Mary Anne Arnold

Mary Anne Arnold (born c. 1825) was an English sailor and crossdresser.[1] She was born in Sheerness, Kent, England and worked aboard the naval ship, Robert Small until the captain of the ship discovered she was assigned female at birth.[2][3]

Early life

At age 10, Arnold's mother died. She thus performed physical labour to provide for herself, and her eight month old sister. Arnold first gained employment at a rope factory in Sheerness. Upon discovering that boys her age were making significantly more money as sailors, she began to crossdress and gained employment as a cabin boy in the Williams, a Sutterland collier.[4][5]

Cabin boy

Arnold sailed with the Williams for two years until 1839 (she changed ships due to her dislike of the commanding officer) at which point she became a cabin boy for the Anne. She successfully sailed with the Anne for several voyages until the ship wrecked but she survived and then transferred to sail on the ship Choice which held stores for the Robert Small.[4]

Suspicions

While on the Choice, around the age of 15, several of the men reported to the captain suspicions of Arnold's crossdressing. The captain ordered a doctor to perform a medical exam on Arnold. After the exam, she was forced to remove her sailor's clothes and don clothes that matched her sex.[4][6]

References

  1. ^ Wheelwright, Julie (2004). "Arnold, Mary Anne (b. 1825), sailor and cross-dresser". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49659. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Cordingly, David (2013-02-06). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307763075.
  3. ^ "British Women's Emancipation since the Renaissance". www.historyofwomen.org. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  4. ^ a b c Lindridge, James (1846). Tales of Shipwrecks and Adventures at Sea: Being a Collection of Faithful Narratives of Shipwrecks, Mutinies, Fires, Famines and Disasters, Incidents to a Sea Life, Together with Celebrated Voyages, Amusing Tales Tough Yarns and Interesting Anecdotes. William Mark Clark.
  5. ^ "Heart of Oak ยป Mary Anne Arnold, Female Sailor, 1840". www.heart-of-oak.com. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  6. ^ Cordingly, David (2013-02-06). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307763075.