George Barrington (1755–1804) was an Irish pickpocket, adventurer, and author. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was the son of a tailor. He was educated at a local school and was apprenticed to a barber. At the age of 17, Barrington was arrested for pickpocketing and sentenced to seven years' transportation to the penal colony of New South Wales in Australia. He escaped from the ship and made his way to London, where he became a successful pickpocket. He was eventually arrested again and sentenced to two years in Newgate Prison. After his release, Barrington wrote a memoir of his adventures, A Voyage to Botany Bay (1795). The book was a success and made him famous. He also wrote a number of other books, including The History of the Irish Stage (1788) and The History of the Irish Rebellion (1798). Barrington died in 1804 in London. He is remembered as one of the most notorious pickpockets of the 18th century.
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