How Colonial Servant Sarah Wilson Became An American Celebrity By Pretending To Be Royalty
A con-woman forcibly sent to America in the 18th century as a punishment flipped the situation on its head by becoming a successful impostor
Although we often wish that we were different people than we are, transforming into an entirely new identity is nearly impossible. That is, unless you are a very good imposter, like Sarah Wilson from the 18th century. She was a servant and criminal who became an American celebrity by successfully impersonating British royalty.
Wilson was most likely born in London around 1745 in lower class circumstances. However, precise details of her early life are largely unknown. Her first known position was working as a servant in the kitchen of George-Lewis Scott, a brilliant mathematician, writer and tutor to the future King of England, George III. It was there that she began taking information about the royal family that later became invaluable to her and her scheme.
But first, she tested things out in England. She arrived at the doorstep of a prosperous farmer, claiming to be the disowned daughter of an English nobleman. In short order, she ingratiated herself with the family, who took her in. It wasn’t long before she…
