The German Princess Revived OR The London Iilt Being a True ACCOUNT of the LIFE and DEATH OF Jenney Voss WHO After she had been Transported for being concerned with Sadler about Eight Years past in Stealing my Lord Chancellors Mace and several times since Convicted of repeated Fellonies was Executed On Friday the 19 th of December 1684 at TYBURN Published from her own Confession AMongst the many Instances of Persons Infamously Remarkable for their Predatory and ill Lives none certainly ever Surrendred their Breath at the Fatal Tree leaving behind them a Name more generally known for all sorts of Crimes than the Subject we are now Treating of Insomuch that but to mention Jenny Voâ—s is a sufficient proof thereof she having even from her Youth followed the Thieving Trade and grown so Famous therein that few who live in London are Strangers to her Name and Reputation She was as she faith her self Born in the Parish of St. Giles's in the Fields of Parents Reasonably well to Pass and Honesty sufficient to have given them more Hopes and Comfort than they found in their Daughter Who tho they Lived not to see her Fatal End yet in the Buddings of her Youth percieving so much by her to their great Discomfort and almost Heart breaking easily imagined what Fruit she was afterwards too likely to yield For having arâ—ived to the Age of Eleven Years her Father and Mother being one Day Invited a-broad to Dinner she took the Opportunity and finding where her Mother had laid up some Money to the value of 30 or 40 s. upon a Shelf in the Kitchen she took the same together with the Handkerchief wherein it was tied and puts them into her Pocket but being to exercise her Wits to prevent the Discovery of this her first Crime they stood by her in the stress and Dictated to her the following Exploit Her Mother had a Monkey which she Loved which was usually kept in the Kitchen before mentioned and observing that somtimes as it is general with those Creatures they are apt if they get Liberty to carry away and hide what next comes before them She accordingly lets him Loose and drives him up into the Leads where following him she flings the Handkerchief in which the Money was wrapped after him and scattering 3 or 4 pieces thereof about the Gutter leaves him there till her Mother came in who missing the Monkey Inquires of her Daughter how it got Loose and where it was to which she readily answered that it had knawed the Cord that tied it whilest she was Absent and had got into the Leads the Mother suspecting nothing further went up Stairs to seek it where looking out of Window she espied the Handkerchief and the scattered pieces aforesaid which made her severely angry with poor Pugg and lay the Crime at his Door that was not Guilty thereof This Exploit having thus happily succeeded young Jane began to think her self Mistris of great Cunning and several times afterwards repeating her Domestick Thievery's was at last found out by the means of another young Wench that was a Neighbours Daughter and a great Comrade of Jenny's with whom she used to spend her Moneys and to whose Breast she communicated all her Secrets These two having one Day fell out upon the account of a little Jealousie between them which was occasioned by the address of a young Apprentice Boy that used to call Jenny his Sweet Heart to this her Comrade with whom the Night before she had found him too Familiarly a Trifling upon which Jenny was so Enraged that she flew upon the Young Wench and having torn her Head geer and grievously Beat her called her whatsoever her Angry Rhetorick in the first heates of Passion dictated to her Which her Comrade laying to Heart not being able to revenge her self otherwise she went and immediately discovered the Secrets of all Jenny's Pranks to her Mother who was strangly Surprised thereat and began to Examine her Daughter about it who tho she absolutely denied the Fact ' yet it being so plainly proved against her diverse other Circumstances corroborating the same a severe Punishment was threatned against her which from her Fathers Passionate humour she knew would be aggravated when he came to know her crime to whom her Mother reserved the Consideration till his coming home that Evening In the mean while Jenny being apprehensive of his Anger was resolved whatever came of it if she could get the opportunity to get out and be gone not much careing whether so she could avoid the Storm that now Threatned her and accordingly being Locked up in her Room it being late before her Father Returned her Mother going out to seek him she packs up her Cloaths and tying the two Sheets together slipt out of the Window and betook herself to her Escape which by the favour of the Night and the hast she made carried her the next Morning about 13 or 14 Miles out of Town as far as Sunbury a little Village by the Thames-side in Middlessex where she staid the next day at a Publick House pretending that her own Mother being Dead and her Father Married a second Wife she in favour of several Children which she brought him dealt very Severely with her which had forced her to seek her Fortune and that she was willing to get into an Honest Service if any such presented it self Which a substantial Farmer in the Town hearing of took her in and Entertained her In this place she had not lived above a Month when observing that several Gypsies used often to come and Lodge in a Barn belonging to her Master She would often out of Curiosity only at first repair to the said Gypsies to know her future Fortunes which they flattered her would be much to her Advantage provided she would Joyn with them and take such course of Livelyhood as they did which she was not much averse to having noted that they lived Merrily and wanted nothing in their Straw that might make such a Life Grateful to them which they finding told her if she would get what Plate or money she could from her Master that was very Rich she should be admitted into their Number and be made much of amongst them appointing her the next Night to get off with the Booty and to come to them at Midnight and she should have a Guide to convey her to another Road far enough out of the way of her Masters Reach To this Proposition she soon Hearkned and the next Night Robb'd the Farmer of Plate and Money to the value of 40 l. with which under the Conduct of a Brother Gipsy who was for some time afterwards her Doxy they Travelled through Kingston in the way towards Guilford where the general Meeting was concluded upon Being thus admitted into this Gang the idle Life very well suited with her humour and she was soon perfect in their manner of Conversation and Gibberidg insomuch that one of them was a greater Crafts Mistress
the reach of her Adversary for by the favour of the Promise aforesaid at the Hour appointed she found the Door Opened and the Goalers Wife ready to discharge her telling her that there was at such a place without the East part of the Town a little House at the Sign of the Red-Cross where if she tarried half an Hour she would come and bring her a Horse and Pillâ—on on which she might Ride to a Place of Safety But Jenny not intending to be so Incumbred took the quite contrary Road and Travelled with all the speed her Feet could carry her that Night till the next Morning coming to a Town where the Waggon stood for London She takes place therein as a maid that went to seek a Service in Town and accordingly Escâ—ped whil'st the Disappointed Gaolers Wife Lamenting the Infidelity of her supposed Lover was overtaken by her enraged Husband who ever after made her lead a worse Life than before this Fault she had done But Jenny Voss being thus escaped got safe to London where she heard of the Death of her Father and Mother and soon after of her Nominal Husband whom she left in Goal as abovesaid which began a little to affect her considering how narrowly she had Escaped what afterwards she too Fatally tasted yet such Thoughts soon Vanished and the sweetness she had Experienced in the former Course of Life she had now for some Years led Induced her to follow the same for the Future therefore soon afterwards hearing of a Service in a Family of Reputation she works her self thereinto by a false Name and by the first opportunity runs away carrying with her a considerable quantity of Plate and Goods to a great Value Of which being possest she began to consider how she should dispose thereof being a Stranger in Town and not knowing the Methods of this Trade so well as that she formerly Practiced in the Country yet being drove to some Straits and wanting Money she at last ventures into a Brokers Shop about Westminster where she offers some of the Goods to Pawn where as it hapned she lit on a Rogâ—e for her Turn who apprehending the Goods to be Stole signified as much to her bidding her not to be Discouraged for that when she had any thing of the like Nature he would vend the same for her to Advantage Which tho Jane at first denied yet resorting afterwards to his shop and seeing others come upon the like Etrand she grew better acquainted with him and commenced a Friendship which was not a little helpful to her in the ensuing course of her Thievery for by his means she came acquainted with all the Cheats and Pickpockets in Town Of whom she not only learned the Mistery but was soon after matriculated into their Society and became one of their most applauded Artisans Amongst many of whose Exploits of this kind I shall only recound the following A Gentleman being with his Friend at a Tavern and coming to pay his Reckoning found that his Pocket was Pick'd upon which his Company seeing him Concerned he having lost 10 Guineys besides Silver began to Laugh at him saying he had been with some Wench or other who had Robb'd him or otherwise it was impossible he should have lost his Money Hereupon being in a great Fret he began to swear that it might as well have happened on any of them as himself had they been in such a Croud as he lit upon comeing out of a Church in London Upon which one of the Company replied that he would lay any Man a Wager of 5 l. that no one in England should ever pâ—ck his Pocket without his finding them in the Action Say you so answers the Gentleman I 'le take you up that Wager and lay you 5 l. if you carry your Watch in your Pocket for a Fortnight together it shall be taken thence 'T is done answers the other and accordingly bound the Wager agreeing that if in the same time the Watch was called for and he had not the same to produce the Money should be Lost The Wager being thus laid the Gentleman goes immediately to Newgate and inquires for an Ingenious Pickpocket to whom he was Directed and by him to Jenny Voss who was at large as a Person for his Turn to whom the Gentleman goes and who in short undertoom the same and having had sight of the Party whose Watch she was to take she dresses her self in very good Habit and follows the Gentleman to the Custom-House where coming up Water-Lane she crosses his way pretends to be in a Swoon and fal's down hereupon the Gentleman in Civility lent her his Assistance to take her up in which Opportunâ—ty she got her Booty and soon conveyed it to the party that hired her who hereby checked the others Confidence and won his Wager By this and other Exploits Jenny having got in great reputation amongst her Comerades grew immediately acquainted with the greatest of the Gang and particularly with Sadler and other of his Company who stole my Lord Chancellours Mace and committed diverse other Robberies She being alwayes called to Consult when any thing of moment was to be done Nor was less owing to her contrivance than the success of most of their Robberies at many of which she was her self present Particularly that which was committed upon the Old Coverous Victualler who had hoarded up 3. or 400 l. and hid the same so covertly that tho they had broke into his house several nights they could never find the same Hereupon Jenny contrives one Evening to go and Drink at the House and set Fire on some part of the Hangings or Wainscott when the Old Man was within thinking that the first thing he would than strive to save would be his money and so dogging him they might find where the same was hoarded Which accordingly fell out For no sooner was Fire cryed but away runs the Old Fellow to the House of Office which was above stairs under the Seat whereof he had made a Cupboard and secured his money Which they Perceiving quickly quenched the fire and the next Night got his money to the Heart-breaking of the old Miser Another of her Famed Contrivances was that of the Doctor of Hogsdon which was performed by Sadler The Fact was that Sadler coming to a Goldsmith in London chose a Cupboard of Plate of a considerable Value which he said was for his Friend the Doctor aforesaid to whom he went the Night before and agreed to send in a Kinsman of his whom he pretended Distracted giveing him two or three Guineys Earnest and Promising him 20 l. for his Cure and 10 s. a Week during the time he was at his House alleadging withal that he believed the cause of his Kinsmans Distraction was the too great love of the World for that in his Fitts he would talk of nothing but Plate and Money Upon which the Doctor promised his Cure and Sadler took his Leave but returning presently
told him he had another Favour to beg which was that when he came with his Kinsman he might be put out of the House so as no notice might be taken of him by his Kinsman who if he see he was about to leave him would very unwillingly part with him which the Doctor likewise promised Having thus laid the matter the next Morning he goes to the Goldsmith and desires him to let his Servant go with him and carry the Plate and he should have his Money which the Goldsmith consented to and accordingly the Servant went with him to the Doctors where taking the Plate of him ' he left him walking below whilest he goes up to the Doctor whom he acquainted that he had brought his Kinsman desiring his Care and that he might be set out at the Back Door which he was directed to and so got off with the Plate leaving the Apprentice to be Blouded and Drenched by the Doctor who apprehended him all the while in a great Distraction the Young man talking of nothing but Money and Plate which the Doctor took to be his Ravings and accordingly bound him in his Bed and used the means he thought proper for his Recovery till the Goldsmith coming to Inquire after him discovered the Cheat. Thus far Jenny had pretty well prospered in her Affairs now and then only clapp'd up into Newgate and discharged the next Sessions Till at length having contrived with Sadler the Stealing my Lord Chancellors Mace some part of the same in the Search was found under her Bed For which Fact being together with Sadler Arraigned she was found Guilty but by the Favour of the Court obtained to be Transported as soon after she was and accordingly served her time Beyond Sea during which time she could not forget her old Pranks but used not only to Steal her self but incited all others that were her fellow Servants to Pilfer and Cheat what they could from their Master so that he was glad to be rid of her and the rather for that she had wheadled in a Son of the Planters who used to Lye with her and supply her with Moneys which she was always averse to the want of After her time was out she came again for England and quickly found many of her Old Comerades with whom she continually associated resolving not to leave those Courses she had been all her Life bred in And here I might recound a multitude more of her Robberies which this little sheet cannot croud in and for which reason I must omitt a journey she made to Ireland and a Voyage to Holland in both which Places she plaid her part so cunningly that she came off with grear Booties Particularly in Holland where amongst other things she cheated a Dutch Merchant of 3 Great Diamonds and a Pearle Neck-lace to a considerable Vallue But to hasten to her End which drew near Comeing to London she gets in with one Robinson who was hanged some 4 or 5 Sessions past for Sâ—ealing of a Horse and either taking one anothers word or makeing a Westminster Wedding of it they lay and companied together till Newgate and the Gallows sued out their Divorce For Jenny haveing stollen a Silver Tankard from one John Warren of St. Olive Silver-street in the Parish of Cripplegate on the 19 th day of March last was found guilty of the said Fact on the 10 th day of April 1684. And should then have recieved Sentence of Death but that she pleaded her Belly The better to colour which and make the Jury of Women believe she was quick with Child tho indeed she was not she Drank about a Gallon of New-Aâ—e and Honey and so deceived them hopeing in this time to gain her Pardon tho she could not accomplish the same there being no place found for Mercy where so great and Notorious a Criminal was concerned Wherefore at the last Sessions in December she was Sentenced upon the former Indictment and on the 19 th of the said Month Executed at Tyburn At her Death she seemed to Bewail her former Life and grieved that she had been the Cause of many Persons falling into Bad Courses which had lead them to untimely Ends For according to Report no less than 18 who had been her Reputed Husbands or Friends had suffered for their Robberies Entred according to Order LONDON Printed by George Croom at the Blue-Baâ—l in Thames-street over against Baynard's Castle 1684.