Margaret M'Avoy (28 June 1800 – 18 August 1820) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

impostor.

Life

M'Avoy was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in 1800. She allegedly went blind and she became well known as she was said to be able to sense colours "through the medium of her fingers" despite her lack of sight. Her claims were investigated by the Liverpool historian

William Roscoe William Roscoe (8 March 175330 June 1831) was an English banker, lawyer, and briefly a Member of Parliament. He is best known as one of England's first abolitionists, and as the author of the poem for children '' The Butterfly's Ball, and th ...

at the request of Sir

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English Natural history, naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the European and American voyages of scientific exploration, 1766 natural-history ...

. Roscoe concluded that her amazing abilities were due to the fact that she was not blind.Margaret M'Avoy
Gordon Goodwin, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, ODNB, Retrieved 4 July 2016 M'Avoy died in

in 1820.Margaret M'Avoy
ODNB

References

1800 births 1820 deaths People from Liverpool Impostors {{England-bio-stub