Carleton Bigamy Trial

Mary Carleton (1642–73) was a woman accused of marrying under a false identity while masquerading as a German princess, and the author of several pamphlets defending herself. Megan Matchinske is an emeritus professor of English and comparative literature at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is the author of multiple books, including Women Writing History in Early Modern England.

• Illustrations Abbreviations Acknowledgments MARY CARLETON TIME LINE INTRODUCTION John Carleton, THE REPLICATION; OR, CERTAIN VINDICATORY DEPOSITIONS Mary Carleton, AN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE GERMAN PRINCESS Mary Carleton, THE CASE OF MADAM MARY CARLETON John Carleton, THE ULTIMUM VALE OF JOHN CARLETON, OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE F. B., VERCINGETORIXA; OR, THE GERMAN PRINCESS REDUC’D TO AN ENGLISH HABIT T. P., A WITTY COMBAT; OR, THE FEMALE VICTOR. A TRAGI-COMEDY THE ARRAIGNMENT, TRIAL, AND EXAMINATION OF MARY MODERS Bibliography Index

“Matchinske’s edition of texts about the case of Mary Carleton will prove a treasure trove to students and scholars with an interest in gender, the law, and social class. The works assembled in this collection offer a valuable window into questions of personal identity and performance, but they also teach us to observe closely and ask probing questions about evidence and the construction of persuasive narratives in an early modern court of law and in popular print culture. The primary materials are carefully edited, and the engaging introduction provides pertinent context for both students and scholars, allowing readers to become familiar with or revisit this fascinating instance of seventeenth-century female self-fashioning.”