On Thursday April 3, 1817, a strange woman appeared in Almondsbury, a small town outside of Bristol, England. She wore a black shawl twisted turban-style around her head and had to communicate via hand gestures because she spoke no known language. She was initially sent to the Overseer of the Poor, but was subsequently taken in by a wealthy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Worrall, who found her fascinating.

Slowly her story was pieced together, with the help of a sailor who was passing through the town and claimed to speak her language. She said that she was Princess Caraboo, from the faraway island of Javasu. She had been abducted from her home by sailors and, after a long and arduous journey, had escaped from her captors by jumping overboard in the English Channel and swimming to shore.

The Worralls were thrilled to learn they had taken in foreign royalty, and told newspapers about her story. Soon she was being talked about throughout England, and numerous members of the upper class came to visit her.

But a few weeks later her tale was debunked when a local woman recognized her as her former maid. Princess Caraboo confessed she was really Mary Baker, daughter of a cobbler. She explained that she had initially created the character of Caraboo as a way to gain help and money while traveling on the road.

Despite being exposed as a fraud, Princess Caraboo later toured America, where she was besieged by curiosity seekers. After seven years in the States, she returned to England, where she made a living by selling leeches.