Fantastic Story! Girl Pressed into Navy: A young woman, daughter to a respectable brewer in the town of wells, quitted her father's house about nine years ago in consequence of a disagreement with her step-mother and had not been heard of until a few days since, when she was discovered on Board the ship Mercury
of Hull dressed in jacket and trowsers. On leaving home, she dressed in boy's clothes and bound herself apprentice to a sailor. At the expiration of her time she was pressed on board the St. George
of 98 guns and served on board several other ships of war; but preferring the merchant service, escaped from the navy; and since sailed in traders belonging to Yarmouth, Lynn Sunderland, Shields and other ports, without her sex being discovered.
~ from the London Times circa 1796 via
Rose White
I am indebted to Isabel and Loretta at
Two Nerdy History Girls for the link.
Header: Sailor by Thomas Rowlandson via Memory Prints
I'm guessing it wasn't so fantastic for her... but all's well that ends well, Pauline.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It sounds like a pretty hard life to me.
ReplyDelete(Bah! Foiled by my daughter's login again!)
ReplyDelete"Daughter to a respectable brewer" somehow tickles me. So making ale is socially preferable to a life at sea?