Mary Amanet

[Kit]

Mary Amanet married Samuel Gilbert in 1806 at St Dunstan's Church Stepney.

Samuel was caught with forged bank notes and transported in 1816. Mary was a resourceful woman and convinced the bank to loan her the money to follow her husband with her children. A distant relative has confirmed the loan remains unpaid and the bank actually refused his offer to repay it as they didn't know what to do with the money. haha but that is not why I'm posting.

I've found a record on ancestry of Mary Amanet

who was charged and acquitted of forgery of coins about a year prior to Samuel's conviction. Both trials are also on the Old Bailey website. My reading is that the police were watching her and tried trap her but it didn't work and as she had witnesses to say she was of good character she was found not guilty.

My question is would my Mary have used her maiden name if charged? Surely the witnesses and police would have known her married name? Although it is an uncommon name I'm sure she wasn't the only Mary Amanet. Samuel had also been charged for theft in 1809, so may have been known to the authorities. There is a chance either Samuel or Mary were descendants of Hugenots, if that makes a difference. I'm not really sure how to follow that up so haven't done it.

I'm wondering if this is my Mary and her forged coins were of poor quality as stated in the trial did they eventually upgrade to notes which lead to Samuel being caught or is it just a coincidence?