James H. attends the theater, 1828
Theater in early 19th-century America could be a … lively place. Patrons occasionally shot each other. Prostitutes sometimes plied their trade there. Even the least rambunctious crowd might call out advice to the actors or throw pennies onto the stage to express disapproval of a performance.
One night in May 1828, the show included a drama in the audience, as a police officer quibbled with an audience member about the latter’s identity. It’s a lively scene, as James laughs off the officer’s suspicions before being arrested for—well, thereby hangs a tale of social structure. As a man, James H. appears to have been financially secure. As a woman, Mary Ann H. found it difficult to make a living except by prostitution. (In a later incident, a woman temporarily disguised herself as a man because, she pointed out, as a woman she could earn $4 a month, while as a man she could earn at least $20 a month; she was hired to cook at a lumber camp at $30 a month.)
James’ story follows a familiar pattern: the victim of a seductive rascal, abandoned and desperate. Was it true? Who knows. The trope was such a staple that it could have been concocted in order to appeal to the magistrate. James, however, appears to have been comfortable living as a man, judging by the protests.
The story was reprinted in various newspapers—at least one of which added its own editorial quibbling. The original appeared in the New York Morning Courier, unavailable to me. The reprints don’t make it simple to figure when James was arrested, given that they state simply that it happened “Saturday night.” The earliest I’ve found is in the Daily Chronicle of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 22. James may have been arrested around May 17.
The rendition appearing in the Chronicle took the chance to be amused at the expense of New York City. (Ah, Philadelphia: halfway between New York, New York, and Washington, DC, and perpetually convinced it’s in the shadows of both.) The Daily Chronicle was one of the earliest papers to reprint the story, excerpting the original on May 22. It is evident that the editor was reminded of similar tales in London newspapers, several of which were reprinted in various newspapers in the U. S. The first and last paragraph in this piece are the editor’s comments and summary, in a font larger than the one used for the extract from the Courier; instead of changing font size, I’ve indented the quoted section. In this context, a “roadster” is a horse ridden or driven for pleasure and light work, rather than for pulling a wagon or plow.
Our New York brethren. Daily Chronicle [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] 22 May 1828; p. 3.
Our New York brethren have often boasted of the rapidity with which their city is overtaking the great commercial towns of England. It must be confessed that, in some respects, their pretensions are well founded. The Morning Courier, of yesterday, relates an incident which might well be thought to have been transferred from a London paper. A young woman, in male attire, was taken from the Bowery Theatre, on Saturday Evening, by Hays, the police officer. When brought before the Magistrates, she gave the following account of herself:
Her father is a boat-maker, in some part of Canada; she was seduced from her parents by a young man, who subsequently abandoned her.—She was then reduced to the necessity of resorting to the means which wretched, unfortunate females employ, for procuring subsistence. Becoming, in a short time, disgusted with the life she was obliged to lead, and in order to avoid the snares of the wicked, she resolved upon assuming male attire, in which she was of opinion she would procure better wages than as a female servant. It was about twelve months ago she assumed the breeches, since which time she has filled the several situations of horse jockey, waiter, and travelling gentleman, adopting each profession when circumstances rendered it adviseable. [sic] The equestrian is her favorite mode of travelling, and at present she is possessed of a first rate roadster. She lamented exceedingly, her being obliged to resume the petticoats, and to leave off her masculine exercises, which she greatly preferred to those of the softer sex.
The Magistrates, it appears, determined to commit her to the care of the Guardians of the Alms House.
More thorough reprints appear in later papers.
“Singular Capture.” New York Courier; reprinted in the United States’ Gazette for the Country [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] 27 May 1828; p. 1.
On Saturday night, at the Bowery Theatre, information was given to Mr. Joseph L. Hays, who is placed there to regulate the disorderly spirits who frequent the upper regions of that place of amusement, that a very handsome, interesting young lady, was disguised in manly habiliments, and, for some undefinable purpose, was endeavouring to conceal her sex from the knowledge of the public. She was pointed out to him, sitting in the third tier of boxes, amongst the nymphs, whom she was amusing with her numerous anecdotes. They were all mightily pleased, until Joseph interfered with their fun, by asking the would-be young gentleman if his name was not Miss Mary Ann H—? She vowed and protested that her name was Master James H—, and appeared to treat the disposition which was manifested to unsex her, with mixed ridicule and contempt. The truth, however, could be no longer concealed, and it was found that Miss Mary Ann had inserted her neat proportions into a handsome pair of Russia duck pantaloons, the capacity of which she completely filled.
Miss Mary Ann was brought, this morning, to the Office, where she gave the following account of herself: Her father is a boat-maker, in some part of Canada; she was seduced from her parents by a young man, who subsequently abandoned her. She was then reduced to the necessity of resorting to the means which wretched, unfortunate females employ, for procuring subsistence. Becoming, in a short time, disgusted with the life she was obliged to lead, and in order to avoid the snares of the wicked, she resolved upon assuming male attire, in which she was of opinion she would procure better wages than as a female servant. It was about twelve months ago she assumed the breeches, since which time she has filled the several situations of horse jockey, waiter, and travelling gentleman, adopting each profession when circumstances rendered it advisable. The equestrian is her favorite mode of travelling, and at present she is possessed of a first rate roadster. She lamented exceedingly, her being obliged to resume the petticoats, and to leave off her masculine exercises, which she greatly preferred to those of the softer sex.
The Magistrates of the Police are determined, we believe, to commit her to the care of the guardians of the Alms House.
The Salem Gazette includes more specifics, with a stunning amount of moralizing. (The phrase “rioting on the wages of iniquity” is weirdly delightful.)
“New York Police: Singular Case.” Salem Gazette [Salem, Massachusetts] 27 May 1828; p. 3.
We have to record a painful scene which occurred at this office, and which was calculated to excite any rather than ludicrous ideas. The sight of affliction is at all times disagreeable, and the circumstance we have to mention appeared to excite commiseration and sympathy in no common degree. A young female, whose name is Mary Ann —, was this morning placed at the bar, in male clothing, in which disguise she has been figuring for the last twelvemonth, under the assumed name of James —. She was recognized in the Bowery Theatre, on Saturday night, by some of the frail sisterhood, with whom she had been formerly acquainted, and by them pointed out to an officer, who brought her to the Police. Some time ago she left her father, who is a tradesman or mechanic, in Canada, and after that she led for a short time, the usual life of a helpless, fallen, unprotected woman. Disgusted with this course, and finding that her character had been irretrievably ruined, as a woman, she was desirous to regain it in some other manner—a life of infamy had no allurements for her, and she preferred laboring for her maintenance to rioting on the wages of iniquity. She worked in a canal boat as a bowman, for three months—the privations and hardships to be endured in such a capacity, would quickly, we imagine, disgust any one whose virtuous determination was less firm than that of this most unfortunate girl. She was afterwards employed as a waiter at the Castle Garden for a month, and in the same situation on board the steamboat North America; in both which places her sex was undiscovered, and her conduct such as to gain her the good will of all who knew her. The exposure of these facts seemed to affect her considerably, and we are willing to believe that her tears were prompted by the compunctious visitings of remorse, and that the source of the better feelings of our nature, still runs clear and unchoaked [sic] in her. There is no charge against her excepting the appearance in male attire, and the magistrates, we believe, intend to place her under the care of the guardians of the House of Refuge, in order that some measures may be concerted to rescue her f[r]om her existing situation, and prevent the imposition which, in her present appearance, she must unavoidably practise upon society.
Tears! Remorse! Disgust at working as a bowman! The Gazette’s version of James is much more fluttery than the James in the Philadelphia Chronicle, who complains about having to wear women’s clothing. The Gazette seems terribly outraged that someone physically female has attempted to “practise upon society” an “imposition” by living as a male, and every cliche is trotted out.
What became of James? We’ll never know, but I hope the future was all he could wish for.
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