Mary Butterworth

Who was Mary Butterworth?

Mary Peck Butterworth was a counterfeiter in colonial America.

Born to Joseph and Martha Peck in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, she married John Butterworth, son of a British captain in 1710. Mary Butterworth allegedly started her counterfeiting operation around 1716. According to those who would later testify against her, Butterworth used starched cotton cloths to produce counterfeit bills, rather than the metal plates used more commonly in counterfeiting.

Using a slightly dampened piece of starched cloth she was able to lift ink from a genuine bill. With a hot iron, she transferred a pattern from the cloth to a blank paper bill, then inked the pattern by hand with quill pens. The original cotton cloth was easily disposed of through burning, leaving no hard evidence of a crime. Butterworth allegedly organized her counterfeiting operation into a cottage industry, sternly overseeing the work of the entire family. At the height of her operation, she was reportedly selling counterfeit bills at half their face value.