Mary Carleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Carleton
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Mary Moders
11 August 1642 |
| Died | 22 January 1673 (aged 30) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Resting place | St Martin's Churchyard, London, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | Mary Stedman |
| Known for | Marriage fraud |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouse(s) |
John Carleton
(m. 1663) |
| Children | 2 (died in infancy) |
| Conviction(s) | Returning from penal transportation |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Mary Carleton, born Mary Moders (August 11, 1642 – January 22, 1673), was an English woman known for tricking people. She used fake names and pretended to be someone important, like a German princess. She did this to marry men and then take their money or belongings.
Mary Carleton's Early Life
Mary Moders was born in Canterbury, England. Her father was a musician who played the fiddle. When she was young, she married a shoemaker named Thomas Stedman. They had two children, but sadly, both babies died very young.
Later, Mary left her husband and moved to Dover. There, she married a surgeon named Thomas Day. However, she was still legally married to Thomas Stedman. This led to her arrest and a trial in Maidstone for marrying two people at once, which is against the law.
After her trial, Mary traveled to Cologne, a city in Germany. She met a nobleman there who gave her expensive gifts. He wanted to marry her, and they started planning a wedding. But Mary secretly left Germany, taking all the gifts and most of her landlady's money. She then returned to England by traveling through the Netherlands.
Arrest and Final Days
In 1672, Mary found a way to get back to London. She either sneaked onto a ship or tricked her way aboard. Once in London, she again pretended to be a rich heiress. She married a pharmacist in Westminster, but soon after, she took his money and left him.
In December 1672, Mary Carleton was caught. A prison officer from Newgate Prison recognized her while looking for stolen items. On January 16, 1673, she had a trial at the Old Bailey court. She was found guilty of returning to England without permission after being sent away as punishment before. Because of this, she was sentenced to death.
Mary Carleton was put to death on January 22, 1673, at a place called Tyburn. Before she died, she told the crowd that she had been a very proud woman. She hoped God would forgive her, just as she forgave those who had wronged her. She was buried in St. Martin's Churchyard in London.
