Mary Baker posed as Princess Caraboo in Gloucestershire in 1817, using a made-up language and exotic clothing to fool locals. She was eventually exposed and went on to impersonate the princess in America and Europe before settling in Bristol and selling leeches.
Princess Caraboo was the supposed character of Mary Baker, who tricked a town in Gloucestershire, England into thinking she was being exiled by royalty for a time in 1817. Her creativity and ability to fool a large group of people for weeks and weeks made Princess Caraboo one of the most famous tricksters of all time.
Princess Caraboo first appeared in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire on 3 April 1817, wandering the streets in a turban, seemingly disoriented and homeless. A local man took her to the superintendent of the poor, who in turn left her in the hands of the magistrate, Samuel Worrall. Princess Caraboo fascinated those around her with her bizarre language, which no one could identify or decipher.
Princess Caraboo was briefly placed in a local inn, where she exhibited more erratic behavior. She became excited by the image of a pineapple on the wall, indicating that the fruit grew in her homeland, wherever she was. She didn’t eat meat, tried to sleep on the floor, and showed an interest in Chinese-designed furniture and decorations.
Samuel Worrall’s wife was particularly fascinated by Princess Caraboo and eventually invited her to stay at their family home. However, Worrall himself was suspicious and sent the girl to the Mayor of Bristol to stand trial. Since the mayor could not understand Princess Caraboo’s speech, he sent her to St. Peter’s Hospital. She continued to behave strangely, refusing to eat any food except vegetables or sleep in a bed. After a week she moved to Worrall’s offices in Bristol.
During her time in Bristol, Princess Caraboo was visited by a number of people who attempted to decipher or at least identify her language. Finally, a Portuguese sailor named Manuel Eynesso claimed he could understand her and told her story about her. She was presumably from Javasu Island in the East Indies and had been kidnapped by sailors. She escaped by jumping overboard into the Bristol Channel and swimming ashore.
Princess Caraboo returned to the Worrall household, where she enjoyed celebrity status for a ten-week period. She entertained a flood of curious visitors with skillful fencing, archery, dancing and repeating her story of abduction and escape. She wrote examples of her own language, which were sent to Oxford for analysis. Her portrait was printed in local newspapers.
Mary Baker’s fun ended when she was identified by a woman who recognized her from her portrait. The exotic princess was actually the daughter of a Devon cobbler who had been unable to secure a place as a servant. The Worralls arranged a trip for the girl to Philadelphia, USA on June 28, 1817. She went on to impersonate Princess Caraboo in America and on short trips to France and Spain, but she was not as successful with her true identity exposed about her.
Mary Baker later settled in Bristol, where she married and had one daughter. In later life, she made a living selling leeches at the Bristol Infirmary hospital. She died on January 4, 1865, aged 74. She was buried in an unmarked grave, but a plaque now commemorates her Bristol home where she spent the last eleven years of her life.
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