibrow:)

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Cheers for that wsteve55; very interesting, I'd love to see/get my hands on that image and accompanying report.

The Garston bugaboo is Screeching Ginny incidentally. A relation maybe?

Hi RW,
re' that photo! I would presume it's held in the Echo archives, with it's related article, but catalogued under what? It was used in a local history feature they used to run! And yes, it was Screeching Jenny, but with some references to G.G.also.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wsteve55

Hi RW,
re' that photo! I would presume it's held in the Echo archives, with it's related article, but catalogued under what? It was used in a local history feature they used to run! And yes, it was Screeching Jenny, but with some references to G.G.also.

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Really? Both Screeching and Greenteeth? Very interesting.

I'm sure you are aware of this http://www.stjamescemetery.co.uk/, it's a good website with many pictures of Mount Zion/St James Cemetery. No evidence of any female statue in them though.

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Originally Posted by Ged

I do hope that's nicotine on his fingers and he hasn't had an itchy arse.

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PMSL....:handclap::handclap:
What the hell is keeping him alive? And don't say the ciggies and booze:PDT_Xtremez_42: