What did Mary Smiths do in 1816?

The Stories of Mary Smith 1816

 In January, the advertising section of the paper announced that “Mary Smith” of Weston, Bath, a women who had suffered for 8 long years with coughs and colds and aching limbs purchased a bottle of HICKMAN’S COUGH DROPS and her cough and cold disappeared after 2 bottles. No other remedies, as she had tried many over the years, were as efficacious   as HICKMANS. She wrote a thankful letter to the local Bath newspaper.

 In July, the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette reported the death of a Bath women,Mary Smith, who died at home aged 68, after a long and painful illness, “borne with Christian fortitude”. She may or may not have been the same one who swore by the effects of HICKMAN’S COUGH DROPS

 Mary Smith also broke the law. A lot. At Middlesex assizes in July she was accused of stealing three pots…”The property was found on her person” and sentenced to two months imprisonment for each pot. Clearly the “Bloody Code” did not believe in sentences that ran concurrently.

 Earlier, in May, Mary Smith, her mother and two others were found guilty of stealing paper from the haberdasher’s shop of the Misses Payne and was sentenced to two years imprisonment with solitary confinement. She was regarded as the ringleader, with the other three women awarded one year.

 On the other side of the law, Mary Smith of Gnosall, Staffordshire was one of the twenty local citizens who subscribed to a society to reward those who informed on criminals. Mary and her associates offered 20 guineas for information that led to the death sentence and 10 guineas for information that led to transportation. This was an indication on how poor the law enforcement system was outside of the capital.

 Mary Smith of Newcastle was one of the local insurance agents for the SUN FIRE insurance company.They specialized in insuring agricultural buildings and specifically mentioned in their advertisement their excellent record of paying out. That rings as true as it does now.

 In Durham in November, Mary Smith was indicted for child kidnap fourteen years earlier and early in the year, Mary Smith was married at Lincoln to Mr William Banyard. Mary Smith was also transported in April.

It was an eventful year.

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