*** Welcome to piglix ***

Jane Peat

Jane, Lady Peat
Born Jane Smith
c.1751
Died 26 November 1842
Sunderland, County Durham
Nationality British
Other names Jane Smith
Known for Miser, eccentric and kleptomaniac
Spouse(s) Rev. Sir Robert Peat
Signature
Signature of Jane Peat.png

Jane, Lady Peat (c.1751—26 November 1842) was an English miser, eccentric and kleptomaniac, and the estranged wife of Sir Robert Peat.

Born Jane Smith, the only child of Mathew and Jane Smith (née Taylor), she was baptised at the Jesuit chapel in Durham on 23 April 1751. Her father was a local squire who lived at Herrington House, East Herrington, near Sunderland and was a landowner of estates in County Durham. The family were recusants and distantly related to the Smythe baronets, making Maria Fitzherbert (the mistress of George IV) her kinswoman.

Little else is known of Jane's early life until she and her father appear in a record of 1786 (she then aged about 35). They travelled home on horseback along a turnpike road and on arriving at the turnpike gate at West Rainton, argued with the gatekeeper that they had no need to pay the toll, having already passed through it that same morning. Mathew and Jane then rode off. Knowing their story to be untrue, the gatekeeper brought action against them, and the court found they had been in Barnard Castle (25 miles away) for several days. They were fined £10 each (about £1,155 in 2014) for avoiding the toll.

Jane's father died in 1793 and she inherited his estates and the family home of Herrington House. After the Duty on Hair Powder Act was made law in 1795, she was found to have failed to obtain a certificate for the use of her hair powder, summoned to court and fined £40 (about £3,690 in 2014).

Various other stories of her thievery are given, including having been caught stealing a shawl and a grocer keeping her talking by a fire after seeing her put a pound of butter in her pocket, so that it melted and ran down her petticoats.


...
Wikipedia

...