Margaret Caroline Rudd

Margaret Caroline Rudd (c. 1745 – c. 1798) was a notorious female forger during the 18th century in Britain. She was accused of the offence in March 1775 along with the Perreau brothers, Daniel and Robert who claimed to have been framed by her. She got away with the crime, and the Perreaus were found guilty and executed.

She was born Margaret Caroline Youngson in 1745, in the small town of Largon near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her father, Patrick Youngson, was an apothecary of genteel appearance and education, and her mother, Isabella Stewart had a secret claim to nobility. Margaret was infatuated with the idea of belonging to nobility. She claimed Scottish ancestry when she was young, and even acquired a certificate to prove it. Margaret was an only child, and her parents both died when she was young. He father died when she was a baby and her mother when she was eight. She was placed under the care of her uncle, John Stewart, who raised her to be an upstanding young woman. When she was old enough, he sent her to boarding school in Downpatrick. She created so much trouble, that she was expelled, and her uncle refused to have her back. She was sent to live with her grandmother, who couldn't control her wild behaviour. She yearned to leave her home town, and the chance presented itself when she met her future husband, Valentine Rudd.

Margaret was quite scandalous when it came to relationships. She was already getting evolved with a number of young men at the age of fourteen, and her behaviour made her an outcast. Her first serious relationship was with a man named Valentine Rudd, a lieutenant who she got engaged to only ten days after he was stationed in her home town. After marrying, the two moved to London together, where Caroline had begun to spend and accumulate debt in her husband's name. Soon after, she ran off with another man, and continued to bill her purchases to Valentine Rudd. Her devious actions eventually drove him into financial ruin, and he was later put in debtors' prison. When he was released, he fled the country.

Born July 1733, the Perreaus were identical twin brothers who differed in personality. Robert was an enterprising apothecary and businessman, and was happily married with children. Daniel was more of a gambler than a worker, and was also in great debt with little money. Daniel and Margaret met in April 1770. After becoming involved, Margaret had moved in with him, started calling herself Mrs. Perreau, and later had three children by him. Their relationship was serious, but they had never married; especially with her still being legally married to Valentine Rudd. During this time divorce was not a legal option, but an annulment could be granted by the court. Unfortunately it was a complicated process, and most couples chose to just separate and have affairs.

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