Famous Impostors Preface

Famous Impostors Women as Men

In which the patient reader is introduced to the curious and oft perilous instances of women who donned man’s attire to brave the rigours and adventures of military and naval life, motivated by necessity, love, or fortune, and exemplified in the lives of bold personages such as Hannah Snell and La Maupin. Thereafter, the narrative shifts to a more jocose tone, recounting notable hoaxes and practical jokes—ingenious, mischievous, and sometimes cruel—which entertained or vexed the populace of London and beyond in times past.

Famous Impostors Arthur Orton (Tichborne claimant)

In which the extraordinary saga of Arthur Orton unfolds, a man whose brazen imposture cast a long shadow upon the venerable Tichborne family and stirred the credulous public into factions of belief and disbelief. The tale traces the intricate history, family woes, and ultimate legal reckoning surrounding Orton’s audacious claim to an English baronetcy, revealing the depths of human credulity and the calamitous costs of such a deception.

Famous Impostors Witchcraft and Clairvoyance - Sir Edward Kelley; Mother Damnable; Matthew Hopkins

In which the dark intrigue surrounding Sir Edward Kelley unfolds through his duplicitous partnership with the earnest Dr. Dee, revealing a life steeped in fraud and occult charades that led them through royal courts and perilous exile. Following this, the narrative turns to the sinister figure of Matthew Hopkins, whose cruel witch-hunting crusade blighted England with fear and death, exposing the grim abuses of justice under the guise of righteousness.

Famous Impostors Witchcraft and Clairvoyance - Witches; Doctor Dee; La Voisin

In which the fearful and fantastic belief in witchcraft is traced through its legislative and social manifestations in England and France, revealing a world where superstition mingled with law, commerce, and tragedy. The lives of notable figures such as the learned yet ill-fated Doctor Dee, the enigmatic Madame Voisin, and the infamous Sir Edward Kelley are unfolded with a tone of measured sympathy and sober reflection on the human inclinations toward the occult and the curious industries it spawned.

Famous Impostors John Law

In which the life and turbulent career of John Law unfold, revealing a man whose restless talents and audacious financial schemes captivated France and stirred its economy, only to culminate in a ruinous crash that deeply scarred the national fortunes. The narrative gently traces the rise and fall of his infamous Mississippi Scheme, weaving in the lessons of earlier commercial enterprises and the delicate interplay of human greed and governmental power that shaped this singular episode.