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xenithFrom Chums, 26 April 1893
WOMEN SAILORS.
WHO FOUGHT IN MANY BATTLES.
IN a newspaper of seventy years ago, we are gravely informed that there died at Tamerton, in her sixty-fourth year, a Mistress Mary Pote. A very respectable person was Mistress Mary, popular all the country round, and, what's more, butt-woman of Tamerton Parish Church.
Butt-woman? What does that mean? Well, there is no explanation to be found in any reasonably accessible reference book, but no doubt the position of "parish butt-woman" must have been a highly responsible charge. That must have been so for the reason that the previous career of Mistress Mary was of such a distinguished character that it could not well have been capped by an office wanting in all the dignities. Mistress Mary had been a sailor on board a man-of-war for years, and she had fought under Rodney.
When Mistress Mary was a girl, a comely girl no doubt, she had, as girls do have, a sweetheart. Mistress Mary’s sweetheart was a sailor, and a right handsome blue-eyed, high-spirited lad. He loved her as fondly as she loved him, but alack! alack! the war-drum rolled in upon their dreams, and he went of with his frigate.
Rather, he was going. but Mistress Mary insisted that he should not go without her. Only, how was it to be rendered possible for her to bear him company, since sailors in petticoats were not called for by the Sovereign? But if love laughs at locksmiths, tho gentle passion will surely also laugh at dressmakers. Mistress Mary laid aside the flowing robes of her sex, togged herself out in breeches, and contrived to be entered as one of the crew of her sweetheart's ship, just as it was sailing.
In one action and another, Mistress Mary fought by the side of her lover, and none ever dreamt that she was other than she seemed. One black day her sweetheart was killed, and the cause which had carried her off to sea ceased to exist.
By this time, however, she had become enamoured of the sea; and besides, even if she had been wishful, how could she get quit of the service but by revealing her sex? So she kept on being a sailor--and a very good sailor, too--until one day at Lisbon she was found out in a somewhat curious fashion.
Basketfuls of oranges had been brought on board, and the fruit was being pitched about among the sailors. Throw an orange to a woman, and a thousand to one she would catch it in her lap, not with her hands. An officer, who must have studied women’s ways very closely, noticed Mistress Mary catching the oranges in her lap, and, his suspicions being aroused, inquiries were instituted, and the fair sailor was landed at the first English port.
Even more extraordinary is the story of Mary Anne Talbot, who, born in London just over a century ago, was said to have been the natural daughter of a peer. The girl was brought up with all gentility, fell a victim to the snares which beset a handsome girl, and finally for years roved the sea as a sailor under the name of John Taylor.
Miss Mary, while still little more than a child, was introduced to a Captain Essex Bowen, of the 82nd Regiment of Foot, and ordered to regard him as her guardian. Captain Essex Bowen took his charge to London, and contrived by one method or another to make her a very passive instrument in his ruffianly hands.
Ordered to embark with his regiment, Captain Essex Bowen determined that the young lady should by hook or by crook go with him. So he compelled her to assume the attire of a footboy, christened her John Taylor in his mocking way, and carried her from Falmouth to the West Indies in the Crown transport. Although she suffered greatly during the voyage, Mary Anne continued to conceal her sex, and she had become fairly well accustomed to her false position by the time Captain Essex Bowen's, regiment was ordered back to Europe.
The regiment joined the English forces which were on the Continent at the time, under the command of the Duke of York, and Mary Anne was compelled by Captain Essex Bowen to become one of the drummers attached to the corps. She fought valiantly in her drummer's uniform, and was severely wounded more than once, but succeeded in keeping her secret to herself. A cannon-ball relieved her of her tyrant one fine day, and she was free to ruminate upon her awkward position and wonder what she was to do.
She made for England, having assumed the dress of a sailor-boy, but was captured by a French privateer which she had mistaken for a trading lugger. Mary Anne was put to work like any of the other members of the crew, and after cruising about for four months the privateer was made prisoner by Lord Howe. The girl's English tongue quickly got her released from the position of a prisoner, and she was at once entered as a powder monkey on board the Brunswick warship. Captain Harvey who. commanded the Brunswick was attracted by the cleanliness and good manners of_ the powder monkey, and suspecting nothing, made her his cabin-boy.
In the famous fight between the Brunswick and the French ship the Ramillies, Mary Anne was wounded by a grape shot and a musket ball, both of which lodged in one of her legs. It was impossible to extract the grape shot even at the Haslar Hospital at Spithead, where Mary Anne was subsequently treated.
WOMEN SAILORS.
WHO FOUGHT IN MANY BATTLES.
IN a newspaper of seventy years ago, we are gravely informed that there died at Tamerton, in her sixty-fourth year, a Mistress Mary Pote. A very respectable person was Mistress Mary, popular all the country round, and, what's more, butt-woman of Tamerton Parish Church.
Butt-woman? What does that mean? Well, there is no explanation to be found in any reasonably accessible reference book, but no doubt the position of "parish butt-woman" must have been a highly responsible charge. That must have been so for the reason that the previous career of Mistress Mary was of such a distinguished character that it could not well have been capped by an office wanting in all the dignities. Mistress Mary had been a sailor on board a man-of-war for years, and she had fought under Rodney.
When Mistress Mary was a girl, a comely girl no doubt, she had, as girls do have, a sweetheart. Mistress Mary’s sweetheart was a sailor, and a right handsome blue-eyed, high-spirited lad. He loved her as fondly as she loved him, but alack! alack! the war-drum rolled in upon their dreams, and he went of with his frigate.
Rather, he was going. but Mistress Mary insisted that he should not go without her. Only, how was it to be rendered possible for her to bear him company, since sailors in petticoats were not called for by the Sovereign? But if love laughs at locksmiths, tho gentle passion will surely also laugh at dressmakers. Mistress Mary laid aside the flowing robes of her sex, togged herself out in breeches, and contrived to be entered as one of the crew of her sweetheart's ship, just as it was sailing.
In one action and another, Mistress Mary fought by the side of her lover, and none ever dreamt that she was other than she seemed. One black day her sweetheart was killed, and the cause which had carried her off to sea ceased to exist.
By this time, however, she had become enamoured of the sea; and besides, even if she had been wishful, how could she get quit of the service but by revealing her sex? So she kept on being a sailor--and a very good sailor, too--until one day at Lisbon she was found out in a somewhat curious fashion.
Basketfuls of oranges had been brought on board, and the fruit was being pitched about among the sailors. Throw an orange to a woman, and a thousand to one she would catch it in her lap, not with her hands. An officer, who must have studied women’s ways very closely, noticed Mistress Mary catching the oranges in her lap, and, his suspicions being aroused, inquiries were instituted, and the fair sailor was landed at the first English port.
Even more extraordinary is the story of Mary Anne Talbot, who, born in London just over a century ago, was said to have been the natural daughter of a peer. The girl was brought up with all gentility, fell a victim to the snares which beset a handsome girl, and finally for years roved the sea as a sailor under the name of John Taylor.
Miss Mary, while still little more than a child, was introduced to a Captain Essex Bowen, of the 82nd Regiment of Foot, and ordered to regard him as her guardian. Captain Essex Bowen took his charge to London, and contrived by one method or another to make her a very passive instrument in his ruffianly hands.
Ordered to embark with his regiment, Captain Essex Bowen determined that the young lady should by hook or by crook go with him. So he compelled her to assume the attire of a footboy, christened her John Taylor in his mocking way, and carried her from Falmouth to the West Indies in the Crown transport. Although she suffered greatly during the voyage, Mary Anne continued to conceal her sex, and she had become fairly well accustomed to her false position by the time Captain Essex Bowen's, regiment was ordered back to Europe.
The regiment joined the English forces which were on the Continent at the time, under the command of the Duke of York, and Mary Anne was compelled by Captain Essex Bowen to become one of the drummers attached to the corps. She fought valiantly in her drummer's uniform, and was severely wounded more than once, but succeeded in keeping her secret to herself. A cannon-ball relieved her of her tyrant one fine day, and she was free to ruminate upon her awkward position and wonder what she was to do.
She made for England, having assumed the dress of a sailor-boy, but was captured by a French privateer which she had mistaken for a trading lugger. Mary Anne was put to work like any of the other members of the crew, and after cruising about for four months the privateer was made prisoner by Lord Howe. The girl's English tongue quickly got her released from the position of a prisoner, and she was at once entered as a powder monkey on board the Brunswick warship. Captain Harvey who. commanded the Brunswick was attracted by the cleanliness and good manners of_ the powder monkey, and suspecting nothing, made her his cabin-boy.
In the famous fight between the Brunswick and the French ship the Ramillies, Mary Anne was wounded by a grape shot and a musket ball, both of which lodged in one of her legs. It was impossible to extract the grape shot even at the Haslar Hospital at Spithead, where Mary Anne was subsequently treated.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-21 05:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-21 05:49 am (UTC)But now I have to go and look.
Not much luck, except for http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/butt-woman which confirms your understanding.
From the quotes given there, seems it was a word still in use at the time the article I posted was written (1893). I do wonder if it was just included in the opening paragraph because it would catch the attention of the intended (young male) audience.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-21 11:22 am (UTC)