Mary Frith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Frith
Image of Mary Frith from title page of The Roaring Girl
Born	1584 or 1585 The Barbican, London, Kingdom of England
Died	26 July 1659 Fleet Street, London, England
Other names	Moll Cutpurse, Mal Cutpurse, Tom Faconer
Occupation	Pickpocket and fence
Spouse(s)	Lewknor Markham
Parent(s)	Ron and Catherine Stuart

Mary Frith (around 1584 – 26 July 1659), also known as Moll Cutpurse, was a famous English pickpocket and fence (someone who sells stolen goods). She was well-known in London's world of crime.

Understanding Mary Frith's Nicknames

Mary Frith had several interesting nicknames. Each one tells us something about her life.

What "Moll" Means

"Moll" was a common nickname for Mary during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was often used for young women who were known for not following rules.

Why "Cutpurse" was Used

The name "Cutpurse" came from her reputation as a thief. She was known for cutting people's purses to steal the money and items inside.

The "Roaring Girl" Name

Mary was also called "The Roaring Girl." This name came from a trend in London at the time. "Roaring boys" were young men who were loud and defiant. They often copied the styles of the upper class. Mary was seen as a female version of these rebellious characters.

Mary Frith's Unusual Life Story

Mary Frith lived a very unusual life. Many stories and myths grew around her name. A book called The Life of Mrs Mary Frith, written in 1662, helped spread these tales.

Early Life and Rebellious Spirit

Mary Frith was born in the mid-1580s. Her father was a shoemaker and her mother was a housewife. When she was young, her uncle, who was a minister, tried to change her ways. He wanted to send her to New England. However, Mary jumped off the ship before it left. She refused to go near her uncle again after that.

Mary's Unique Style

Mary often dressed in public like a man. She wore a doublet (a type of jacket) and baggy breeches (trousers). She also smoked a pipe and swore, which was very unusual for women at that time. She was punished several times for stealing. In February 1612, she had to do public penance at St. Paul's Cross. This meant she had to stand in a white sheet during a Sunday sermon.

Her Home and Pets

Despite her public image, Mary's house was quite feminine. She had three full-time maids. She also kept parrots and bred large dogs called mastiffs. Her dogs were very special to her. Each dog had its own bed with sheets and blankets. Mary even prepared their food herself.

Rise to Fame and Plays

Mary first became well-known around 1600. She was accused of stealing money in Middlesex. After this, she quickly gained a reputation. Two plays were written about her in the following years.

One play was The Madde Pranckes of Mery Mall of the Bankside by John Day in 1610. The words of this play are now lost. Another play, The Roaring Girl, was written a year later by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker. This play still exists today. Both plays showed her scandalous behavior, especially her dressing in men's clothes. However, The Roaring Girl also showed her as having some good qualities. For example, it showed her as being pure because she refused to marry.

Public Performances and Challenges

Mary Frith had a surprising amount of freedom for a woman of her time. In 1611, she even performed at the Fortune Theatre. She wore men's clothing, as she always did. On stage, she joked with the audience and sang songs while playing the lute. Just performing in public was a challenge to the rules of society.

Once, a showman named William Banks bet Mary 20 pounds. He bet she wouldn't ride from Charing Cross to Shoreditch dressed as a man. Mary not only won the bet, but she rode with a banner and blew a trumpet! She also rode Marocco, a very famous performing horse.

Later Life and Stories

Mary married Lewknor Markham on 23 March 1614. Some people believe this marriage was just a clever trick. It may have been done to help Mary legally when she was called a "spinster" (an unmarried woman) in court cases.

In 1644, Mary was released from Bethlem Hospital. She had been treated for mental health issues there. There's a story, which might not be true, that she robbed General Fairfax during the Civil War. It was also said that she paid a large sum of money to avoid serious punishment.

Mary Frith died on 26 July 1659, in Fleet Street in London. She passed away from a medical condition.

Mary's Image and Gender Roles

The way Mary Frith dressed and spoke went against the social rules of her time. She is often called the "first female smoker of England." Most pictures of her show her smoking a pipe. This was something only men usually did back then. Smoking and dressing in men's clothes were a big part of her public image.

Mary enjoyed the attention she got. Her theatrical ways were meant to cause a stir and make people uncomfortable. In one of her performances, Amends for Ladies, Mary played a role that was very different from other women. While other women talked about being wives or maids, Mary was shown as someone who didn't follow the rules for women. By dressing in men's clothes and breaking social boundaries, she was seen as having no structure. This suggested that by gaining freedom, she lost the qualities that made her a woman. These behaviors, which she also showed in her daily life, led to her public punishment in February 1611.