death_date death_place birth_place other_names birth_date article_title name occupation
18 march 1741 1700 yes london ireland young , mary -lrb- birth name -rrb- 1700 jenny diver
 jenny diver pickpocket
jenny diver

jenny diver , née mary young -lrb- 1700 -- 18 march 1741 -rrb- was a notorious british pickpocket , one of the most famous of her day .
born in ireland in 1700 , diver was the illegitimate daughter of an unknown father and the lady 's maid harriet jones , who deserted her , and grew up in various foster homes .
she was a skilled seamstress , and eventually emigrated to london , where she became an apprentice of anne murphy , who was the leader of a gang of pickpockets .
she soon became so skilled as a thief that she became the leader of murphy 's gang and nicknamed jenny diver .
jenny diver was described as attractive , educated and well dressed , and was able to mix among wealthy people without attracting suspicion .
the perhaps most known of her methods was to feign illness , during which she robbed people and handed over the objects to her accomplices , and the use of false arms , which made it possible for her rob people with her arms seemingly visible in her lap .
on two occasions , in 1733 and 1738 , diver was arrested , gave the court a false name with no criminal record , and was convicted to deportation as a first-time criminal .
on both occasions , she bribed the captain on the prison ship to allow her a comfortable travel with her property , bribed the governor in virginia to relieve her of her sentence , and bribed the captain to take her back to london again .
on 10 january 1741 , she was arrested for the third time , but this time she was correctly identified and could not give a false name to appear a first-time criminal .
she was apprehended with one accomplice , elizabeth davies , while trying to steal the purse from the pocket of a woman whom a male accomplice offered to help over a pool of water -lrb- the man managed to escape -rrb- .
jenny diver defended both herself and davies by character witnesses .
she was accused not only of theft but also of having returned after deportation , which was a capital crime .
both were sentenced to death , claimed without success to be pregnant , but while davies was deported , diver 's sentence was not commuted .
due to her notoriety as a famous criminal , she was taken to her execution in a mourning carriage .
she was executed with 19 other condemned , but she was the only one taken there separately .
she was dressed in a black dress and hat with veil , and reportedly behaved with composure .
