Singular freak of two young women from Hull (1846)

Statesman and Record, June 26, 1846, p. 4.

On Monday much interest and curiosity were excited at the Parish-office, in Fenwick-street, Liverpool, by the discovery that two fine young, and apparently respectable female servants, latterly from Hull, and in neat sailors’ clothing, had been endeavouring to be engaged in the mercantile marine, and afterwards in the royal navy. As in the latter service a personal examination by a surgeon of candidates is required, this ordeal, before it was carried beyond the stripping off of their garments, was the means of inducing one of them from a feeling of modesty, to reveal their sex; and they were accordingly sent to the Parish-office, so that they might be redeemed from their rash intention of going to sea (which they most strenuously prosecuted), and sent back to their friends.

Both are good-looking, bouncing lasses, and both were dressed in round blue jackets and vests; one wearing white trowsers and the other blue, each with a sailor’s handkerchief, hat, &c., in the neatest style. Their hair was cut short, and they appeared like two sprightly youths bent upon making their fortunes by crossing the high seas, and delighted with the prospects of the hazardous line of life shey [sic] had chosen.

The following is their own history:- They are both the daughters of small farmers, and the parents of each are still living. The younger girl said her name was Caroline Sarah Abbey, and she was seventeen and a-half years of age. Her companion, named Harriet Palmer, was one year older. Caroline was a native of Yorkshire, and at the age of thirteen, went to service, at Appleton. She then went into the service of a gentleman in the same county, where she remained for two years. She had met that gentleman that day in Liverpool, and he did not recognise her in her sailor’s attire, though he looked sharply at her. She then went to service at a gentleman’s house in Sheffield, and was there three years. She afterwards went to London, to the Temperance Commercial Hotel, in Well-street, where she acted as a housemaid, for a year and a half. She thence got to Hull, to the Blue Bell Inn, in the Market-place, where she was employed as bar-maid. The other girl, Harriet, was head cook at the same establishment. They became acquainted, and made up their minds to go to sea. They acted as tonseurs in cutting off the long portion of each other’s hair. The girl Harriet was born at Barton, in Lincoln-shire. She stated that she had in her younger days, milked many a score of cows. She went to service at twelve years of age, was three years at her first place at Barton, and afterwards two years at Barrow; thence back to Barrow, and from that place to the Blue Bell, at Hull, where she acted as cook for eight months.

A month after, Caroline came to the house; she (the last) suggested going to sea. Both gave notice to leave, but Caroline’s was not entertained, and she left without her wages, in company with the other. They purchased their sailor’s clothes in Hull, and when dressed in them, were not recognised even at their lodgings. Their female apparel they wrapped up and sent home to their mothers. They paid their fares by rail to Manchester, when, their money becoming short, they walked from that town to Liverpool, stopping at Warrington during the night, and arrived on Friday. On Saturday, they went together to several shipping offices, and also to the Sailors’ Home, to obtain berths in a vessel. Promises were made to ship them in merchant vessels, and they stated their belief that they would have got away, but hat a young man persuaded them to go on board of a man-of-war, and they applied at the naval office. (They had on the previous night slept at a lodging-house, in a bed by themselves, and in this room also slept two sailors, but their sex was not discovered. Caroline went to the Prince’s Dock on Saturday, and a captain would have taken her on board, but as he would not also take Harriet, the agreement did not come off, as they would not part.)

The commander at the naval office said they were fine strapping lads. A young man had offered himself at the same time, and they were all three sent for physical examination. The young man was examined first in a room by himself. The two girls were then called in and required to strip. They both took off their jackets, but being pressed to go farther in the process of denuding, they confessed their sex. Caroline had assumed the name of “Tom Jackson,” and the other of “Harry King,” and it appeared they used these names consistently throughout; for on questioning them, they called each other “he,” and “Tom,” and “Harry.” They went back to the Sailors’ Home, but some intimation of their sex having got abroad, they were looked after by Mr. Rowland, of the Parish office, and brought to the Parish-office. They both stated that had not a second doctor (or young man) been brought in, they would have passed inspection by the first, and obtained their desire of being enrolled in the navy, for which they appeared to be exceedingly inclined, though, on being reasoned with, they said that, being found out, they would relinquish their adventure. Harriet is the eldest of six children by the same parents, Caroline out of a family of thirteen brothers and sisters. The latter said she had been most kindly treated by a lady of Yorkshire, who had sent her to school, and that she could write, draw, play the piano, &c. She also referred to the great kindness of a brother-in-law.

It was finally determined at the Parish-office that they should both be comfortably domiciled, and that they should be provided with female attire, and sent home to heir parents by railway. The probability is, that their sweethearts had gone, or purposed going to sea, and that they had gone off in seamen’s guise in quest of them. — Liverpool Standard.