The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

LONDON.

Jan. 8. A few weeks ago a genteel woman,
about 25 years of age, applied to a Farmer and
Broom-baker, near Hadleigh in Hants, for a lodg-
ing ; telling him that she was the daughter of a
nobleman, and forced from her father's house by
ill-treatment. Her manner of relating the story
so affected the Farmer, that he took her in and
kindly entertained her. In the course of conversa-
tion, she artfully let drop that she had a fortune
of 50,000 l. of which he should be possessed as
soon as her friends in London knew where she was.
After some days stay, She told the Farmer, the best
return in her power for his favours, would be to
marry his son Thomas (a lad of about 18) if it was
agreeable to him. The poor old man was overjoy-
ed at the proposal, and in a short time they were
married ; after which she informed her father-in-
law she had great interest at Court ; and if he
could for the present raise money to equip them
in a genteel manner, she could procure a Colonel's
commission for her husband. The credulous
Farmer there upon mortgaged his little estate for
100 l. and every thing necessary being bought for
the new married couple, they took the rest of the
money and set out for London, accompanied by
three of the Farmer's friends, and got to the Bear
inn in the Borough on Christmas Eve : where
they lived for about ten days in an expensive man-
ner; and she went in a coach every morning to
St. James's end of the town, on pretence of soliciting for her husband's commission, and to obtain
her own fortune: but it was at length discovered
that the woman was an imposter ; and the poor
country people were obliged to sell their horses
by auction, towards defraying the expences at
the inn, before they could set out on their return
home, which they did on foot last Saturday mor-
ning. Before the fatal discovery, the company
were greatly pleased with the woman's behaviour,
as she was not only very prightly and engaging
in conversation, but sung and played on the gui-
tar to perfection. By the description given, She
is supposed to be the same woman who has for
near two years past obtained money, by imposing
on the compassion and credulity of different persons in town and country.