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In 1843 households in the area were issued with a warning to be on the look out for a pack of cunning criminals quick to target the gullible. Locals were warned against a gang of women knocking at wealthy properties and enquiring as to whether what clothes were ready for the mangle. If questioned as to the whereabouts of the regular washerwoman, suspicions were calmed by stating that she was either otherwise engaged elsewhere or too unwell for work. In one particularly brazen case a crafty thief waited in the owner’s kitchen a full fifteen minutes before making off with numerous articles of clothing never to be seen again.