Joan Bracey

Joan Bracey
Joan Bracey
	original source by Capt. Alex Smith
Born	Joan Phillips; c.1656; prob. Northamptonshore
Died	Maybe 15 April 1685; Nottingham
Nationality	Kingdom of England
Known for	being a highwaywoman
Partner	Edward Bracey

Joan Bracey born Joan Phillips (c.1656 – maybe 15 April 1685) was an English highwaywoman described in a book in 1715. All the stories of her life seem to come from this one source and no supporting evidence of her existence has been found.

Life

Bracey's family were well off and Northamptonshire farmers and their family name was Phillips.[1] Facts are few, but it is said that she met Edward Bracey when she was 24. He was already a criminal and he had hoped to gain money by marrying her. The marriage never took place, but they robbed her father, and they became partners.[2] They committed highway robberies together which was a capital crime.[1]

They made enough money to open an inn at Bristol, and she was known for swindling men who thought they were in for a night of passion. The inn became notorious, and they returned to their previous occupation.[1]

In 1685, she was caught while they were conducting a robbery. Edward got away, but Joan was put on trial and sentenced to be hanged. One source says that she died on 15 April outside Nottingham. All the stories of her life seem to come[1] from one source[3] and no supporting evidence has been found.[1]

References

Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (2004-09-23). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/73925. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/73925. Retrieved 2022-11-08. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Johnson, Charles (1742). A General and True History of the Lives and Actions of the most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, etc. R. Walker.
Smith, Alexander (1719). A Compleat history of the lives and robberies of the most notorious highwaymen, ... for above an hundred years past. ... etc etc. S. Briscoe.

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[oookin-1] Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (2004-09-23). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/73925. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/73925. Retrieved 2022-11-08. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[2] Johnson, Charles (1742). A General and True History of the Lives and Actions of the most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, etc. R. Walker.

[3] Smith, Alexander (1719). A Compleat history of the lives and robberies of the most notorious highwaymen, ... for above an hundred years past. ... etc etc. S. Briscoe.