Princess Caraboo

Almondsbury is not a very big town, not today anyways. With a population of 2,936 in 2021, which isn't a huge change from 2,188 in 1881, sixty-four years after the events of this story, which is the closest census data I could find.

So it's little surprise that the inhabitants didn't quite know what to do with the mysterious woman who had shown up on that cobbler's doorstep. He gave her some milk and bread and she mimed that she wanted to sleep, but the cobbler's wife wouldn't hear it. Instead she took the young woman to the local Overseer of the Poor (yes that's a job). I have seen two names for this gentleman, Mr Hill and Mr Overton. It doesn't really matter what his name was as he too was baffled but also very suspicious. Rightfully so, as only two years prior Napoleonic Wars had finally ended after decades, which made any foreigner a potential spy. Not willing to take the risk he turned Caraboo over to the county magistrate, Samuel Worrall

The Worrall family lived on an estate in Knole Park just outside of Almondsbury. Knole Park was built in the 16th century and the Worralls began renting it in early 1800s. It's a pretty cool looking house that was built around an old tower, unfortunately it was torn down in 1970 

Anyways at Knole house, Worrall too, was stumped and called upon his Greek valet who had an extensive knowledge of many Mediterranean languages, to try to translate what the woman was saying to no success, so they resorted to impromptu sign language

When asked using a series of gestures to produce identification papers, the woman merely emptied a few coins from her pockets. - Pocket Worthy

Worrall was suspicious, but his wife, Elizabeth, felt for the woman and found her to be more of a intrigue than some kind of threat. Elizabeth was part of what was known as a "blue stockings society". It was a progressive movement began by upper class women eager to do more than just be house wives. It was almost like a book club, but their interests extended far beyond fiction, but also into education and social betterment. Women were not allowed to attend university at this time so the only way to progress their own learning was if they took it on themselves and this naturally led to a group of independent, well educated women and is often considered an early feminist society, though many of the women were married and men were allowed to attend if they wished.

So Elizabeth, a well-read, well-off woman saw Caraboo as another woman in a world of men, and where her husband was eager to wash his hands of the girl and send her off for vagrancy, Elizabeth arranged for two of her servants to take Caraboo back into the village and set her up in a nice room at a local inn.

That night more unusual behavior was noted about the woman. It's said on entering the inn she saw a print of a pineapple and said used the word "anana" while pointing at it, which is the common name for pineapple in a large number of European languages. She implies with excitement this is from her homeland

Pineapples naturally didn't grow in England or the surrounding countries and getting one from a place that did was expensive and might not survive such a long journey. But the English aristocracy had all but solved their hunger for the pineapple by figuring out how to farm them in special greenhouses called pineries in the early 1700s

While this made pineapples more accessible to the English the price was still immense, you either imported or you put all the money into the equipment and building the space required. Having a pinery in your backyard was a huge symbol of status. Pineapples were used as display pieces at the parties of the wealthy, often not even eaten, just to show your status

Pineapples were the coolest thing, so much so that one John Murray 4th Earl of Dunmore built a pinery - shaped like a pineapple in 1761

Anyways enough about pineapples- she knew what one was and seemed familiar

"When the landlady offered to cook her supper, the girl indicated that she would rather have tea, which she drank only after repeating a prayer while holding one hand over her eyes. When shown her bed for the night the stranger appeared not to understand its function, instead she just slept on the floor.

The landlady's young daughter demonstrated how comfortable it was, so after kneeling to say her prayers, she lay down on the bed." - BBC

The next morning [Apr 4] Mrs Warroll returned with a priest and several books on exotic locations and languages to have Caraboo review. The pages she showed the most excitement over were with prints and text describing China, seemingly implying that's where she was from, but the session produced little else so Mrs Warroll took the girl home with her

At Knole Park, Mrs Warroll took Caraboo aside and said the following

"My good young woman, I very much fear that you are imposing upon me, and that you understand and can answer me in my own language; if so, and distress has driven you to this expedient, make a friend of me; I am a female as yourself, and can feel for you, and will give you money and clothes, and will put you on your journey, without disclosing your conduct to any one; but it must be on condition that you speak the truth. If you deceive me, I think it right to inform you, that Mr. [Warroll] is a Magistrate, and has the power of sending you to prison, committing you to hard labour, and passing you as a vagrant to your own parish."-- During this address, the countenance of the stranger evinced an ignorance of Mrs. [Warroll].'s intentions, at the same time, making it apparent that she did not comprehend what Mrs. W. had said to her - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Throughout this entire speech, Caraboo's face remained blank, not showing any sign that she understood even a word Elizabeth had said, at the end she began pointing at herself saying "Caraboo!" and that would be how they discovered her name

Caraboo stayed the night at the Warrolls' but the next morning [Apr 5] it was thought best to bring her to Bristol for an examination before the Mayor and council house. Nothing of use could be discerned and Mr Warroll saw no other option than to send her to the St. Peter's Hospital for Vagrants

The Sailor

As I am sure you have deduced, St Peter's Hospital wasn't really a hospital, not in the way we think of.

It may not have even been called that in 1817 as the earliest record of that name I have seen came up in 1820 after a cholera outbreak, it was still essentially a prison, but it was also prisoners providing each other medical care.

In 1817 it might have been known as the Bristol Corporation of the Poor and was a workhouse. People would be imprisoned and forced to work, while its stated purpose is a place to care for the poor, really anyone could be turned over for "vagrancy" (which was illegal), visible minorities in particular were vulnerable to being imprisoned.

But here's a lovely watercolor painting from 1894

While at the "hospital" Caraboo refused all food and drink to the point that the staff tried to bring her more gourmet items in hope she'd eat, but she turned everything away. She even refused to sleep in a bed. It's likely the staff gave more attention and resources to Caraboo due to her association with the Warrolls as it's difficult to imagine them going to the same lengths for any ol' vagrant

She was there until Apr 7, but she wasn't without company.

There she remained till the ensuing Monday —three days—refusing food of every description. On that day Mrs. Worall went into Bristol and visited her at the hospital. The friendless situation of the foreign lady had in the interim become public, and several gentlemen had called upon her, bringing with them foreigners of their acquaintance, in the hope of discovering who she was. Caraboo expressed lively delight at seeing Mrs. Worall again, and that lady, deeply touched, removed her from the hospital to the office of Mr. Worall, in Bristol, where she remained for ten days under the care of the housekeeper. - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

Daily efforts were made to discover her language and country, but without much luck. That is until the arrival of a Portuguese sailor named Manuel Eynesso (or Enes) arrived. He met with her and claimed that he could understand her and that she was actually a princess from the island of Javasu in the Indian Ocean. She had been captured by pirates and after a long voyage she had jumped overboard in the Bristol Channel and swum ashore

The tale he revealed was that she was a person of consequence in her own country, and had been decoyed from an island in the East Indies, brought to England against her wishes, and then deserted. He further added that her language was not a pure dialect, but was a mixture of several tongues spoken in Sumatra. On this Mrs. Worall removed Caraboo to Knole, and from 3 April to 6 June her hostess, the whole family, and the domestics treated her with the utmost consideration and regard. Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

The mention of slavery immediately struck a chord with Mrs Worrall and her blue-stocking friends. It was a subject they, in reality, knew little about, but it conjured up the romantic image of an exotic princess imprisoned in a remote part of the world, who was brave and exciting enough to escape her chains. - BBC

This was enough to convince Elizabeth that this woman was not a vagrant and instead was an honored guest. Princess Caraboo was brought to stay with the Worralls for the next ten weeks. 

The Princess

Endless parties and soirees were held in her honor and people came from all over to see the foreign princess. Naturally many were the members of high society that came to rub elbows with royalty and marvel at the "exotic wonder"

We have to remember that the "orient" in the 1800s was mostly a complete mystery, known only to be exotic and different, European minds ran wild with possibilities, and because of this lack of knowledge you could say most anything about the east and few could argue 

"Among the visitors at Knole was a gentleman who had made many voyages in the East Indies, and he took a lively interest in the girl, and conversed with her, partly by word of mouth and partly—when at fault for words—by signs.

It must have been an interesting sight, the travelled gentleman interrogating Caraboo and taking notes of her reply, with an admiring circle around of the family and visitors, wondering at his linguistic acquirements and facility of speech in Oriental tongues. This traveller committed to writing the following particulars obtained from Caraboo. 

• She was daughter of a person of high rank, of Chinese origin, by a Mandin, or Malay woman, who was killed in war between the Boogoos (cannibals) and the Mandins (Malays).
• Whilst walking in her garden at Javasu attended by three sammen (women), she was seized by pirates commanded by a man named Cheeming, bound hand and foot, her mouth covered, and carried off.
• She herself in her struggles wounded two of Chee-ming's men with her creese[dagger]; one of these died, the other recovered by the assistance of justee (surgeon).
• After eleven days she was sold to the captain of a brig called the Tappa-Boo.
• A month later she arrived at a port, presumably Batavia, remained there two days, and then started for England, which was reached in eleven weeks.
• In consequence of ill-usage by the crew, she made her escape to shore.
• She had had a dress of silk embroidered and interwoven with gold, but she had been induced to exchange this with a woman in a cottage whose doors were painted green, but the situation of which she could not describe. The garments she now wore were those she had received from the cottager.
• After wandering over the country for six weeks, she had arrived at Almondsbury.

[She also shared details of home]

• She spoke of her mother's teeth as artificially blackened (i.e. by chewing betelnut); her face and arms were painted, and she wore a jewel in her nose, and a gold chain from it was attached to her left temple.
• Her father had three more wives, and he was usually borne upon the shoulders of macra-toos (common men) in a palanquin.
• She described the dress she wore at home.
• Seven peacock's feathers adorned the right side of her cap or turban.
• Upon being furnished with calico [patterned fabric], she made herself a dress in the style she had been accustomed to. It was short in the skirt, the sleeves wide and long enough to reach to the ground. A broad embroidered band passed round her waist, and the fringe of the skirt, of the sleeves and the bosom, was embroidered.
• She wore no stockings, and was furnished with sandals of Roman fashion. She sometimes twisted her hair and rolled it up at the top of her head and fastened it with a skewer.

Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

It was eventually determined that her mother was Malay and had died several years prior and her father was from China and was the chief of their tribe

During her 10 weeks at the Warrolls she was consistently strange in her behavior. She was never heard to pronounce a word or syllable that resembled English not even at night as attested by Elizabeth's housekeeper who slept with her.

Her culinary proclivities also remained a point of interest. She seemed very interested in preparing her own food, preferring rice over anything else and did not care for bread and rejected meat. When served a prepared pigeon by the Warrolls' cook she refused it, but given a live bird she would kill and clean it, then prepare it herself and that she ate, she behaved similarly with fish. Her favorite dish was an Indian curry that she frequently made herself and was noted to be "very savory". Not only did she cook her own food she would also clean and put away her dishware after each meal

She only drank water or tea and every Tuesday she fasted and climbed onto the roof of the Warroll's house, seeming to pray.

But people weren't always coming to her, the townsfolk of Almondsbury and staff at Knole Park grew quite fond of her and she visited as often as she could, all the while her behavior was consistent with everything seen up until this point

During down time she would take her home-made bow and arrow and go shooting, while wearing feathers and flowers in her hair she was described as looking ready for war as she performed these tasks.

She was known to dance

When dancing she would assume an infinite variety of attitudes, far from destitute of elegance; bend her body in numberless shapes, but never offensive to delicacy or propriety occasionally dropping on one knee, and then rising with uncommon agility, holding up one foot in a sling, and performing a species of waltz with the most singular twists and contortions - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

The Academics

All this attention brought her lavish gifts of exotic clothing and the Warrolls even brought her to local painter, Edward Bird to have her portrait painted. 

Academics also made the trip, all eager to speak with and learn more about who she was

In one instance a man listed only as Mr. P from Cathay came to visit, he had visited Malay several times over the years, it was hoped that he might be able to provide some insight. He brought with him a crease (a traditional Malay dagger) which Caraboo became very excited upon seeing gesturing and implying she recognized this from her home. While he wouldn't let her keep the knife as she wanted, she did demonstrate how it was traditionally worn, on the right hip and this was enough for Mr. P to agree that while she may not know the Malay language she seemed familiar with the customs. 

In fencing she was particularly expert. Mr. W. who esteemed himself a tolerable fencer when young, could seldom disarm her when using the long sword. At times she exercised herself with a sword in the right hand and a dagger in the left. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

The Disappearing Acts

One day Elizabeth and her staff had to attend a wake, when they returned Caraboo was nowhere to be found, they searched high and low until eventually she was found hiding up in a tree in the garden. "She explained herself to have climbed, because all the females in the house had gone into the village, and she feared contamination from the men" 

Three weeks into her stay, in early May, the Warrolls awoke to find Princess Caraboo missing only to return that evening with a bundle of clothes, her shoes and hands dirty, she impressed upon them that when she had washed ashore she had buried what few possessions she had left with and had decided to go get them. Though the trip seemed to be more than she could bear as she fell seriously ill very shortly after with typhus fever. Elizabeth immediately called on a local physician named Mr Mortimer to care for her. Once better she wrote him a letter of thanks in her own language 

On Jun 6th the Princess would disappear again, this time for longer. Nothing was found missing it seemed that the only things she'd taken with her were things that had been given to her.

Bath

Elizabeth became sick with worry when the Princess didn't return within a day like she had in the past and so on Jun 8 1817 she sent 10-11 men in every direction from Knole Park to find her and the second she got word the Princess was in Bath, the Mrs jumped in a carriage and made her way there as fast as she could, terrified that something would happen to the girl

Bath was a city of about 40,000 in the early 1800s, making it smaller than Bristol (which had been around 60,000) but Bath offered something Bristol didn't, I'll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count- bath, it had a bath. Bath is famous for its Roman-built bath house, is that why Caraboo went here? I have no idea, this is just a fact I know and now you do too

She sped to where she had heard Caraboo had wound up, a house that seemed to be mid soiree full of high society men and women

Here [Mrs Warroll] found the Princess of Javasu, as she was called, at the pinnacle of her glory, in the drawingroom of a lady of the haut ton, one fair lady kneeling at her feet and taking her hand, and another imploring to be allowed the honour of a kiss - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

Grateful the young woman was alright, Elizabeth was also deeply confused and a little hurt, not understanding why Caraboo had fled without a word. Upon seeing her benefactress, Caraboo fell to her knees "the graceful manner in which she prostrated herself to solicit pardon for having left Mrs. [Warroll].'s house,-- most sensibly affected every person present."

For Caraboo it would seem the entire glittering world of pomp high fashion that surrounded her seemed to disappear, her only focus seeming to be apologizing profusely to her caretaker. The princess whisked Elizabeth away to a quiet corner where she continued to apologize as best she could.

A man Elizabeth knew to be Dr Wilkinson would join them where he offered to explain all that had occurred

Dr Wilkinson

Dr Charles Hannings Wilkinson (c.1763-1850) was a surgeon, inventor, linguist and lecturer and researcher in the new sciences of gas and electricity. He came to reside in Bath (eventually in Sydney Place and 55 Great Pulteney Street) in 1809 and quickly made his mark on the city by modernizing the Kingston Baths – replacing the dangerous, lead hot- water pipes with tin. His vivid lectures at Kingston Buildings on chemistry and electricity became nationally famous, attended by the chic and the avant-garde (including even Mary Shelley). In 1818 Dr Wilkinson was appointed Superintendent of the new Gas Works on the Lower Bristol Road and triumphed the following year when thousands flocked to see the first Bath gas street-lighting system turned on. He lived out his retirement deeply involved in the Bath Philosophical and Literary Society, still researching, experimenting and teaching. As his gravestone says: " Science mourns a son."

He was also a galvanotherapist. Galvanic current is a direct current that changes the electric charge of tissues and thus affects the activity of the blood capillaries towards the best suitable tissue perfusion.

Dr Wilkinson had met Caraboo not long before this series of events, making the trip to Knole Park to witness her splendor himself. He was utterly enchanted with her and sought to understand where she had come from and her story. In an exchange of hand signals and gestures she told him best she could what happened, adding a new detail to the mystery

She also, in the same manner, expressed, that she was ill on board, her hair cut off, and an operation on her back performed: I examined the part, it had been scarified, but not according to the English mode of cupping, or to any European manner with which I am acquainted; the incisions are extremely regular, and apparently employed with the caustic, a mode of cupping adopted in the East - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

He had become completely invested in the girl's harrowing tale and when he returned home to Bath he immediately wrote the Bath Chronicle to relay his experience with delight, summarizing it with:

"Nothing has yet transpired to authorize the slightest suspicion of Caraboo, nor has such ever been entertained except by those whose souls feel not the spirit of benevolence, and wish to convert into ridicule that amiable disposition in others." - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

So it was shocking when late on the night of Jun 7th a message was delivered telling him that Caraboo was there just outside of Bath at an inn called the Pack-Horse. It had been too late that night for him to make the journey, but first thing the next day he set out to the tavern to find the Princess eating breakfast

He met up with her, but grew concerned as word of her presence began to spread and people began to crowd the inn to get a peek. Two women that had been spending time with her offered their place for privacy so the group had gone there. But seems the women had invited a few more friends and this as the scene Elizabeth had walked into

This explained what had happened, but the part she didn't understand, was why? Caraboo somehow explained she had made for Bath thinking this might've been a faster way for her to return home, saying she desperately missed her father, but not just that, her husband and child.

In a later account Dr noted a great deal of concern and care for the Princess from Mrs Warroll and more than anything though she appeared thankful that the girl was ok. The two would depart that very night (Jun 8) returning back to Knole Park, but not empty handed per se.

All the excitement the Princess's arrival in Bath had made quite a stir, driving many to action. On the following day (Jun 9) the Dr sent another letter to the Bath Chronicle updating them on the girl's adventures, and the following day he made for London, determined to get the attention of someone at the Foreign Office that could help this poor woman return home

This little excursion seemed like a blip in the story of Princess Caraboo but it would have big implications

Journalists

Journalists had been fascinated by the Princess the moment they'd heard of her, but many hadn't heard of her- yet. The trip to Bath appeared to have changed that, whether it be Dr Wilkinson's review or word of mouth, the Princess had become a hot topic of conversation across much of southern England and it would be a copy of one of these stories in the Bristol Journal that would disrupt things

On the evening of Jun 10th, Elizabeth Worrall received two visitors, both triggered by recent newspaper articles

• The first was a young Wheel-wright's son from Westbury who told a story of how he had met Caraboo some time ago in Almondsbury, and remembered seeing her at a public-house by the roadside, where the gentleman, feeling compassion for her weariness, had taken her in and treated her to beefsteak and hot rum and water.
• The second was Dr. Mortimer, the doctor who had attended to the Princess. It seemed a Mrs Neale/Joseph [the 1817 story says her name is Eleanor Joseph] who lived in Bristol approached him knowing he knew the Worralls. She claimed the Princess had stayed with her for a time but under the name of Mary Baker, not Caraboo

Elizabeth said nothing of this to the Princess, instead told her that on the morrow they would be going to Bristol where Mr. Bird, the local painter who had begun the portrait of the Princess, required her to come for one last sitting so that he may finish it.

The next day (Jun 11) Elizabeth had herself and Caraboo instead brought to the house of Mr Mortimer in Bristol, where they had the Princess wait in a room while Elizabeth met with Mrs Neale/Joseph and her daughter elsewhere. After a long conversation, Elizabeth returned to Princess Caraboo where she told her that she knew she was a fraud.

At this Caraboo burst into tears and at first tried to keep up the ruse, but quickly broke down, she pleaded in perfect English for Elizabeth to not send her away or call on her father, the Mrs agreed, but only if the girl told her right now, in detail the whole truth

The Real Mary Baker

Mary's story has been told and retold again and again, sometimes by her other times by journalists, both accounts had tendencies to have a flare for the dramatic at times and thus it makes it hard to establish fact from fiction.

I have tried to collect as much information as I can from newspaper reports from around the time, but the bulk of her backstory comes from two books

• The first, published in 1908 called "Devonshire Characters and Events" and was written by Sabine Baring-Gould. The book is exactly as it sounds, a collection of local tales, the accuracy of which I can't say completely, but Mary's story does say it was originally published in 1817
• The second titled "Caraboo: A Narrative of a Singular Imposition" written by John Matthew Gutch in 1817. This was a compilation of all the details Mr Gutch, a journalist for Felix Farley's Bristol Journal, a local newspaper, could put together from eye witness accounts as well as letters written at the time, some included in their entirety.

Before finding these books I found hundreds of versions of this story online, many varying quite dramatically, and I had written up the story to the best of my ability when I chose to try and find some old newspaper clippings and instead found these books which led to an almost complete rewrite. But I present to you in the most accurate retelling I could assemble, the story of Mary Baker

The 25 year old Mary told her story, she had been born in Witheridge, Devonshire in Nov 1791 as Mary Willcocks. He father was a cobbler, but the family had seen many hardships, they were very poor and had four kids, Mary being the second oldest. Some stories say that six of her siblings had died young and that her father was "lame" but this wasn't reflected in my primary sources. She had received no education, being "of a wild disposition and impatient of study.". She was known to be quite competitive, in most any task or game she undertook

At the age of eight (1799) she was employed spinning wool during the winter, and in summer she drove her father's horses, weeded the corn, etc. - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

At the age of sixteen [1807], her father and mother procured her a situation at a farm-house (Mr. Moon's, Bradford, near Witheridge). She staid there two years [1809], looking after children; at this place, she often carried a sack of corn or apples on her back, endeavouring to do more than the labouring men. She left that place because she had only ten-pence a week; she offered to stay for a shilling - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Exeter

With her pay-raise request rejected, she returned home to her parent's fury at her for having left such a job, their reaction was so bad that she said "fuck this" and got the hell out of dodge, something that would become a common trend in her life. She'd gone to Exeter with little but a written character reference from her former mistress (not clear which). She got a job under a shoemaker named Mr Brooke which paid £8 a year, which would be equal to £654.42 today (Jun 2024) which is about $845 US. Here she was expected to wash, iron, and cook, things she was not accustomed to, so she chose to split after two months

Devon

She spent what little she earned on fine clothing, particularly a white gown, that she donned and then went home. Her father was furious to see her dressed "like a lady" and demanded she take the dress off, but she refused.

Clothing was still made by hand at this time, making it expensive. With clothes being expensive you typically only had a couple outfits, so you took really good care of them and doing laundry was often a multi-day affair. So getting a nice white dress wasn't just expensive it was also completely impractical for a lower class individual whose primary vocation is manual labor.

I found the cost for a simple white dress of that era (it doesn't specify any details like what fabric it was made from, but likely was muslin or some other very cheap fabric), it was 5 shillings equal to about £11.63 / $15.02 USD. Mary had worked only two months which would've earned her around what would be today $120 USD, so $15 not terrible, but this cost is for a "simple white dress" where it's reported this was a "fine dress" meaning it likely cost a fair bit more. So to a practical dad who is struggling to keep his family from starving, he might be a little upset about this

The Dress

The construction of clothing was by and large still a very manual process at this time, sewing machines not really becoming a common thing until the mid 1800s. Most garments were made to order so not like you could walk into a store and buy something and leave with it, you had to go in, pick your pattern, get measured, pick your fabric and then wait before you could return to pick up your garment. As an average joe it is considerably cheaper to buy fabric and make outfits yourself if you had the skill, but that also took time. Things like hats, gloves, shoes and stockings took special skill to make and were likely purchased instead.

With the amount of time that went into making a garment, you bet clothes were not cheap, and because of that most common folk maybe had a couple outfits at most, usually with one nice one for special occasions. I was able to find some costs

• Enough cotton to make a dress: 6 shillings equal to about £14 today, or $18 USD, which is really quite affordable, you would be hard pressed to buy enough fabric for a dress at that price today
• Stockings were seen as a requirement for women to dress proper, a pair of woolen stockings would set you back 2 shillings 6 pence (£5.82 or ~$8)
• Gloves: 4 shillings ( £9.31 or ~$12)
• Simple shoes 6-11 shillings (£14 $18 USD up to £25.59 $33) and these aren't even fancy shoes

This ensemble isn't everything you'd need to make an outfit, you would still need things like a variety of undergarments and other accessories, but with just these pieces you would be paying [To get the cotton for a basic dress, woolen stockings, gloves and a simple pair of shoes it would cost you] $71 USD far less than you would likely pay today to put together such an outfit, but you also wouldn't be spending the days it would take to make your own dress and if you're only making $845 a year that's a pretty big investment

I've seen quotes that a basic court ensemble could cost between £200-£500 which is today £9,305.04-£23,262.60 or $12,019.26 - $30,047.50 USD and it's said that some of these outfits could cost into the thousands of £ back then. Where Mary was working for £8 a year

White was often saved for special occasions, especially among the common folk. Since you spent so much to acquire or make a garment, and you only had a few, great care went into doing laundry, usually resulting in a multi-day process, and possibly longer the lighter the color of the garment. Stains are more easily seen and set on lighter fabrics and if not properly cared for could make the fabric look dingey or yellow.

I am sure as you can imagine, white was not the favored color of working folk like Mary's family. As cobblers, one brush against some freshly polished shoes could mar a garment considerably. So Mary showing up in a white dress after having just disappeared told her family just how careless she was being. Spent good money on a nice, but completely impractical outfit and as poor as her family was there were likely many times throughout her life where money for food was limited if not all but nonexistent.

Also just to piss you off, to rent a medium sized home in a respectable part of London cost £12 to £25 per year, between $720 to $1500 USD, not for a month, for a whole year. Yeah inflation is a lie. Though that obviously doesn't include any other expenditures of living like coal, groceries and other things

And just to put things in perspective, Jane Austen budgeted £40 per year for her usual attire at home, this quote is likely from her younger life as well, putting it a couple decades before Mary, but this would be about £1,861.01 or $2403.86 USD. But let's just be clear, that was her at home attire, she likely had fancier garments we can't account for

Exeter Again

And dad seemingly wasn't the only one upset about this. In the 6 days she was at home, she visited her old master and mistress. They saw her white garment and immediately began accusing her of stealing, refusing to believe that she had actually purchased the item herself. After this blow-out and her perceived mistreatment by her parents, Mary chose to leave her finery at home and hit the road again, returning to Exeter, this time as a beggar.

As mentioned earlier this is a risky profession, because it was illegal. But when you don't have a pence to your name, you don't really have a lot of choices.

She went door to door, some took pity and gave her some coin or food, some said "it was a pity for such a young creature to wander about the country" and others suggested she be treated like the vagrant she was and should be whipped. Those last interactions were the most shocking to her, leading her to break down sobbing, never feeling so useless and unwanted in her life. Her misery drove her to take her apron strings and tie them around her neck, planning to end things from the branches of a tree, but right before she was about to jump she heard a voice "Cursed are they that do murder, and sin against the Lord."

She reluctantly untied the strings, as miserable as she was, leaving the world this way would only further worsen her lot, as deaths by suicide were grievous sins. She continued on her journey listlessly and heartbroken, said to have cried much of the time not really sure what to do with herself until she encountered an elderly gentleman who took pity on her. He asked why she was so upset and she told him her tale. Quite upset at her story he gave her 5 shillings (roughly $13 USD) and told her to put her trust in god

Taunton, Bristol, Calne

In Taunton she used the money to get lodgings where she rested 3 days. She began to make her way to Bristol, begging along the way. When she had the money she would find lodgings, otherwise she would find a hay loft and often between hay stacks in fields. By the time she arrived in Bristol she was penniless, exhausted and starving. She was directed to the Strangers' Friend Society ran by a Mr Freeman. She met with him and he insisted on knowing her story, which she fudged, also giving a false surname so that this couldn't get back to her father. Mr. Freeman gave her 4 shillings for lodgings that night and asked that she return the next day so that they may figure out the location of her family or friends

She gratefully found lodgings, but instead of going back to Mr Freeman she hit the road again the next day, desperate not to be returned to her family. She was making her way along the road to London, begging when she could until she knocked on the wrong house in Calne. Turns out the house belonged to a constable, he took her in and told her he would take her to the Justice to see what they could do about her. The constable was disturbed by a noise in the yard and went to investigate, Mary took this opportunity to climb out a window and flee

London

She made it 30 miles from London when illness struck, over-exhausted and having eaten bad food, she felt too sick to carry on, taking a seat in a hedge. A kind man traveling with two women and a wagon saw her and took pity on her. He offered her food and drink and ride to the outskirts of London, she gratefully accepted, but she could not keep food nor drink down.

Just outside the city they stopped, he dropped off all three women, not wanting to risk being seen bringing them into the city, because it seems not only was being a vagrant a crime, but so was assisting one, nevermind three. The two other women did not want to leave Mary in her sorry state and asked where she was going, she admitted she had no one in the city, so they took her to a house until it was dark, at which point they brought her to the front step of St Giles Hospital and left her there.

She was there about fifteen minutes before some watchmen came across her. They asked her name, but she was too ill to speak so they took her to the watch-house where they summoned a Dr. Burgess

he shook his head and said, that she was in a very dangerous state, and ordered her to the hospital; where she remained many months insensible in a brain fever. The doctors shaved her head and blistered it; [this would be where she received the cupping scars that Dr Wilkinson believed was due to "shoddy work" in the east, when really it was "shoddy work" in London] and the nurses told her, that during her insensibility, they inquired of them every morning whether she was not dead. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Cupping

Cupping is a pseudoscience therapy used to treat everything from lower back pain to infertility. The process is relatively simple, you take a glass cup and create a vacuum between it and the part of the body where the issue is thought to be, this turns the cup into a suction cup. This is done by the heating and cooling of the air in the cup or through a mechanical pump

The glass is suctioned onto the skin and left there between 5-15 minutes. The thought is it increase the blood flow and draws out the toxins.

There's a few varieties, the most well known are dry and wet cupping. Dry cupping is pretty much exactly as described. Wet cupping on the other hand starts with a small incision in the skin where the cup is going to be placed. This causes the blood to be drawn out with the vacuum in the cup.

This is an ancient practice with deep roots, most predominantly in Chinese medicine and the Islamic hadith. The hadith said to be the words of the prophet Muhammed and for the Muslim religion is only second to the Quran when it comes to religious texts

Cupping is one of those things that has been coopted by new age medicines that have come back in vogue in the last couple decades, but has little to no supporting scientific research.

For the most part the practice is relatively harmless, but it can cause temporary or long term discoloration, scarring, burns or infections. But for those with blood pressure or heart problems there could be serious risks, so if you're interested in pursuing this alternative therapy, please talk to your doctor first

The Hospital

As she got better she begged the doctor permission so that she may go outside and get fresh air, but he kept saying she was too unwell. Eventually he relented saying that if she could carry a tea-kettle to the other side of the ward, he would let her. Unbeknownst to him, the kettle had been full of hot water and Mary barely made it a couple steps before she stumbled, showering herself in scalding water, the doctor managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but these new burns would keep her even longer.

She remained in bed for another month before she was finally well enough to be brought to the recovery ward. When she was getting close to being released one of the nurses asked where she would go, she said she had no one so the nurses brought the clergyman who attended the hospital, named Mr Pattenden. He asked around, landing her a job working for a Mr and Mrs Matthews who lived at 1 Clapham Road place

Mrs Matthews

I was pretty excited that an address was listed as it gave me an opportunity to do a throwback to the historical Charles Booth poverty map Halli talked about during her 40 Elephants topic (episode 65). Now the map is from 80 years after Mary, but it does tell us that the neighborhood Mrs Matthews lived in was or would become a well to-do middle class neighborhood, which I mean, probably is obvious if she could afford a full time servant girl, but I just thought it was neat

The clergyman, Mr Pattenden brought Mary to Mrs Matthews and then wrote a letter to her parents who hadn't heard from her since she fled home probably a year or longer before. He learned that her mother had been worried sick and both were relieved to hear she was alright and seemingly in good hands. The clergyman would keep up correspondence with her parents, keeping them apprised of their daughter's whereabouts and activities

[Mary sends a letter to her parents Nov 24 1811, saying she was learning to write and lived with Mrs Matthews]

Mary would end up staying in Mrs Matthews employ for three years [~1810 - 1813], during which time it's reported the Mrs took good care of her, even teaching her to write, a skill she'd never mastered. Mrs Matthews also had a daughter attending school, and every day she returned home from school she'd write letters for Mary to copy, allowing her to learn very quickly. But it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine, Mrs Matthews was a strict Calvinist, which is a branch of fundamentalist Christianity if you're not familiar.

Mary worked as a servant and she almost never left the house but once every three months which was when she could go see Mr. Pattenden and his wife that had helped get her the job with Mrs Matthews. The two had grown quite fond of her and called her their adopted daughter.

While with Mrs Matthews, Mary spent much of her leisure time reading and made few friends but for the cook that lived next door working for a Jewish family. The girls would sneak to the garden wall when their mistresses weren't around to chat and share news from their households. Three years into her stay the cook one day told her that there would be a Jewish wedding in the next while and she asked if Mary would come with her. Mary was ecstatic and determined to go went to ask Mrs Matthews her denied her, saying she was too young and inexperienced to attend such a thing on her own

Determined to go Mary had to figure out another way, and asked a woman to write a letter pretending to be the shop-keeper Mrs Baynes. Mary's "adoptive father and mother" were close with Mrs Baynes and this had led Mary to learn that the woman had recently had a child. So she had the letter written as if Mrs Baynes were inviting Mary to the christening, which was on the same day as the wedding, what a coincidence! The letter was placed in the post and Mrs Matthews received it the next day

The Mrs gave her permission, but insisted Mary be home by eight pm, which she was. The next day Mrs Matthews began to inquire about the events, asking the name of the child and if there had been a party, Mary began to act suspicious and the Mrs realized something was up and interrogated her until she learned about the whole deception. Mrs Matthews was furious and didn't know what to do about such an act of such blatant disrespect, she decided she'd call upon Mr Pattenden, the clergyman to come deal with this disobedience.

Mary terrified of the scolding she would receive and the shame of disappointing her "adopted father" slipped out of the house, hoping that if she stayed away for half an hour that the clergyman would arrive and then leave before she returned. She hid in the back alley, listening and waiting for Mr Pattenden to leave, but he ended up staying all night, leaving Mary hiding until morning

When morning came Mrs Matthews saw Mary pacing outside and sent for her. She scolded the girl saying that staying out all night was another offense. Full of guilt and shame, Mary took her clothes and left. For eight days she stayed with a shopkeep she had come to know through Mrs Matthews. Mary had this woman write a letter to her father (the real one) to tell him that she no longer needed her extra clothes (sending them back to him with the letter) and had left England with a traveling family.

Magdalen Reformatory

Mary had often seen women going in and out of a building called the Magdalen which she believed a nunnery and she became determined to get in there, believing it would provide her shelter and board. She asked around and found out that they admitted new women on Wednesdays, so the following Wednesday (Feb 14 1813) she went. She found herself in a room full of other women, and the staff of the Magdalen walked between asking who they were and "how long she had gone on in that way? How long she had been on the town?"

Mary didn't know what they meant and apologized profusely for her sins. They were very serious with her and made her cry 

They told her, as she was so young, if she was truly penitent, they would take her in, which her tears prevented her from answering. Then one of them said, poor thing, she is very much affected, we will admit her. On her admission she received a bit of paper with admitted written on it, and then was ordered to deliver it in the next room. She was taken into a bath, and every thing was taken from her, and the Magdalen dress put on her; which was a stuff gown, a white tippet, and a plain bordered cap, plaited round the face. She was there six months, and acted as a sort of housemaid - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

While there she spoke to the other women who shared stories of their lives and when they asked Mary about hers they all seemed pretty baffled, asking is she was telling the truth which Mary insisted she was, was it so strange? A woman said "You are as bad as we are, otherwise you would not be in this house"

Mary's guilt and shame came rushing back and she sought out the Minister of the Magdalen a man named Mr Prince, hoping to repent for whatever wrongs she may not have realized she committed. Mr Prince interrogated her, asking for her story and accused her of lying, but she insisted it was true and explained the whole ordeal which seemed to satisfy him and he sent her on her way

The next day, Jul 22 1813 she was summoned to the board and expediently expelled from the house, returning all her clothes and belongings she'd entered the house with

You see the Magdalen wasn't a nunnery, it was one of a chain of Roman Catholic institutions designed specifically for "fallen women" 

The term referred to female sexual promiscuity or sex workers, young women who became pregnant outside of marriage, or young girls and teenagers who did not have familial support - Magdalene Asylum

So yeah she had joined a place meant to house the "worst of the worst" of womenkind, who had no one left in the world for them and she was kicked out for being too chaste and for having family, which honestly was probably for the best

The Magdalenes were also known as Reformatories, Asylums and Laundries named for one of the earliest infamous "fallen women" Mary Magdalene, the institutes at the time existed across the UK, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, the US and Australia.

Remember how I said that doing laundry was a huge multi day affair? These shelters were almost all laundry houses, where these "fallen women" could work for meager provisions, but no pay. From the outside people thought these were good institutes, helping women get back on their feet, but reports from the inside spoke of sweatshop style of labor and poor conditions. Surprisingly the last of these institutes wasn't closed until 1996.

Devon

Mary decided she should try and return home, she had one pound left to her name but hoped to keep it by going straight through the country and not paying for lodgings. But the route was dangerous said to be a common place where murder and robberies took place. So as a way to protect herself she went to a pawn shop and exchanged her feminine clothes for masculine ones. She styled her short hair more like a man's and started making her way back to her home of Devonshire

To test her new disguise she went to a poorhouse and asked if they had room for a man. The staff teased her saying she was the smallest man they'd seen but they seemed to buy it, they said they liked her but unfortunately they didn't have any available space for her. It mattered not as it proved her disguise was a success and she carried on begging her way

Once she reached Exeter she exchanged her clothes for women's clothes and made the rest of the trip home

On Salisbury Plain she fell in with highwaymen, who offered to take her into their company if she could fire a pistol. A pistol was put into her hand, but when she pulled the trigger and it was discharged, she screamed and threw the weapon down. Thereupon the highwaymen turned her off, as a white-livered poltroon unfit for their service. - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

I did find another version 

She said that whilst walking back from London to Devon, disguised as a man for safety, she was kidnapped by highwaymen on Salisbury Plain. When they discovered she was a girl they were ready to shoot her as a police spy, but she begged for her life and was released. - BBC

Crediton

Her parents were shocked to see her as they had thought she was traveling around the world as per the letter she had sent, she said she'd left the family and her luggage got lost, on this her father returned the clothes she had sent from London. Her parents wanted her to get a place in the country and Mary agreed. She and her mother traveled to Crediton and got her a job with a tanner, though that gig only lasted 3 months, before she grew bored and set off again. She took up random gigs, but never stayed anywhere longer than 3 months, bringing on a whole plethora of wild and unusual experiences, eventually making her way to Billingsgate

One day she made her way to the stationer's to get some books, while there she met a young gentleman, John Baker, and upon her leave the man asked the store-keep everything they knew about her and that evening he sent her a letter. He was interested in her and when she had the time they would meet up, this seemed to go swimmingly as within 2 months the couple was married

They travelled together for some time until her husband needed to go on a trip to Calais, France. He gave her some money to get to London and promised to write and send for her once he was settled, but he never did.

She made it to London where she took up working for a Mrs Clark for about 6 months, until Mary went into labor. This is one of those areas many question her story, had she actually been married to a man named John Baker who just up and left? Or was the child conceived out of wedlock and she'd made up the story to cover her shame? What we do know is that 4 months after the baby was born, Mary sent a letter to her parents announcing the birth, and mentions her husband as if they were still together, though in her story to Mrs Warroll she lost contact with him some time before their son was born.

Mrs. Clark brought Mary to City-Road Hospital where she remained for three weeks, in February 1816 her son would be born, John Edward Francis. She returned to Mrs Clark with the baby who advised her to turn the child in to the Foundling, a hospital for abandoned children. Seeing little option, she was barely making ends meet for herself and she had no one to take care of the child when she worked, she went to the Foundling and told them that she couldn't care for her son and that his father had abandoned her. Apparently it took three weeks before the Foundling accepted the baby on Jul 6 1816, maybe like the Magdalen they didn't see Mary as destitute enough to require their services or maybe it was simply a matter of a lack of space

[sends a letter to parents on Jul 1 1816]

It appeared that work with Mrs Clark didn't work out or it was simply too far from the Foundling, so Mary reached out her "adoptive father" the clergyman Mr Patterden for his help as he had always promised to help her if he could. He help her find new work with some other people near Russel Square, it's not clear if things didn't work out with Mrs Clark or if there was another reason, while I couldn't find the location of the Crabtree I was able to find the rough location of this new work place and where Foundling was, this new work place would put her within an hour's walking distance of the Foundling, which was important as every Monday Mary would go to the Foundling between ten and four and check on her son. Unfortunately on Oct 27 1816 at 8 months old her son would pass 

Christmas 1816 France

Our next hint at Mary's activities comes from a letter she had a woman send on her behalf to her parents on Jan 18 1817. The letter explains that Mary's son passed, and that on the fortnight of that passing, she had departed for France to meet up with her husband, based on the child's death date this would've occurred mid early to mid November. Again, she'd told Mrs Warroll, that she had long lost contact with her husband, so this may be true, or may be a convenient lie told to her parents to make them feel safer.

But a correspondence with Mr Patterden and his wife reveals that they had seen Mary on or close to Christmas 1816 and that she had been living in Islington with the family of Mrs Starling

Devon Feb 1817

On February 1817 it's said she arrived back home in Devonshire by coach -a quite expensive way to travel. No one is sure where she got the money for it. She told her parents her child had passed and she was coming to say goodbye before she sailed from Bristol for the "Indies" (which broadly refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around the Indian Ocean).

Other stories say she had found the reception of home not as warm as she would've liked with no mention of an upcoming trip or telling her parents about the child. It's possible both are true, her parents may have been upset about her having a child, especially with a man they likely never met and who had disappeared before the child was even born.

Ten days Later - Romani

It's said she spent ten days at home and sent her trunk on ahead, but rather than going north to Bristol, she ended up begging on the road to Plymouth as she accompanied a band of Romani. She travelled with them for three days and took up telling fortunes. Some versions say that they tried to convince her to do all manner of things and to stay with them, but she wasn't interested and she departed

It's said that her made up language seemed to be a combination of gibberish, French and a smattering of Romani words which she probably learned during these travels

It was now, according to her account, that the idea entered her head of playing the part of a distinguished stranger from the East - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

Bristol March 10th 1817

It's said on March 10th 1817 she had arrived in Bristol and was searching for a ship to take her to Philadelphia in the new world, and found one that would depart in 15 days the only problem was that it would cost her £5. Remember how we had said that the job she did with shoemaker would earn her £8 in a year? Today £5 is worth roughly £232.63 $300. This was no small amount of money to beg and she only had 15 days to do it or she wouldn't be able to buy her ticket

Mrs Neale

It's at this point she meets Mrs Neale while looking for lodgings. Mrs Neale and her daughters took Mary in for one shilling a week, overall this seems to be a positive experience. While staying there she would go out during the day begging in the streets with another girl. It's probably during that time that this happens

It was after noticing the attention that French lace-makers from Normandy received wearing high lace headdresses, that Mary decided to use her black shawl as a turban to make her look more interesting. - BBC

Mrs Neale did report that soon every time Mary left the house she would don a turban. It's said that when begging with the turban she received more attention and more money and this is likely when she began to build an identity around it. It's said she grew restless again, maybe realizing that getting those 5 pounds before her dream boat left was wishful thinking, she seemed to give up on the whole idea and left Bristol.

Gloucester

She went on, pretending to speak French, but using her own contrived language, begging at various places along the road to Gloucester. This disguise proved successful until she met someone who could speak French, but she quickly improvised and claimed to be Spanish. She managed to get away but soon after she met two men, one of whom said he spoke perfect Spanish, so Mary was forced to speak to him in "Spanish", which, amazingly, he said he understood. For Mary this was an important lesson in how to use the alleged "expertise" of others for her own ends.

She stayed that night in lodgings and the next morning started out on the road to Gloucester, once again assuming her character as she headed towards the village of Almondsbury, and fame, as Princess Caraboo.

Warroll's reaction

Mrs Warroll absorbed Mary's tale, but was still suspicious. Mr Mortimer had taken notes throughout the entire account, so Mrs Warroll decided to send a respectable tradesmen to Devonshire to validate if what Mary said was true

His first stop in Devonshire was with the local vicar, asking if he knew the Willcocks family which, he did, having known them for 25 years. He was surprised to hear about Mary's adventure, unsure how someone as poorly educated as her had managed to fool so many people. The vicar confirmed that her parents were good honest people, but that she came from a large family where they had difficulties making ends meet. The vicar's wife accompanied the man to Witheridge, where the Willcocks were summoned.

The man asked the parents how many children they had, they said four, their oldest a son of 32, their second Mary 25, with another son at 15 and daughter at 9. The man asked if he could see Mary, much to the father's confusion 

Hesitating, the father said, he could not fetch her, for she had left them, and he did not know where she then was. It was about eight years since she first left him, and he had seen her several times since, but could not tell the reason of her leaving him, the last time she went away. It was not on account of his beating her with a strap, though he had once done so, for going with another girl to a fair at Exeter. He had flogged her well about two years ago, for going there contrary to his consent - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

They told the man of the times they'd seen her in the last 8 years, the events she'd told them about, corresponding with Mr Pattenden the preacher so on and so forth. Mary didn't write frequently but when she did she tried to include whatever money she could spare.

The man asked if the parents ever validated to see if Mr Pattenden was who he said he was and they said they had, a son of one of the neighbors lived and worked in London and looked in on the Mr Pattenden and found him "a highly respectable character, a Presbyterian Minister, much beloved in his neighbourhood". They told the man that when Mary had left she could not write, but thanks to the job that Mr Pattenden had found her she now could write quite well

She had written them when she got married, but they had never met the husband, and the next time they saw her she said that she had had a child but lost him and that she was going to make for the Indies. She left them with some money, but they hadn't heard from her since and it had been about four months.

The man asked if they had noticed anything different about their daughter in their last meeting and they said

she was very learned, and could talk French very fast: she used to talk for two or three hours in a morning to her sister in bed. He knew it was French, because the folks in the village said it was so. But he really thought, she was not always right in her head. Ever since she was fifteen years old, in consequence of a rheumatic fever, which affected her head, he believed she was not right in her mind. At spring and fall she was particularly uneasy, always wishing to go abroad. She was never fond of tippling [drinking alcohol], never drinking other but water - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

What dad is suggesting here is not completely off-base. Rheumatic fever usually develops after a couple weeks of untreated strep throat. It is believed that some people may be more prone to the disorder due to genetics than others, but also that malnutrition and poverty play big factors which likely played a part in Mary's illness.

A complication of rheumatic fever can sometimes cause rheumatic heart disease to develop. This is occurs when the valves of the heart develop scar tissue that prevents them from working as effectively. Typically the disease can take years to actually develop to a noticeable state. RHD is an inflammatory disease that can affect many connective tissues, especially in the heart, joints, skin, or brain

Someone with RHD is more prone to illness and more severe bouts of illness than the average person. Multiple cases of strep can really advance this disorder and at its worst it can lead to heart failure. The best treatment for RHD is prevention, which is why when strep is diagnosed and confirmed a run of antibiotics is immediately prescribed as the sooner the illness is cured the less likely it will advance into rheumatic fever. RHD can become so advanced that heart surgery is the only way forward, but something like this was not likely widely available in Mary's time. If she had indeed contracted RHD she would suffer its increasing effects for the rest of her life

If she had RHD she would be more prone to illness and as we saw there are a good handful of times where she fell seriously ill with fever, usually in cases shortly after poor diet or over-exertion. If the RHD was causing inflammation in her brain this could also be relevant to some of her choices and behavior

Well experiencing inflammation in the brain a variety of symptoms may occur including depression, fatigue, lack of motivation and loss or lack of appetite. Her father did says she changed after contracting rheumatic fever, but she was also 15. Teenagers can change rapidly, and with her living in poverty like we have discussed before, her puberty may have stalled for a time and only kicked in after she had recovered. Many parents of completely healthy teenagers will tell you that at some point their child began to change dramatically.

Mary did experience several bouts of depression in her journey one in which she claims led her nearly to the edge. But this is also a normal response to her circumstances. Poverty stricken with not a pence to her name and feeling unloved and unwanted, while also going through the hormonal the rollercoaster of puberty is a fast track to some serious depression. She would also go periods without eating, we have the fasting that she committed to weekly as part of her character, which would be more easily endured if she wasn't feeling hungry and we know she experimented sometimes to see how long she could go without eating.

We don't see her impacted with fatigue as much from her stories, she usually is quite active and decisive, in the same vein RHD can also cause inflammation in other parts of the body, particularly joints can become inflamed and very painful. But we never see an instance where Mary seems to be in pain in a way that disrupts hers or the lives of others. She's either sick or very active and engaging

Lack of motivation could be applied to her situation if you look and the number of times she up and left jobs, that could be related, but instead of just lazing around to get fired she would often wander off to the next adventure, which takes motivation.

I am going to posit a different theory, but we'll come to that later

The man asked if they still had Mary's letters and the mother retrieved them handing them right over.

It was then that the man explained everything that had occurred in the last four months and explained the reason behind his visit. The family was shocked, the father had read about Princess Caraboo but never once considered that could be his daughter.

How did she get away with it for so long?

Mary wasn't the first who attempted to fool the aristocracy but was probably one of the most successful up until Anna Anderson, but that's a story for another day

Mary's Fame

Mary's success seems to be attributed to her ability to feign a complete lack English comprehension, reading or otherwise. Once this idea was accepted, those in her presence would speak to each other like she wasn't there, speculating on her origins and culture, and she used these conversations to build up a compelling backstory for her character. She was noted for having an incredible memory which was probably handy for absorbing all the texts on foreign places and languages that were brought to her in the hopes of cracking the mystery of Princess Caraboo

As Mary gathered more detailed information from the various learned visitors to Knole, her role became more substantial and her behavior more convincingly princess-like.

As with many hoaxes, the desire to believe something is real is an extremely important and Mary was surrounded by people, Mrs. Worrall in particular, who desperately wanted her to be a foreign princess. She was fulfilling a need for the romance of unseen lands and mysterious populations in people's monotonous everyday lives.

It's not that everyone was completely bought into her story, some had indeed been suspicious

• The housekeeper who had stayed with Mary at the Warrolls' once or twice scared Mary awake with a startling cry, hoping the fright would cause a slip in character, but she was unsuccessful
• Dr Wilkinson had copies of her writing sent to Oxford to see if someone there could identify it. The letter her received back was that it all was "humbug" which he didn't buy
• In Bath while Mary the women had declared that they needed to raise funds to get Caraboo back to her island nation of Javasu. It's said despite the pile of bank notes that formed, Mary showed no excitement, feigning complete ignorance about what these pieces of paper were for
• Flattery didn't seem to phase her either, once a young man sat next to her and said "I think that you are the loveliest creature I ever set eyes on!". She remained quite unmoved, not a flutter of colour was in her cheek.
• The Greek valet of the Warrolls' initially distrusted her but was quickly won over, completely believing she was the real deal

One of the reasons for her success may have been her motives. She never stole, whether it be as small as a pin or ribbon or other much more valuable items. Money simply was not her goal, though she did receive many lavish gifts and money. She also never showed any ill will to anyone, she was kind and polite and there are no reports of the status getting to her head and making her mean spirited or anything of the sort. At the core of it really just seemed the heart of a girl longing for an adventure, to be involved in something bigger than her, and the attention certainly didn't hurt.

But What About the Sailor?

There is still a piece that has never been satisfactorily explained

Was she assisted by the mysterious "Portuguese sailor" Manuel Eynesso who claimed to understand her language? There is no evidence that the two knew each other or that there was any collaboration between them and it seems more likely that Eynesso was himself an impostor trying to take advantage of her fame. - BBC

There's two possibilities:

1. She broke character and confessed the grift and he agreed to help her. But why? What was their to gain? Maybe some minor fame?
2. He actually kind of understood her. Portuguese is a Latin root language, like Spanish and French, there are many words that are very similar between these languages with variances in pronunciation. If she had indeed learned some real French it may have been enough to convince this guy of her exoticism and lead him to fill in the details himself in an effort to communicate

Of one thing we may be pretty certain, that the gentleman who had visited the Far East, and who pretended to understand her language and thereby drew out her history, never again dared to show his face at Knole. - Devonshire Characters and Strange Events by Sabine Baring-Gould 1908 [original source 1817]

Then What?

Princess Caraboo had thoroughly been exposed as a hoax and like every bit of news about her before, journalists swarmed to get the scoop, but with an unexpected angle

The press made her into a working-class heroine who had deceived high society and exposed upper class vanity. […] But how had this uneducated country girl manage to fool so many people, some of them highly intelligent academics, for so long and perhaps more importantly, why? It was an amazing achievement for a poor working-class girl to turn the accepted view of society upside down with such apparent ease. - BBC

The papers also had a good laugh at all the academics that had come to assess Caraboo and all swore up and down that her story was true. The world outside of Europe and America was still very much a mystery at this time to most Europeans. Far away foreign lands were exotic and romantic and appealing to these notions was a quick way to earn rapt attention among the aristocracy

And maybe that's part of why Elizabeth Worrall couldn't stay mad. She was obviously hurt and angry about the deception initially, but with confirmation of Mary's story, she couldn't help but feel moved and decided to try and help her make a better life for herself. Elizabeth raised funds for Mary to relocate to Philadelphia, as was Mary's original plan when she had come to Bristol. Mrs Warroll made sure Mary had enough clothes and coin to get a fresh start and Elizabeth even had her sent under her mother's maiden name of Burgess, with hopes of preventing her from being overwhelmed by the visits and attentions of the curious. Elizabeth also had three strictly religious women that she insisted to accompany Mary and take care of her, at least for the trip.

The couple weeks leading up to her trip she stayed at Mr Mortimer's, people came from all over see the now infamous imposter, some came to condemn and shame her, some pitied her, but a surprising amount had only become more interested in her since the reveal. But none of this attention made her forget the kindness and generosity shown by Mrs Warroll, before departing she left her this message 

"friendship thou charmer of the mind / thou sweet deluding ill / the brightest moments mortals find and sharpest pains / can feel fate has divided / all our shares of pleasure and of pain in love the friendship / and the cares are mixed and join again / the same ingenious author in another place says / tis dangerous to let loose our love / between the eternal fair for pride that busy sin spoils all that we perform." - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

On Jun 28 1817, just under three months after Mary stumbled into Almondsbury as Princess Caraboo, Mary climbed aboard a ship named the "Robert and Anne" and departed for the new world. It was later reported by one of the women that took the journey with Mary that she cried as she saw Knole Park disappear in the distance.

After-the-Fact Checking

After Mrs Warroll reviewed the letters she'd received from Mary's parents, she handed them off to a friend who investigated them further using the names and addresses to track down some of her previous employers and acquaintances. Here are some of the results of those investigations

From Mr Pattenden

Mr. Pattenden confirmed all that the girl had told of his knowledge of her; that he took her out of the Hospital, procured her the place at Mrs. Matthews's, got her child into the Foundling-Hospital, and his daughter, who had gone to enquire after it, was informed that it was dead. She had told him, that its father was the master of a family in whose service she had lived in the country. That during a twelvemonth he had lost sight of her; that his family always took a great interest in her welfare, and whenever she was out of place or wanted help, she applied to them. They did not think there was any harm in her; but she was always so odd and eccentric, that Mr. [Pattenden]. said it would fill a volume, if he were to transcribe all that he knew of her. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Mr Pattenden's wife revealed that despite being close to Mary they had never met this elusive husband who she may or may not have been married to. She had heard a number of stories as to who he was

Her story in this, as in many other matters, varied. To some she said it was by her master, a French gentleman at Exeter; to others she said it was by a young gentleman under his care; and to others, that the father was a labouring man who worked at her master's; this she said at the Foundling, and that his name was Baker. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

In correspondence with Mrs Clark the woman Mary had been working for and living with when she had gone into labor it was learned that Mary hadn't gone to the hospital like she'd told Mrs Warroll, that she had instead caught a "hackney coach" and had it drive her out, it's not clear where maybe the hospital? But wherever it was, Mary, despite being in labor, got out of the coach and somehow vanished from sight, they never did discover where the baby was born but they did meet him after. Oddities aside Mrs Clark had very little negative to say about Mary

During the six months she lived there, she conducted herself with the greatest propriety; was particularly modest in her behaviour, and one of the most cleanly, regularly, good servants they ever had. She then passed by the name of Hannah; but in a Bible, which she used to read on a Sunday, the name of MARY BAKER was written. She told them, her husband was dead, but they thought she never had been married. They were very partial to her. She scarcely ever went out; but told such odd unaccountable stories, that she became proverbial amongst them for the marvellous; they were stories, however, which never did harm to any body, but seemed to arise from the love of telling something extraordinary. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Mrs Field and Mrs Ferret whom Mary served after giving her child to the Foundling, reported she had stayed with them for 6 months and had nothing but positive things to say about that girl. She "had conducted herself to their satisfaction, and was a very pleasing good servant"

Meeting with Mrs Matthews the strict Calvinist woman who had taught Mary how to write confirmed more details of Mary's story. She said that yes the girl had been sick before move in with her and that she had indeed stayed for three years

her conduct was always correct in every respect, except that she told terrible stories, yet after all they were such as did no injury to others, or good to herself. Her behaviour was always so strange and eccentric, and her ways so mysterious, that Mrs. [Matthews] said, that no one who did not know the girl would believe them, were she to relate what occurred. [...] that she was a very capable, good servant, and seldom went out; that she would sometimes say, she would not eat for several days together, to shew how long she could live without food - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

She confirmed Mary had fled when she learned that Mrs Matthews had summoned Mr Pattenden to talk with after her deception. Despite this Matthews spoke very highly of her and said that all who visited found immediate interest in her. Mrs Matthews said that despite girl fleeing suddenly from service four years prior, she had kept infrequent contact and had even called upon her as a reference at the Foundling, who said if she spoke well of the girl they would take in her son which she did.

The last time she'd seen Mary was Nov 1816 shortly after her son had passed. She said she was living Islington and also mentioned that the child's father had been a bricklayer. Through Mrs Matthews they were able to get in contact with Mrs Starling of Islington who claimed Mary had stayed with them from Jul 1816 to Nov 1816 when they were forced to kick her out for lighting a bed on fire, twice in one week. 

The motive was, that a fellow-servant, whom she did not like, might be suspected and sent away. Though Mrs. Starling did not think she meant to let the fire proceed to such an height, that she could not herself extinguish it, yet having played her trick, she could never sleep in peace while she was under her roof. That she was the best servant she ever had in her house, but so odd and eccentric, that she frequently thought she must be out of her mind - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Mrs Starling said she adored the children but would tell them one wild and fantastic tale after another, so much that Starling couldn't keep track of them. Mrs Starling did not know who the father was either but had been told "she had been married by a Catholic priest to a Frenchman, who had left her, and the child had died at her mother's" the last part is disputed by Mary's mother who says they never met the child nor father

Once a month Mary would disappear and return with money, they never were able to figure out where she was going or what she was doing. Mrs Starling spoke very fondly of Mary and said that if there hadn't been the unfortunate incident with the fires, she would happily kept her on. She said that she had seen the stories of Princess Caraboo and had been pretty certain it was Mary and had contemplated contacting Mrs Warroll, but feared Mary would be upset with her if she interfered. 

Mrs Warroll's friend made contact with the Magdalen to see what they could discover of Mary's time there. They were told that she had signed in under the name Anne Burgess (her mother's maiden name) on Feb 14 1813. Contrary to Mary's story to Mrs Warroll, the Magdalen reported that Mary had known what was the house was about, having told a fantastic story to get entry

Stated, she was born November 11th, 1792; that her parents were dead; that her father died when she was a month old; that he was a shoemaker, at Witheridge, in Devonshire; that her mother had been dead four years and a half; that her mother on her death-bed recommended her daughter (A.B.) To the protection of the Rev. Mr. Luxham, Minister of Reckingford, near Witheridge; that he took her into his service, in which she was seduced by a gentleman who visited the family, who brought her to London, lived with her a month, when he deserted her, and she went on the town, and led a loose life; said she had been in an hospital two years before. - Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

Her story unraveled with time and conversation with the other girls, slowly revealing true parts of her history and identity, eventually it would be Mary that would petition to leave. She told the staff that she was not in a Fallen Women in fact she had been married, after a couple requests they finally discharged her on Jul 22 1813. 

During her stay it was reported that "her conduct was very eccentric; she did not betray any propensity to vice, but was unsettled from the time of her admission, till she left the house". 

The Magdalen would not hear from Mary again until Oct 15 1814, a full year later. She popped in, wearing nice clothing and said she had made her way to Exeter after leaving and found an old Mistress a Mrs Partridge and taken up service with her and now the two of them were going to go to France where Mary would be her cook. 

Between all these testimonies nearly the entirety of the last 8 years had been accounted for, and proved for the most part that Mary had told the truth to Mrs Warroll in the end, with a few minor varying details. The final verdict of this 1817 collection of details is as follows 

That an illiterate girl, unaided by education, in her usual manners and common appearance by no means elegant or striking, and with no apparent object, but an ambition to excel in deceit, should have so conducted herself both in the language she made use of, and in her general demeanor, as to have induced hundreds to believe, that she was no less a personage than an unfortunate, unprotected, and wandering Princess from a distant Eastern Island, cast upon the shores of Britain by cruel and relentless Pirates;-- that she should have sustained this character, with a countenance never changed by the abject flattery, or the most abusive invective, constantly surrounded by persons of superior talent and education, as well as by those in her own rank of life, who were always on the watch to mark any inconsistency, or to catch at any occurrence that could lead to detection;--and that on no occasion was she found to lose sight of the part she was acting, or once to betray herself;--is an instance of consummate art and duplicity exceeding any occurrence in the annals of modern imposture, […]

The weapons of imposition, which she handled with so much dexterity, were, it is true, furnished her by her admiring spectators; for although Caraboo could not speak a word of English, Mary Willcocks could, and she could hear it and profit by it too. The principal words she used, which smattered of Malay, Arabic, and other Eastern languages, some she learned no doubt from the foreigner with whom she co-habited, and others from the gypsies [romani] with whom, it is not improbable, she resided a longer time than she thought it prudent to disclose. The characters which she wrote, she copied from her recollection, by a glance she caught of different Eastern languages exhibited to her in books, and written before her at Knole. Her acquaintance with Indian manners, habits, &c. she obtained from the different persons who visited her, and who had been in India, and were all eager to display their knowledge to the surrounding auditory; and which the listening and cunning Caraboo eagerly imbibed, as readily imitated, and never failed to turn to account. That the talents of such a girl should have been hitherto directed to no better purpose, every one must lament. Her object in visiting America could never be correctly developed. That she had some wild and desperate enterprise in view, appeared from her telling one of her enquirers, that she predicted she should return to England in her carriage and four horses. Poor, visionary, deluded girl!!

But what shall be said of all the learned travellers, the philosophers, to cognoscenti, the blue stocking ladies, and the numerous dupes of various denominations, who were so completely juggled and out-witted?--They must console themselves with the doctrines of Hudibras,

"That the pleasure is as great

"In being cheated, as to cheat."

Caraboo by John Matthew Gutch [1817]

I said I had a theory about what was up with Mary. Many like to blame rheumatoid heart disease for her behavior, and while there's a good chance that played a factor there are parts that simply don't line up. Like lack of motivation, this woman hustled like nobody's business, and when she got bored with one thing she moved on to the next. She was always preoccupied with the telling of fantastic stories, she was a hard worker often determined to outwork even the men in the same field, she suffered from depression, she was effected by what other people thought of her, she could never stick with one thing for too long. She could absorb information on whatever her interest was in including foreign languages, writing and practices that she had never been exposed to before.

She made impulsive decisions. And there very rarely seemed to be any signs of actual malice behind her deceptions (setting beds on fire though, there's no way around that one, but that's also impulsive). She was odd and eccentric. Yet charming and endearing to everyone she met. They all adored her, even the woman whose beds she set on fire. Despite the blow-outs she had with her family, she always came home, she always kept in contact.

Some like to paint her as a mastermind grifter, but she never took anything that wasn't given to her. She maintained relationships with people even when they didn't part on the best of terms. She always made her way, on the meager pence she managed to earn, and yet still sent as much money home as she could to help support her family. That's not a scam artist.

At the heart of this is a girl that sought novelty, to be involved in something bigger than herself, one of those fantastical stories she was always reading about or telling eager children in her care.

I think Mary was neurodivergent, most likely ADHD. The effects of ADHD grow more pronounced as you age and it is particularly hard to identify in AFAB individuals as the symptoms just aren't as obvious as their AMAB counterparts. Her parents talk about her, that she was too restless to complete her studies, yet she clearly was bright and could learn seemingly anything if she was interested, even bits of foreign languages. She never stuck at a job for longer than 3 years, she was always on the move, seeking some new novel experience. She never stole or maliciously harmed someone, when she couldn't find a new experience, she made her own with fantastic stories

She felt deep shame and would often seem to run away instead of facing her problems with people head on, like what happened with Mrs Matthews, as they clearly remained friends after but she was too scared of the perceived rejection to stick around.

The first time she disappeared while staying with Mrs Warroll she ran to Bristol to grab the clothes she left at Mrs Neales. To avoid being seen, she went through the country

As it was, the Earl of Cork and the Marquess of Salisbury obtained interviews, got the girl to tell her story, speak her lingo

In the New World

This is where near all stories end. Many say she went to America never to be seen again. But that's simply not true, people just didn't look hard enough

On 13 September 1817 a letter was printed in the Bristol Journal, allegedly from Sir Hudson Lowe, the official in charge of the exiled Emperor Napoleon on St Helena. It claimed that after the Philadelphia-bound ship bearing the beautiful Caraboo had been driven close to the island by a tempest, the intrepid princess impulsively cut herself adrift in a small boat, rowed ashore and so fascinated the emperor that he was applying to the Pope for a dispensation to marry her. That story is unverified and not credible, given that St Helena is an isolated rock in the South Atlantic, many thousands of miles from the USA

No evidence exists that this letter is true, as we do know that Mary arrived in America on Sept 2 1817 to enthusiastic crowds all excited to see "Princess Caraboo" themselves, despite the efforts Mrs Warroll put in to keep her identity hidden. It seemed, at least for a time, Mary paid her way by putting on performances as her now world famous character, said to have performed at Washington Hall in Philadelphia. But I also saw reports that she found a nice family to work for.

Her last contact with the Worralls was in a letter from New York in November 1817, in which she complained of her notoriety. I didn't dig too far into the Worralls but it appeared by 1819, Samuel Worrall was filing for bankruptcy and was under investigation for fraud. Many stories seem to indicate he was a douche bag, but I simply didn't find enough evidence to say that definitively. What happened to Elizabeth? I truly don't know, but I hope she got all the good karma she had earned

She appears to have returned to Philadelphia, most records say she stayed there until 1824, when she returned to England. Though I did find an Oct 1821 Bristol newspaper that claimed she had returned then, possibly just a visit? 

Nov 1824 is the most consistent date I saw of her return to England. She'd gone home to visit her mom and it's reported she had been living in New York before her return.

Now she is an intelligent woman, genteel in her manners and dress, apparently modest and retired, and extremely fond of books - Taunton Courier, Bristol and Exeter Journal and Western Advertiser Wed, Dec 15, 1824 ·Page 3

It's said exhibited herself as Princess Caraboo for a time, in 1824 at New Bond Street, London for the cost of a single shilling and later in Bath in Jan 1825 but her act was apparently not successful. She may have briefly travelled to France and Spain in her guise, but soon returned to England.

She settled down after that and go married to a Richard Baker in 1828, giving birth to a daughter named Mary Ann on Feb 3 1829. This is surprising because if she had been born in 1791 this would've made her 38 when she had Mary Ann, which isn't impossible but highly unlikely considering her age and the time period, perhaps she adopted or maybe just got really lucky. It would seem that Mr Baker would pass before his daughter was born, but little information can be found about him, though apparently he was a doctor and may have been who got her into the career she'd work in for the rest of her life: leeches.

She had become a "Importer of leeches and conducted her operations with much judgment and ability" to the Bristol Infirmary Hospital, which apparently is quite a respected and well-paying career

She did this until she died on 24 December 1864 at age 73. Some sources say it was a bad fall that took her others say a heart attack, if she had been suffering from rheumatoid heart disease, it would make sense. She was buried on Jan 3 1865 at the Hebron Road Burial Ground, Bedminster, Bristol, and lies there still, in an unmarked grave

She left behind her business to her daughter Mary Ann who was noted as "of considerable personal attractions, of good character and of a kindly disposition"

This would've been the perfect place to wrap up Mary's story, but I wanted to figure out what happened to Mary Ann if I could, trouble is the name Mary Ann Baker was very common in Bristol which made this task a little more difficult, and perhaps I should've taken that as a sign. Sometimes you dig too deep

Mary Ann Baker

On Feb 13th 1900 a story read "Mary Ann Baker, Deceased, of 2 Queen st Bedminster Bristol. Relations of this deceased are requested to communicate without delay"

A story in the Feb 21 Bristol Mercury and Daily post went into the details.

Neighbors reported Mary Ann Baker had been missing for some time, so police were sent to investigate and were forced to break into the home. They found her in her home, appearing to have died from kidney and other organ failure potentially accelerated by some burns she seemed to have sustained. Very little was known about the woman but the reporter asked around and heard rumors that she had been the daughter of the infamous Princess Caraboo

The reporter was given access to the house where they found a lifetime of paperwork, trinkets, stacked high in a home that appeared to have not been cleaned in the entire 16-17 years she had lived there. It was picking through this that the life of Mary Ann Baker could be pieced together.

The home was unkempt, to put lightly. The reporter had heard rumors but nothing could've prepared them for the state of the place. There were four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs with a scullery (a small kitchen at the back of the house usually used for washing dishes). "The dust on the floor seemed almost inches thick, and cobwebs were hanging from the ceiling almost touching one's head". She did not starve as food was found in the home and used cutlery and dishware were scattered about

It appeared she only used one room regularly and it served as her kitchen, sitting room and bedroom. An old sofa in the room appeared to also serve as a bed. Upstairs the two rooms were mostly empty and unused, thick with dust and with only a broken four poster bed in one

Her early life she carried on her parent's Leech selling business, eventually moving on to making pill boxes for pharmacists

Yet she was not poor. She owned several houses in Bedminster, two of which were on Queen st, one being where she was found and had spent the last 16-17 years. She had a considerable sum in the Post Office Savings Bank.

Among refuse were -sometimes literal- hidden gems. Mixed with old newspapers on the floor was priceless paperwork, deeds, letters. In a cupboard were some pieces of valuable old China the patterns of which were completely obscured by dust. In some old boxes were a large number of splendid old fashioned silk dresses and scattered about were a number of valuable pieces of jewelry, telling of a time when Miss Baker had seen better days.

There were many well cared for books of poetry, Mary Ann being a poet at heart, handwritten poems were found throughout the home which were said to be in her handwriting. Among the papers were several letters addressed from Devonshire and signed "Wilcox" the maiden name of our Princess. These letters were said to be written by a very illiterate person, which Mary's family had been.

Among the papers, Mary Ann's birth certificate was found. This among many things seemed to prove the connection between Mary Ann and Princess Caraboo. "This was not regarded as probable but it has since been ascertained beyond all practical doubt that the rumor was correct"

On it, it also listed that Mary Ann had a sister, Priscilla Baker, born Nov 16th 1830, but passed on Oct 26th 1831

It seemed she never married and had lived on her own for some time

In recent years she was reported to always be "frightfully dirty" and was only ever seen in a dress of rags held together by pins. She was ashamed of her appearance and was known to slink away if she were to cross paths with someone she knew, hoping not to be recognized.

While she tried to hide and keep to herself, if you managed to catch her she was very sociable and friendly. More than anything it seems like her own shame of her appearance kept her away from people when she seemed to very much enjoy their company.

People who knew her state she "conversed splendidly" and there was little doubt that she was well educated and had been a smart woman since her earliest days.

But she was not completely alone, eight cats were found in her home.

The county was seeking relatives, as no one had come forward to claim her yet, and if they didn't all her belongings would revert to the crown. The property belonging to miss Baker was about £1000, today that would be near $200k US. When efforts to find someone related to Mary Ann failed, the paper instead tried to find someone related to her father Richard Baker, who had long passed. Eventually a family member was found in Ilfracombe.

Mary Ann Baker was buried at Arno's Vale, only one person attended her funeral. 

Legacy

The Princess Caraboo story was a sensation at the time and went on to inspire countless works of fiction

• 1994: Princess Caraboo: Biopic written by Michael Austin and John Wells and starring Phoebe Cates, was released to mixed reviews in 1994. In common with most biopics, it added fictional elements to the story
  Film
• 2015: The Curious Tale of Princess Caraboo, a historical novel by Catherin Johnson
• 2016: Princess Caraboo: a French language comic by Antoine Ozanam and Julia Bax.

Several stage musical adaptations have been attempted based on the story. These include a 2004 workshop starring Laura Benanti entitled Caraboo.[citation needed] Princess Caraboo, a full stage musical, opened on 30 March 2016 at London's Finborough Theatre, with a book and lyrics written by Phil Willmott and composed by Mark Collins. The limited-run production opened to positive reviews and earned the Best New Musical and Best Lighting Design nominations at the Off West End Theatre Awards

After the discovery, she more than once expressed a wish, that the tale might be dramatized; and nothing, she said, would have given her greater pleasure, than to have acted the part of CARABOO!! 

Full Source List

• https://www.resologist.net/carabooa.htm
  
• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Devonshire_Characters_and_Strange_Events/Caraboo
  
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/england/bristol/article_1.shtml 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Caraboo
  
• https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/south_gloucestershire/E63004862__almondsbury/
• https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-mysterious-19th-century-princess-who-fooled-a-town
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunmore_Pineapple
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Hospital,_Bristol
  
• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Devonshire_Characters_and_Strange_Events/Caraboo
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Stockings_Society
  
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/963542255/?match=1&terms=caraboo
  
• https://wellcomecollection.org/works/m7zg7268
  
• https://ensanahotels.com/en/hotels/svoboda/spa/medical-treatments/physical-therapy/galvanotherapy
  
• https://www.stmaryschurchyard.com/articles/21-marked-graves
  
• https://thehistorypress.co.uk/article/the-mysterious-princess-caraboo/ 
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupping_therapy
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadith
  
• https://mansionmusings.wordpress.com/2021/03/17/miss-lorillards-wedding-in-1827-did-the-bride-wear-white/
  

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine
  

• https://www.huffenglish.com/accessing-austen-part-2-what-the-heck-is-a-pelisse/

• https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/#currency-result

• https://reginajeffers.blog/2017/02/24/cost-of-items-during-the-regency-period/

• https://www.quillsandquartos.com/post/the-cost-of-a-season

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Indies

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumatic_fever

• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/rheumatic-heart-disease

• https://www.gaucherdisease.org/blog/systemic-inflammation-and-the-cns/

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/963542255/?match=1&terms=caraboo

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/382726537/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22
  

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/811233397/?match=1&terms=caraboo

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/917595285/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/813657305/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/963542294/?match=1&terms=caraboo

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/979350564/?match=1&terms=caraboo

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/392085264/?match=1&terms=caraboo

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/782844606/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/782860317/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/385060622/?match=1&terms=%22mary%20ann%20baker%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/385077580/?match=1&terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/813657302/?terms=%22princess%20caraboo%22

• https://thehistorypress.co.uk/article/the-mysterious-princess-caraboo/