Fearless Mary Carleton: how to turn the heads of men and escape from prison

The greatest danger in 17th-century London was not the plague, but Mary Carleton, the woman who successfully escaped from the richest people in London for more than a decade. She had the talent to pretend to be a German princess, to convince the judge that she was not guilty of anything and her husband was a fiend of hell.

She was insidious, like the infamous “black widows” in history, only Mary, unlike them, treated her husbands more mercifully and did not kill them. It was enough just to steal money. To achieve her goals, the fraudster used an attractive appearance and a sharp mind. Men believed her. As soon as she took possession of the victim, she gained access to her husband’s money, took it and disappeared. In her fraud, Mary used fake letters and jewelry, as well as a remarkable acting talent.

At the age of twenty, Mary Carleton was sent to prison for bigamy. It happened so. She abandoned her first husband and married a second, wealthy surgeon. After escaping from a surgeon, the adventurer left England and went to Cologne. There she began an affair with an elderly German nobleman. Her lover was generous. He gave her "some beautiful and valuable jewelry," a "gold chain" and "large sums of money." But when he demanded a marriage, Mary ran away from the city without saying goodbye, taking with her all the gifts and his money. A few years later, the girl decided to return to London, pretending to be a German princess. To the city where she was convicted in 1673.

Thanks to her wealth and acting talents, she easily managed to splurge. When needed, the beauty used tears. She told the heart-breaking story of a poor orphan, a princess who fled from her tyrannical lover from Cologne. Fake letters were used that helped confirm its aristocratic origin. John Carleton fell into the trap and became the third husband.

But once her disguise nearly failed. John received an anonymous letter exposing Mary. The well-wisher reported: "She was already married to several men in our county of Kent, and then left with all the money she stole from them."

Carlton read the letter, was furious and demanded to arrest the cheat. This was the second time Mary was imprisoned for polygamy. But again she managed to escape punishment. Mary built her defense so that the court acquitted her, she became a famous person in the city. Mary accused John of pretending to be a wealthy aristocrat, and sued him for not being as rich as he promised. She pleaded not guilty. Before the jury, the woman stated that she was forced to impersonate the German princess only because Carleton introduced himself as a lord. And all these letters are slander of envious people. Her behavior convinced the jury to let the sufferer go free.

After she gained fame, Mary bathed in the rays of glory. She decided to become a famous actress. Her success on the London stage was overwhelming. It was not possible to get into a play written based on her biography with herself in the lead role. Men fought for her attention. Gave jewelry and money just like that.

In the end, Mary agreed to marry one of the fans. But could not change her habit. When her husband was in a drunken stupor, she ran away from him with all the money.

Contemporaries described her like this: "She has a high chest, a very elegant appearance, and she is fluent in several languages." No wonder Mary was seductive and attractive. She came from a simple family. Her father was a violinist. The first time she married shoemaker Thomas Steadman. The marriage was not happy. Mary gave birth to two children, but both died in infancy. After a while, the woman escaped. And so her story began.

And it all ended because of the silver mug. Mary Carleton was caught stealing and could not escape punishment. The charming woman was sentenced to death, but, fortunately, the sentence was commuted to deportation. She was sent by ship to the English colony of Jamaica. After two years in Jamaica, she returned to England again, pretending to be a wealthy heiress. This time, she cranked up a fraud with a pharmacist and robbed him of 300 pounds. Escaping from Jamaica was a serious crime, and Mary Carleton was sentenced to death by hanging. On January 22, 1673 the sentence was carried out.

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