Mary Marjorie Macdonald, "Queen of Hotel Thieves"

[don_niagara]

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/crime-prisons-and-punishment
 - there's a hit here, again "b. 1892" - could be worth checking out as it might tell you where she was in prison after 1925.

Yes, that is her, has her prison session beginning June 1922, and names her victims which agrees with the newspaper articles.

There is a possible death for a Mary M. MacDonald in 1926 aged 35 at freebmd.rootsweb.com but no way of telling if this is your woman or not without ordering the certificate (and even then it might not be conclusive).

Thanks for the pointer, I have little knowledge of English records so it was a bit of an education for me. Have now received that reg, details confirm it was her (middle name and occupation). She died 2 October 1926 of "Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia", age noted as 35 years, though from civil registration of birth she was definitely 42. Her mother died 1895 aged 48 of somewhat similar sounding "Tubercular Disease of the Spine".

A sad ending, I had hoped to find she had turned her life around... I now have her arrested 1913, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1922, and finally 1925.

Found a newspaper report of her first arrest, she is not named, but from details in it and timing of crimes she admitted to in her 1914 arrest it was definitely her;

From: The Aberdeen Journal, Scotland, 7 October, 1913, Page 2, Column 8;

HOTEL ROBBERIES AT
STRATHPEFFER.

LADY VISITOR ARRESTED.

    For some weeks past a series of thefts of jewellery and money from various hotels at Strathpeffer Spa has been causing some ???sation in the district. A quantity of valuable jewellery was discovered to be missing from the Ben Wyvis Hotel. A sum of money was also found to be missing from the Highland Hotel and also from one of the large boarding-houses. The matter was taken in hand by the local police, and strict watch was kept on these premises for some days. Nothing further transpired till Thursday, when it was found that the collection box for the Commercial Travellers' Widows' and Orphan's fund in the National Hotel at Dingwall was missing from its accustomed place in the dining-room.

    Suspicion fell upon a stylishly-dressed young woman who travelled from Dingwall to Strathpeffer Spa by the last train on Thursday night. She was met on arrival by the local constable and questionned. It is alleged that in course of conversation the missing collection box fell from her person. It was at once taken possession of by the constable, and the young woman was thereafter conveyed back to Dingwall and lodged in the prison there.

    She has been a visitor at Strathpeffer district the past two or three months, and it is stated that she comes from London, and is well connected. The Ross-shire police are now in communication with Scotland Yard.

    There are rumours of some interesting developments in connection with the case.

    On Saturday the young woman, who had previously emitted a declaration before the Sheriff, appeared at the Dingwall Police Court charged with the theft of the commercial travellers' collection box from the National Hotel, Dingwall. The magistrate remitted her to the Sheriff.

[Freespirit1]

I seem to remember a story by Agatha Christie where Hercule Poirot was intrigued by a hotel jewel thief who turned out to be an attractive young woman (Russian countess?).  I wonder if she was inspired by the story of Mary Marjorie MacDonald as it would have been in the papers at the time she was writing.

[don_niagara]

I seem to remember a story by Agatha Christie where Hercule Poirot was intrigued by a hotel jewel thief who turned out to be an attractive young woman (Russian countess?).  I wonder if she was inspired by the story of Mary Marjorie MacDonald as it would have been in the papers at the time she was writing.

Interesting idea, quick search of the internet suggests a short story, "the Double Clue", written 1923 and included in later collections of Christie's work, certainly right period. Looks like a trip to the library is in my immediate future!

[jorose]

A sad end indeed - I would imagine that having been in and out of prison hadn't helped with her health, either.

About the only final bits to check are the address at death, and the informant.  Perhaps one of her old friends from the France/Germany years had taken her in?  Or was it simply a hospital address with doctor or matron as informant?

[don_niagara]

About the only final bits to check are the address at death, and the informant.  Perhaps one of her old friends from the France/Germany years had taken her in?  Or was it simply a hospital address with doctor or matron as informant?

Yes, I was lucky the death reg includes three addresses, place of death was "12 Exmoor Street", which turns out to by the Marylebone Infirmary, mentioned in a few RC threads. Some records are available at Kew, I am sure they'd show date of admission and whether she had an attending physician.

Under occupation is listed "of 30 Balcombe Street, W1, Spinster, Ladies Companion", I think that was likely her own residence rather than a place she was companion to anyone at, though the building looks gone google streetview show the neighbouring houses to be plain Georgian style townhouses, I suspect in Mary's day broken into flats.

Third address on the reg is more promising, the signature and residence of Informant read "A. Harris causing the body to be buried, 22 Claverton Street." That may have been one of her "influential friends", or it may simply be home address of a hospital employee/administrator. Streetview shows the houses that side of Claverton Street in Pimlico replaced with some bland modern architecture, but the houses the other side suggest the area may have an upscale past; substantial porticos  and walk out first floor balconies, though again a standard 22 foot wide frontage. Today the houses look to be flats, one of the windows on streetview shows a ladies entire costumes of jeans, blouse, and underwear hanging out to dry.