Margaret M'Avoy

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

Margaret M'Avoy
"Margeret M'Avoy, blind but with remarkable perception"
Born28 June 1800
Liverpool
Died18 August 1820
Liverpool
NationalityKingdom of Great Britain

Life

M'Avoy was born in Liverpool 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.[1]

Her claims were investigated by the Liverpool historian William Roscoe at the request of Sir Joseph Banks. Roscoe concluded that her amazing abilities were due to the fact that she was not blind.[2]

M'Avoy died in Liverpool in 1820.[3]

gollark: We should be evaluating it on how well it does what we want it to, not how well the designers *claim it does*.
gollark: Oh, right.
gollark: What?
gollark: A lot of the time explanations are basically just rationalised after the fact to justify something you're already doing.
gollark: The purpose written down somewhere doesn't really matter if people with different preferences try and shape it in their way, or if it doesn't actually work well at satisfying that purpose.

References
  1. Thomas Renwick (1820). The Continuation of the Narrative of Miss Margaret M'Avoy's Case: With General Observations Upon the Case Itself; Upon Her Peculiar Powers of Distinguishing Colours, Reading &c. Through the Medium of Her Fingers. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy.
  2. Margaret M'Avoy, Gordon Goodwin, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, ODNB, Retrieved 4 July 2016
  3. Margaret M'Avoy, ODNB


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