Female husband: lesbian, transvestite or woman seeking worthwhile employment and enjoying the benefits of a wife at home? What would Queen Victoria have made of this, bearing in mind that she refused to believe lesbianism existed ?
“FEMALE HUSBAND.–In the Manchester Times of the 8th inst. was a paragraph to the following effect :–“UNFOUNDED REPORT:–A silly report has been industriously propagated this week, to the effect that a respectable female in this town has been married for about 17 years to a person who, within the last few days, is discovered to be a woman. As it was not impossible for such a circumstance to have occurred, although very improbable, we had curiosity enough to make inquiries on the subject and find that the alleged ‘remarkable discovery’ was a gross fabrication.”–We, too, (Manchester Guardian,) have had curiosity enough to make inquiries on the subject, and find that the “unfounded report” of the “remarkable discovery, which, though not impossible, is very improbable,” is true. All the circumstances communicated to us relative to this singular case we do not feel justified in publishing ; but we may mention a few of the principal facts connected with what is here known of the history of this chevalier d’Eon in humble life, of course suppressing the names of the parties. A few days ago a respectable female waited upon an attorney in this town, and asked his advice in a case of a very peculiar nature. It seems that her husband, a master bricklayer, who had been in the habit of trusting her implicitly in his business, even leaving to her management the book-keeping requisite in his trade, had of late, had some cause or other, refused to allow her the weekly usual sum for housekeeping. Having also, in other respects, treated her as she considered in an unkind manner, she came to take advice as to how she could proceed, under the circumstances, against her husband, whom, to the no small astonishment of the professional gentleman she was then consulting, she declared to be, not a man, but a woman. The attorney thought it his duty, under such singular circumstances, to bring the matter under the notice of Mr. Foster, the magistrate, who directed that Mr. Thomas should take the case under his management, and bring the parties for private examination before him (Mr. Foster) at the police-office. Mr. Thomas took the necessary steps ; and on Thursday last the parties were brought before Mr. Foster, in the deputy-constable’s room at the police-office, when the truth of the wife’s averment to the attorney, was corroborated in the most distinct and unqualified manner by Mr Ollier, surgeon to the police, who gave a certificate declaring the individual in question was a woman. The woman-husband, we believe, did not make the least attempt to deny her sex, but contented herself with stating that her wife had only been led to make this exposure because she had withheld from her the weekly allowance of money for housekeeping expenses. The wife replied that this was not the only cause of complaint against her spouse, for that she (the husband) was occasionally intoxicated, and that, when in that state, treated her very ill. The wife also stated that she accidentally made the discovery of the sex of her husband as much as two or three years back, but that she kept the secret to the present time.
From what could be gleaned of the history of this female husband, it would seem that she assumed the garb and character of a boy at an early age, and that in that character she was apprenticed, at the age of 16 or 17, to a master builder, in one of the large towns of Yorkshire. Being of good exterior, with prepossessing appearance and manners, and of features rather handsome, the supposed young man attracted the attention of many females in the same condition of life ; and, amongst others, was the one who afterwards became the wife. The attentions of the young bricklayer was [sic] acceptable and accepted ; and the union took place shortly after the expiration of the apprenticeship. Soon afterwards this couple came to Manchester, about the year 1829, where the husband commenced the business of a builder, and by considerable ability and attention to trade was tolerably successful. Amongst other branches of the business, this builder became remarkable, indeed almost to celebrity, for skill and success in the erection of flues, ovens, &c. ; and we believe is at this moment in very good business, employing several hands, and giving very general satisfaction to those for whom any work has been executed. The wife had the entire management of the books and accounts in the business, and, as far as we have heard, there was not the slightest imputation on her character. We believe that nothing was done in the way of legal proceedings. Several articles claimed by the wife as her property have been sent to the police-office by the husband, who, so far as we have heard, has not offered any reparation to the wife for the cruel and painful position in which she is now placed. One thing is now certain, that after the exposure which has taken place, and the affair was currently talked of as early as Thursday and Friday last, the woman who has ventured to assume the character of a man will no longer be able to continue to carry on business in this town, and that she must either lay aside her disguise and resume the appearance which most befits her sex, or if she will retain her unfeminine appearance and character, she must seek to hide her imposture in some place where she is not known, and where she may hope for a while to escape detection. We believe that many persons who have employed her join in declaring that they had not the slightest suspicion that she was other than what she seemed.
It is somewhat remarkable that this is not the first case of this nature which has been brought under the notice of Mr. Thomas. In January, 1829, a labourer in the service of Mr. Crisp, shipbuilder, at Dockhead, London, while assisting in sawing a log of fir, was struck by the severed part of the log with such force on the head as to die of the injury while being conveyed to St. Thomas’s Hospital. On stripping the body to prepare it for interment, it was discovered that the deceased, who was about 38 years of age, was a woman. She had been known for about 22 years to have filled various situations, as groom, shipwright’s labourer, and other subordinate occupations in dock-yards, vitriol-works, &c., and had been 21 years married, and her wife declared in the most solemn manner, on the inquest, and before the police-magistrates at Bow-street, that during the whole of that period she had been in utter ignorance of the real sex of her supposed husband.–Manchester Guardian.”
The Stamford Mercury, 20th April, 1838.