Best of Season 1: Moll Cutpurse

Episode Summary

Mary Frith, better known as Moll Cutpurse, was born in London around 1584. Her father was a cobbler, yet Moll had her first run-in with the law at age 16 when she was prosecuted for stealing purses. Frustrated with Moll's unfeminine behavior, her family tried to trick her onto a ship headed for North America, but Moll managed to return to London. There she joined a group of pickpockets, earning her the nickname "Moll Cutpurse" for the way she would cut purses off her victims. Moll became infamous for her performances in taverns, where she would sing, dance, play lute, and tell jokes dressed in men's clothing. She once won a bet by riding through London streets on a famous performing horse while dressed as a man and blowing a trumpet, nearly causing a riot. By 1614, Moll operated a brokerage for stolen goods out of her home. Authorities came to rely on her familiarity with thieves. Later in life, Moll was briefly institutionalized before passing away from dropsy in 1659. After her death, she went from public nuisance to folk hero. Three sympathetic biographies solidified her legendary status.

Episode Show Notes

Moll Cutpurse (1584-1659) was a legendary pickpocket, performer, and black-market dealer.

Episode Transcript

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And in honor of a full year of the Psychopedia with Manica, we wanted to revisit some of the outstanding women that we featured along the way. And today we're looking back on Mal Kuppers. And the reason why Mal's Kuppers stands out because she's literally a woman that did not play by the rules. And as you know, women make history when you break some rules. This episode initially aired during our Villainessess Month. And here's Jenny Kaplan to tell you more about her. SPEAKER_00: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan. And this is Encyclopedia Womanica. When you imagine England in the era of Shakespeare, you may think of the golden age with the booming economy, a rising interest in exploration, and a growing merchant middle class. But there was more to it than that. Today we're traveling to the underbelly of London, home to thieves, jokers, and tricksters who played both sides of the law. Our villainess of the day was the most infamous woman of that world. Let's talk about Mary Frith, better known as Mal Kuppers. Mary's legacy lies somewhere between truth and legend. Records from her time are often exaggerated, biased, or made up. That said, here's the story of the cunning Mal Kuppers as we know it. Mary Frith was born in London in about 1584. Her father was an honest cobbler. Nonetheless, Mary's first brush with the law occurred when she was just 16 years old. She was prosecuted for stealing purses. Mary's family quickly grew frustrated with her unfeminine behavior. Some accounts say that in 1609, they lured her out to the docks by telling her there was a wrestling match and then tricked her onto a ship headed for North America. Mary managed to arrange passage back to shore with betting money she brought for the match. When she made it back to London, she quickly joined a group of pickpockets, earning her name Mal Kuppers, in reference to the way pickpockets cut the purses straight off of their victims' hips. Mary also earned a name for herself for her tavern performances. She would sing, dance, play her lute, and crack jokes while dressed in male clothing. That was quite shocking at the time. To win a bet, Mal once gallivanted through the streets of London on the city's most famous performing horse. She wore men's clothing, dramatically carried a banner, and blew a trumpet. As soon as the locals recognized her, a riot broke out. The fans and enemies went wild. Some tried to pull her off her horse while others cheered her on. Mal just barely managed to escape and collect her winnings in the next borough. Mal quickly grew infamous enough to have books and plays written about her. One play, called The Roaring Girl, features a comedic, matchmaking main character named Mal. SPEAKER_02: She's called Mad Mal, and her life, these acts, proclaim! SPEAKER_00: One, two, three, four! According to her own testimony, Mary performed at least one afterpiece for that show. That's a short, lighthearted act that follows the theater's main event. In 1611, Mal was arrested and thrown in jail for a few months, possibly because of her seemingly inappropriate performance. The following year, afterpieces were outlawed in the country for their often vulgar nature and tendency to attract pickpockets. The very playhouse where Mal performed was used as an example in the case. Mal was arrested once again a few months later in St. Paul's Cathedral, and she eventually confessed to being publicly drunk, swearing, associating with criminals, and of course, flaunting her mail clothing. She did penance at St. Paul's Cathedral while tearfully drunk. Mal's illegal activities didn't stop there. Far from it. By 1614, she was operating a brokerage of stolen goods out of her house on Fleet Street. Thieves came to her to sell their spoils, and victims would have no choice but to try buying them back hoping to avoid a lengthy court case. Authorities didn't try to stop any of this. In fact, they sometimes came to Mal for her expertise and familiarity with local thieves. Around that time, Mal also got married, though even that seemed like a means to a criminal end for her. She never actually lived with her husband and didn't mention him in her will. Mal continued her underground business as usual, but now had the elevated reputation given to married women. She could even defeat court cases brought against her maiden name by arguing that she was married. Toward the end of her life, Mal was placed in a psychiatric hospital. She was released in 1644, but contracted dropsy and passed away as a result in 1659. After she died, Mal went from public menace to folk hero in the eyes of the public. Three sympathetic biographies were published about her with varying degrees of embellishment solidifying her mythical stature. The end. Join us tomorrow for the story of another fascinating villainess. 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