Women Sailors and Sailors' WomenFor centuries the sea has been regarded as a male domain. Fisherman, navy officers, pirates, and explorers roamed the high seas while their wives and daughters stayed on shore. Oceangoing adventurers and the crews of their ships were part of an all-male world — or were they? In this illuminating historical narrative, maritime scholar David Cordingly shows that in fact an astonishing number of women went to sea in the great age of sail. Some traveled as the wives or mistresses of captains. A few were smuggled aboard by officers or seaman. A number of cases have come to light of young women dressing in men’s clothes and working alongside the sailors for months, and sometimes years. In the U.S. and Britsh navies, it was not uncommon for the wives of bosuns, carpenters, and cooks to go to sea on warships. Cordingly’s tremendous research shows that there was indeed a thriving female population — from female pirates to the sirens of legend — on and around the high seas. A landmark work of women’s history disguised as a spectacularly entertaining yarn, Women’s Sailors and Sailor’s Women will surprise and delight readers. |
Contents
The Sailors Farewell | |
Ann Parker and the Mutiny at the Nore | |
Fact and Fiction | |
Hannah Snell Mary Anne Talbot and the Female Pirates | |
Wives in Warships | |
Seafaring Heroines | |
Whaling Wives | |
Men Without Women | |
Women and Water Sirens and Mermaids | |
A Wife in Every Port | |
Other editions - View all
Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors ... David Cordingly No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Admiral Admiralty adventures alongside American anchor Anne Bonny ashore battle became boat British brothels cabin Captain captured century coast command crew Darling daughter deck died dressed Emma father female sailors figureheads fishing fleet French frigate George girls Grace Darling guns Hannah Snell harbor headed Hervey husband Ibid Ida Lewis island John John Paul Jones Jones journal keeper Lady Hamilton later letters Lieutenant lighthouse lived London looked Lucy Lucy Brewer marine married Mary Anne Talbot Mary Read mate men’s merchant ships mermaid mother muster book mutiny NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM Nelson Nore o’clock pirates port Portsmouth press gang prisoner prostitutes Rackam rescue Royal Navy sailed seafarers seamen ship’s shore sloop spent story Street told took vessel voyage warrant officers warships West Indies whaling wife William William Darling wind wives woman women wrote York young