Maria Barrell

01 January 1745 - 01 September 1803

MB was a poet before her first marriage (in the later eighteenth century, publishing regularly in magazines). Twenty years after the appearance of her own poetry volume, she was imprisoned for debt, and wrote about this experience in an indignant pamphlet and a tragedy. She apparently did not write about subsequent imprisonments, for passing counterfeit coin.

BirthName: Maria Weylar
She used other forms of her Christian name as well: Mary and Mary Ann. Arrested for passing counterfeit currency, she was listed as alias Wylie.
“Maria Barrel, defendant name in trial of Maria Barrel, Royal Offences > coining offences, 6th July 1803”. Old Bailey Proceedings, Mar. 2015.
Married: Barrell
The same court report spelled this name Barrel.
“Maria Barrel, defendant name in trial of Maria Barrel, Royal Offences > coining offences, 6th July 1803”. Old Bailey Proceedings, Mar. 2015.
; Adair
Pseudonym: Maria

Milestones

1745

Maria Weylar (later MB ) was probably born in this year. She claimed to have been born in the West Indies.

Ashfield, Andrew. Emails to Isobel Grundy about Maria Barrell. 13 Apr. 2017.

1788

MB published with her name an indignant pamphlet, British Liberty Vindicated; or, A Delineation of the King's Bench.

English Short Title Catalogue. http://estc.bl.uk/.

After September 1803

MB , having having had her death sentence commuted to transportation to New South Wales, died in Newgate Prison , London, while waiting for the sentence to be carried out.

Ashfield, Andrew. Emails to Isobel Grundy about Maria Barrell. 13 Apr. 2017.

Biography

Obscure Birth and Family

1745

Maria Weylar (later MB ) was probably born in this year. She claimed to have been born in the West Indies.

Ashfield, Andrew. Emails to Isobel Grundy about Maria Barrell. 13 Apr. 2017.