Anne Jane Thornton

Anne Jane Thornton (1817–1877), also spelt Ann Jane Thornton, was an adventurer from Donegal who in 1832 posed as a boy to go to sea, in pursuit of a lost lover who had gone to the United States. She continued her career as a seaman until her arrival in London in 1835, when she was interviewed by the Lord Mayor of London. She later wrote a book about her adventures.

Early life Born in Gloucestershire, in the west of England, in 1817, Thornton was the daughter of a prosperous shop-keeper. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, in 1823 her mother died, and her father moved to Donegal in Ireland where he opened a successful shop. The Lady magazine for 1835 adds a further detail: "...when six years old she accompanied her father to Ireland, where he afterwards possessed profitable stores and subsequently failed".

Life At the age of thirteen, Thornton met Captain Alexander Burke, an Englishman whose father lived in New York, and before she was fifteen the two had become strongly attached to each other. In 1832, Burke left Donegal to travel to New York, and Thornton made up her mind to go after him. Attended by a maid and a boy, she left Donegal, obtained a suit of cabin boy's clothes, and posing as a boy, made a safe passage to New York. On arrival, she went to Burke's father's house, where she said that she had worked under the captain's orders and wished to be engaged by him again. She learnt from Burke's father that the man she loved had died a few days before.

Without money, Thornton needed to find employment. By now, she had a swarthy complexion, which helped to make her look less like a young woman, and still posing as a boy she got a position at nine dollars a month as ship's cook and steward on board The Adelaide. Between ships, she once walked seventy miles from Eastport, Maine, to St Andrew's, dressed as a sailor.

It was on this vessel that Thornton was discovered as a woman:

The sailor who discovered Thornton threatened that unless she agreed to sexual intercourse with him, he would report her to the ship's master, Captain McIntyre. Thornton refused, and when she was revealed to the master he "turned her out to work amongst the men, by whom she upon all occasions was most grossly insulted".

The Sarah was bound at the time for London, where she docked in February 1835. Before this arrival, other crew members had suspicions about Thornton's identity, and McIntyre later told The Times that she had been abused by the other sailors and that she had worked hard aboard the ship.

Ballad of The Female Sailor Bold

Thornton's story inspired the ballad The Female Sailor Bold, also called The Female Sailor. The following is the text of the ballad, as sold in the United States from c. 1835.

Good people give attention and listen to my song; I will unfold a circumstance that does to love belong; Concerning of a pretty maid who ventur'd we are told Across the briny ocean as a female sailor bold.

Her name was Ann Jane Thornton, as you presently shall hear, And also that she was born in fam'd Gloucestershire; Her father now lives in Ireland, respected we are told, And grieving for his daughter—this female sailor bold.

She was courted by a captain when not fifteen years of age, And to be joined in holy wedlock this couple did engage, But the captain was bound to America, as I will now unfold, And she followed him o'er the ocean did this female sailor bold.

She dress'd herself with sailors clothes and was overcome with joy When with a captain she did engage to serve as cabin boy, And when New York in America this fair maid did behold She determined to seek her true love did this female sailor bold.

Then to her true loves fathers she hastened with speed, When the news that she did hear most dreadful indeed, That her love had been dead some time they to her did unfold Which very near broke the heart of this female sailor bold.

Some thousand miles she was from home from friends far away Alone she traveled seventy miles thro' woods in North America Bereft of all her kindred nor no parent to behold, In anguish she cried my true love did this female sailor bold.

Then she went on board the Adelaide, to cross the troubled wave And in storms of hail and gales of wind she did all dangers brave She served as cook and steward in the Adelaide we are told Then sailed on board the Rover did the female sailor bold.

From St Andrew's in America this fair maid did set sail, In a vessel called the Sarah and brav'd many a stormy gale She did her duty like a man did reef and steer we're told By the captain she was respected well—the female sailor bold.

With pitch and tar her hands were hard, tho' once like velvet soft She weighed the anchor, heav'd the lead and boldly went aloft Just one and thirty months she braved the tempest we are told And always did her duty did the female sailor bold.

'Twas in the month of February eighteen hundred thirty five, She in the port of London in the Sarah did arrive; Her sex was then discovered which the secret did unfold, And the captain gaz'd in wonder on the female sailor bold.

At the Mansion-House she appear'd before the Lord Mayor, And in the public papers then the reasons did appear, Why she did leave her father and her native land she told, To brave the stormy ocean, did this female sailor bold.

It was to seek her lover that sailed across the main, Thro' love she did storms tempest wind and rain. It was love caused all her troubles and hardships we are told; May she rest at home contented now the female sailor bold.