The Scottish jewel thief who fleeced London high society and other 'unforgotten' Highland women

A 19th-century jewel thief from the Highlands who stole from the high society circles where she moved has been remembered alongside several ‘unforgotten’ women from the north.

Mary Marjory MacDonald, who became known as the Scottish Queen of Thieves and a ‘female Raffles’ after the fictional gentleman thief, was born in Ullapool in 1884. She was later jailed several times after her exploits were foiled in the foyers and corridors of London’s upmarket hotels and private members clubs.

The woman, the daughter of a fish curer who became well educated, smartly dressed and surrounded by influential friends, was imprisoned on four occasions. In the early stage of her career, she was arrested at Strathpeffer train station after stealing a charity box from a hotel in Dingwall containing just 16 shillings.

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Her story is included in a new podcast series, Unforgotten Highland Women, hosted by broadcaster Pauline Moore. The series was commissioned by Museums and Heritage Highlands in collaboration with XpoNorth Digital arts organisation.

Siobhan Beatson, manager at Ullapool Museum, said Ms MacDonald “seamlessly” blended with her high-end targets and worked with a degree of “invisibility”.

"She was able to live as one of them, but without drawing attention to herself,” Ms Beatson said. “She fitted in so seamlessly, which I think is part of her success.”

As details of her trials were reported in the press, Ms MacDonald was celebrated as an adventurous figure rather than vilified like other female criminals of the day.

Ms Beatson added: “She is not demonised – she is celebrated and even referred to as the Scottish Queen of Thieves. She was described as cool, collected – and never in unflattering terms.”

Mary Marjory MacDonald,  originally from Ullapool, reached notoriety in the early 1900s as a jewel thief in London. PIC:  Contributed.Mary Marjory MacDonald,  originally from Ullapool, reached notoriety in the early 1900s as a jewel thief in London. PIC:  Contributed.
Mary Marjory MacDonald, originally from Ullapool, reached notoriety in the early 1900s as a jewel thief in London. PIC: Contributed.

Orkney doctor and photographer Beatrice Garvie, who became one of the UK’s first female GPs in the 1930s and lived and worked on North Ronaldsay, is also featured in the series. She remained on the island for more than a decade and built up in an archive of photographs of islanders at home and work, the collection giving a natural account of everyday life with copies of the images given to those she photographed.

The story of Caroline Ross of Brora, 23, who was charged with the murder of her own newborn child in 1930, also features. The single schoolteacher was accused of the murder by strangulation, but the case on the lesser charge of culpable homicide was not proven against her.

Nicola Henderson, heritage specialist at XpoNorth Digital, said: “Over a year ago now, Nick Lindsay from Clyne Heritage Society approached Museums and Heritage Highland with the story of Caroline Ross, a powerful story of a brave young woman – a story that had been lost to time that he believed the world needed to hear.

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"This idea then came to XpoNorth and with support from the team went on a journey to discover the many amazing stories of remarkable women from across the Highlands. I am delighted that we can finally tell these stories to the world and hope that these pilot episodes lead to people wanting to know more not just about these women, but about the many more amazing women from Highland history whose stories have been hidden for far too long.”

The Unforgotten Highland Women series is available on Apple, Spotify and other hosting platforms.

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