The Sun.
London, England, 1825-04-13 00:00:00

MOCK COUNTESS.

A female impostor, known at various police
offices in the Metropolis under the different names of Foss,
Forster, Evans, Jones, Williams, &c. has been gulling the
good people of Margate under the imposing title of Countess
St. Julian, the English widow of a French Nobleman of that
name. Early in the month of February she arrived at Mar-
gate, en suite, from London, and took furnished apartments at
three guineas per week, for herself, fills de cliambre, and groom.
She no sooner entered in possession, than she commenced her
operations, by going round to all the principal shopkeepers and
tradesmen, making tenders of her custom in the most encou-
raging terms, and observing en passaht, that in consequence of
a recent domestic affliction, she had been induced to seek a re-
treat from the Capital, even at that inclement season, and her
orders for the present would necessarily he more limited than
when summer came. The appearance of the lady being quite
in keeping with her professions, together with her having
attained the maturity of at least three score, threw the .Mar-
gate tblks completely off their guard, and besides, she came
there in a. handsome travelling carriage, and kept her servants
and so forth. She did not fail to profit by the favourable im-
pression she had made on the public mind. The best tailors,
milliners, shoemakers, hatters, and even wig-makers, (for the
Countess wears one) were put in requisition ; the wine-mer-
chants, bakers, butchers, pastry-cooks, and fruiterers, re-
ceived liberal orders, to furnish forth her table, and, that no
comfort should be wanting to La Condesse (the best friend
to a tradesman that ever entered Margate), the coachmaker
supplied a very handsome gig, which was handsomely horsed'
by another, and thus, with the appropriate apanage of a
smartly cockaded: groom, the establishment became at once
complete and elegant. It having been originally stipulated that
her payments were made monthly, of course no demand was
made until the expiration of that time, and the bills, according
as they were sent in, were regularly taken to " my Lady"
for revision, as she made it an invariable rule never to sub-.
mit her accounts to any other auditor. This investigation.,
however, was rather too tedious to meet the.approval of the cre-
ditors, and they began to get clamorous ; a day was then named,
when all would be settled, and until then, they were compelled
to be patient; but on the arrival of that day, which was in the
beginning of April, what was their mortification and dismay,
when they found the lady had taken French leave, carrying
with her all the moveables of Margate. It was ascertained that
she had made for London, and thither she was hotly pursued
by several enraged creditors. Enquiry was made at every place
of fashionable resort, but at none of them was the name of the
Countess St. Julian remembered, or ever heard of; at length,
in place of conning over the French Red Book, the English
Black Book, namely, the- Areregate Calendar, was consulted,
and the result proved, that the Countess St. Julian was no other
than the above-named celebrated Mrs. Foss, or Forster.—
She has been twice detected in the same sort of impositions at
Hatton-garden police-office; thrice at Marlborough-street, and
we know not how many more she has escaped. For the sake of
those who have not the honour of her acquaintance, it may be
well to describe her :—She is, as we said, about sixty years old,
aquiline nose, lively black eyes, wears either a wig or false
curls, lays on thickly, as her complexion is somewhat faded,
dresses (when-she can) in the extreme of fashion, and is, gene-
rally speaking, quite a respectable looking lady of the old school.
A reward has been offered for her apprehension, as a great part
of the articles above alluded to have been fraudulently obtained.
—To complete her history, it should be mentioned, that the
groom and maid are her son and daughter, and of course par-
ticipate in the spoil.