Caraboo. A narrative of a singular imposition, practised upon the benevolence of a lady residing in the vicinity of the city of Bristol, By a young Woman of the name of Mary Willcocks, alias Baker, alias Bakerstendht, alias Caraboo […]

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Full title:</b> Caraboo. A narrative of a singular imposition, practised upon the benevolence of a lady residing in the vicinity of the city of Bristol, By a young Woman of the name of Mary Willcocks, alias Baker, alias Bakerstendht, alias Caraboo, Princess of Javasu. Illustrated with two portraits engraved from Drawings by E. Bird, Esq. R.A. and Mr. Branwhite.

</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 4to. pp. 66 pages, [1] (plates, folded). Signatures: [A]2 B-I4 K2. Half calf. Portraits of Princess Caraboo by Nathan Branwhite and (folding) Edward Bird; last leaf restored, touching one letter. Bookplate of J.J.L. Lucas, and letter from Charles J. Sawyer to Lucas laid in, describing another copy of the book.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scarce early account by John Mathew Gutch (1776-1861) of Mary Baker’s celebrated imposture which infatuated Bristol society in 1817. Baker (1791-1864), a feisty local girl, impersonated a Far Eastern ‘Princess Caraboo’, kidnapped by pirates, and speaking and writing an unknown language. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_4103410" rel="ugc nofollow">Click here to view the Johns Hopkins University catalog record.</a></span></span></p>