Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's ReignAshton, John
History
Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
The _Manchester Guardian_ of 14th April gives an account of a woman
living in that city, who for many years passed as a man, which has
occurred before, but the extraordinary part of this story is that she
_married another woman_.—“Subsequent inquiries confirm the truth of the
statements made in the _Guardian_ of Wednesday last, as to this singular
case. This woman man, who, for probably more than 25 years, has
succeeded in concealing her sex, and in pursuing a trade of more than
ordinarily masculine and hazardous description, with a degree of skill
and ability which has led to her establishment in a good business in this
town, bound herself apprentice, at the age of 16 or 17 years, to a Mr.
Peacock, a bricklayer and builder, at Bawtry, a small market town in the
West Riding of Yorkshire. She did not remain with Mr. Peacock during the
whole period of her apprenticeship, but was ‘turned over,’ as it is
called, to another person in the same business. It was during her
apprenticeship that she met with her present wife; and they were married
at the old parish church of Sheffield, in the year 1816, when the wife
was only 17 years old. Since the investigation and disclosure of the
circumstances, on Thursday week, the wife and husband have separated.
She was, for many years, a special constable in the 13th division of that
body, acting for this town; and we are assured that, on all occasions
when the services of the division were required, as at elections, Orange
processions, and meetings of trades’ unions, turn-outs, etc., so far from
absenting herself from what, as in the case of well founded apprehension
of a riot, must have been, to a woman, a post of some unpleasantness, she
is remembered to have been one of the most punctual in attendance, and
the most forward volunteer in actual duty, in that division. We
understand that she is no longer a special constable, because she did
not, on the last annual special session, held for that purpose at the New
Bailey, present herself to be resworn. She was not discarded or
discharged; there was no complaint against her; and, probably, the
extension of her own business was her only motive for not resuming the
duties of this office. Altogether, this is the most singular case of the
kind which has ever reached our knowledge.”
The following is an advertisement which appeared in the _Times_ of 27th
April:—“NELSON MONUMENT.—The Committee for erecting a Monument to the
Memory of Lord Nelson hereby give notice that they are desirous of
receiving from architects, artists, or other persons, DESIGNS for such a
MONUMENT, to be erected in Trafalgar Square.
“The Committee cannot, in the present state of the subscriptions, fix
definitely the sum to be expended, but they recommend that the estimated
cost of the several designs should be confined within the sums of £20,000
and £30,000. This condition, and that of the intended site, are the only
restrictions to which the artists are limited.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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