Her father was an officer who was killed in a naval action before he could fulfil the promise of marriage he had made to her mother, a small milliner, who died in the workhouse at Long Melford within three months of the effort of giving birth to an amazon so large and so fierce and so well able to take her own part as Isopel.

At fourteen this fine specimen of workhouse upbringing was placed in service, from which she emancipated herself by knocking down her mistress.

After two years more at the "large house" she was once more apprenticed; and this time knocked down her master in return for an affront.

A second return to the workhouse appearing inadvisable, she traversed the highways of England in various capacities, and became acquainted with some of those remarkable though obscure characters who travelled the roads of our country at that period.
A sense of loneliness drove her among unworthy travelling companions, such as the flying tinker and grey Moll, in whose society she breaks upon our notice.

Some of the vagrants with whom she came into contact had occasionally attempted to lay violent hands upon her person and effects, but had been invariably humbled by her without the aid of either justice or constable.
Of her specific exploits as a bruiser we hear of at least two near Dover.
Once, the cart she and her old mistress travelled with was stopped by two sailors, who would have robbed and stripped the owners.