Crime: Swindling Females

Swindling Females

reprinted from The Sporting Magazine April 1801 at 290-292

Two fashionable Females, who, for upwards of twelve months, lived in the most dashing style of elegance, in the neighbourhood of Blackheath, have disappeared within the last three weeks, leaving their several trades-people unpaid. One of the artful Fair Ones bears the appropriate name of Sharp; her partner in dexterity is a Miss Robinson. Their debts are supposed to amount to little short of Fifteen Thousand Pounds. All the articles which they left upon the premises have been sold by auction. Some of their gowns were of so rich and elegant a description, as to sell, at second hand, for Thirty Pounds a-piece; and the looking-glasses alone, which they obtained upon their credit of their appearance, were worth upwards of Fifteen Hundred Pounds. They constantly rode about in a very fashionable carriage, and lived in every respect in a most extravagant style. They originally kept a boarding-school on Blackheath, but that concern not answering their dashing purposes, they invented a story of an immense East India fortune, and thus succeeded in establishing, for a considerable time, an extraordinary system of deception.

All that can be learnt respecting these Female Swindlers is, that the principal of them is a Miss Robertson. This imposter had a boarding-school on Croome-hill, two years, during which time she kept her carriage, and represented herself as heiress to several large estates, particularly to that of an uncle in Scotland, on whose demise she should come into possession of One Hundred Thousand Pounds.

Under the impression of these high-sounding appearances, she assumed all the consequence attached to birth, fortune, and expectations; and, from the manner of address, and the lofty stile which she assumed, the people in the neighbourhood of Blackheath and Greenwich, really believed every thing she thought proper to advance.

In May last, she sent to a Mr. Creasy, of Greenwich, a man of property, by trade a currier, whom she informed, that her uncle, Alexander Stuart Robertson of Fascally, was dead, and begged he would accompany her to a respectable attorney, in Crane-court, Fleet-street, to arrange matters preparatory to her taking possession. Mr. Creasy complied, and went with her to the gentleman’s house in question; Miss R. in stating the business to the attorney, desired he would make out a factory (the usual process for conveying Scotch property) for Sixteen Hundred Pounds a year, on the estate of her late uncle, Alexander Stuart Robertson of Fascally, and a bond for Five Thousand Pounds, to be drawn on the agent who had the superintendence of the estate, and who she said had been appointed to receive her rents. A few days after this transaction, she again sent to Mr. Creasy, and knowing him to be a man of property, asked him to lend her Two Thousand Pounds, until the settlement of her affairs at Fascally. Mr. Creasy not having the slightest suspicion of any part of what had been advanced being untrue, readily complied, and likewise recommended her to all the tradespeople in the town,. Desirous of an elegant house, she fixed upon a very handsome one in the Paragon, which was in an unfinished state: this house she purchased on credit: and, through the recommendation of Creasy, engaged bricklayers, carpenters, and painters, to finish the premises in the most expensive stile imaginable; and ordered Mr. Driver, the nurseryman, to spare no expence of planting the shrubberies, and improving the pleasure grounds.

While these improvements were going forward, Miss Robertson, set up three carriages, a coach, sociable, and post-chariot; and, while the house and grounds were finishing, she and her sister, Miss Sharp, (who lived with her) continued at Croome-hill, from whence they made frequent excursions to London.

The latter end of June, they set off for Brighton, where they figured away with four horses and outriders. The horses they had on job from a stable-keeper at Greenwich, and the carriages from different coach-makers in London.

On their return in August last, Miss Robertson went to Hatchett’s, and desired him to make her an elegant chariot, with silver mouldings and raised coronets of the same. Mr. Hatchett treated his customer with much respect, and hastened to complete the order by the time promised, the Queen’s Birth-day, her cousin, Mr. Secretary Dundas, intending on that day, to introduce her at Court.

About this time, the house was finished, but not furnished; having heard that Mr. Oakley, in Bond-street, was remarkable for the elegance of his ware-rooms, she applied to him, through the medium of a man of respectability, at Blackheath, and, from the representations made to Mr. Oakley, he agreed to furnish the house for Four Thousand Pounds. Things then went on in a flourishing way; the drawing rooms were painted in water colours by one of the first artists in the kingdom; the walls in landscape, and the ceiling composed of clouds, and appropriate devices. The looking glasses to the floor were in burnished gold frames, richly carved, with statuary marble slabs, and ormolu ornaments. These six mirrors came to Eleven Hundred Pounds. On the marble slabs in the principal drawing-room were placed a pair of Egyptian candelabras, the price of which was Two Hundred Guineas; the principal bed Five Hundred Pounds, and every other article equally magnificent.

During the three months that the furnishing of the house was going forward, Mr. Oakley had frequent conferences with his employer, Miss Robertson, when she frequently mentioned that she had great expectations from rich relations in India, and was continually receiving presents of great value. Among the number lately arrived, was a marble chimney-piece, then lying at the India House, worth, in that country, Eleven Hundred Pounds, and added, that it was her intention to build a room on purpose to erect it in, adapted for balls or music. Mr. Oakley, not being perfectly satisfied with appearances, requested, when half the order had been completed, the sum of One Thousand Pounds. Miss Robertson felt herself hurt, and said, if he had any doubts of his having his money, when her affairs were settled at Fascally, he might apply to her sister, Lady Paget, or to her cousin, the Bishop of London.—“If you have any further doubts (added Miss Robertson), apply to Sir Richard Hill, who has known me from infancy, Sir Edward Law (the present Attorney General) can speak to my respectability.”—From these bold assertions, Mr. Oakley proceeded with the order, but when nearly completed, he judged it proper to wait upon the Bishop of London, and Sir Richard Hill; both those gentlemen said they had no farther knowledge of a Miss Robertson, than by a card, which a person of that name had been in the habit of leaving at the houses of persons of distinction.

Upon this discovery, in February last, Mr. Oakley took out a writ, and with proper officers, his own men, and several carts, went down to Blackheath, and laid in wait till nine o’clock (being informed that Miss Robertson dined out), when the carriage came home, but no Miss Robertson. From this circumstanced it appeared that she had received intimation of what was going forward, and would not return. Mr. Oakley, finding he could not take the body, contrived to get into the house, and let in his men, who disrobed the mansion of its furniture by six o’clock the next morning, having worked hard all night. At nine o’clock in the morning came in an execution, under virtue of which, the remaining part of the property was sold by auction on the premises.

No discovery has yet been made as to the place of residence of this swindler. Mr. Pearse, haberdasher, of St. Paul’s Church-yard, met her on Saturday, the 14^th instant, in Bishopsgate-street, dressed in man’s clothes and boots, with Miss Sharp leaning on her arm.—The following persons have been defrauded to a large amount:--At Greenwich, the Carpenter, of Fourteen Hundred Pounds—the Bricklayer, of Nine Hundred Pounds—the Painter and Glazier of Seven Hundred Pounds—the Stable-keeper, who lent the horses of Three Hundred Pounds.—The Nurseryman, for lawns and pleasure-grounds of Four Hundred Pounds—Mr. Clark of Fleet-street, silversmith, a superb sideboard of plate.—Messrs. Ord and Morris, and Mr. Pearse, of St. Paul’s Church yard, are among the number defrauded. A Milliner, in Bond-street, for dresses and laces, of Two Hundred and Sixty Pounds.

This female Proteus pretended to great sanctity in religion, with a devotee, and attended several Presbyterian and other meetings, where she worked upon the Christian bowels of the compassionate and liberal, by borrowing money in the way of loan, representing herself as a person of family in distressed circumstances. In person she is plain, much marked by the small-pox, about five feet two inches in height, insinuating in her manners, and speaks in an elevated tone of voice.