Black Maria

[mrs.pudding]

Can anyone tell me why Black Marias were so called? 

[smudge]

The Black Mariah, now that's a good question - I'm going to look that up on Google!

[andy hughes]

As I recall, there was a large black lady in the 1920's who used to help the police out, she could flatten most criminal types, and her name was Mariah, and the name was passed on.

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bla1.htm for a little more detail on Andy's correct response.

[mrs.pudding]

she sounds terrifying!!!

[Clare A]

Yep. My Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says:

'The police van used for the conveyance of prisoners.It is suggested that the name is derived from that of Maria Lee, a Boston negress [the Dictionary's term, not mine] who kept a lodging-house.She was of such great size that when the police required help they sent for Black Maria, who soon collared the refractory men and led them to the lock-up. The term was certainly in use in Boston in the 1840s.'.