Princess Caraboo

Princess Caraboo. Real name Mary Wilcocks, 1791‒1864. Arrived in Almondsbury on April 3rd 1817 and successfully passed herself off as Princess Caraboo from Javasu (a non-existent island) from which she claimed to have been kidnapped by pirates. [...]

Princess Caraboo, whose real name was Mary Wilcocks, arrived in Almondsbury in 1817 and gained notoriety for impersonating a foreign princess from the fictional island of Javasu. Her elaborate deception captivated the public and reflected the 19th-century fascination with exoticism and identity, making her a notable figure in local and social history.