Moll Freeman

3 December 1730   Thursd. last the notorious Moll. Freeman, alias Talboy, was brought up to the King’s-Bench, by Habeas Corpus, &c. It appeared that she was committed to hard labour, till the first day of next quarter sessions, as an idle and disorderly person, by Sir John Gonson, &c. She had 5 counsel, 3 of which pleaded on her behalf, and made some objections against her commitment, which were learnedly answered by the counsel for the King. The L.C.J. [Lord Chief Justice] Raymond, and the rest of the Judges were of opinion, that the commitment was just and legal, and highly commended the proceeding of the Justices, in punishing such vile women; and poor Moll, to her great mortification, was remanded back again to perform her task of beating hemp till the next Quarter-sessions, and then to be farther punished as the Justices shall think fit. — This creature is supported by several noted gamesters and sharpers about Covent-garden, who usually dress her in a very fine habit, the better to get acquainted with, and draw in young cullies, in order to make a prey of them. And the occasion of her present commitment to Bridewell, was for picking up a youth of 15 years of age, as he was running from the play-house, and carrying him to a disorderly house, and causing him to absent from home, and spend great sums of his father’s money, who is a person of note in the City. To the no small mortification of the gamesters and sharpers about Drury-lane, &c. by whom she has been supported, and who have raised liberal contributions amongst themselves to defray her law and prison charges: she beats hemp one day in velvet, and another day in a gown richly trimm’d with silver. [Grub-street Journal]

17 September 1734   Yesterday Mary Freeman, alias Frisky Nan, but commonly called by the Name of Diving Moll, was committed to the Gatehouse, Westminster, by Justice Cotton, for picking a gentleman's pocket of 15 guineas, a silver snuff box, and two gold rings of considerable value. (Daily Journal)