The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1849-09-25 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FEMALE SAILOR.—The Cork Conxtitution, contains some strange particulars relative to a case of this nature. The party in question, who went by the name of "Jemmy," excited suspicion as to her sex, and on being questioned by the Head constable, said, " I will candidly tell you; I am a woman—my name is Abigail Lindsey." Since her committal to bridewell she has declared her desire to resume her proper costume, and return to the place of her birth. She says that many years ago her father and mother, who were Irish, left Belfast and proceeded to Halifax, in America, where her father carried on the trade of a shipwright rather extensively, and amassed some money, and at his death, which occurred nine years ago, he left her in the care of a guardian with a property of 2,700 dollars a-year. Her parents had four children— three sons and herself—she and a brother having been born in Halifax. Sonic years since she became acquainted with a man of the name of Ezekiel Bradford, who promised her marriage, but seduced her when sixteen years of age. He was master of the ship Britannia, of St. John's, which port he left never to return. Having been delivered of a child, she determined through shame to leave her native place, and go in search of Bradford, whose life she sought to satiate her revenge. To effect her object she five years back purchased a suit of sailor's clothes and went to St. John's, where she entered on board the ship Brunswick, Wright master, as cook and steward. In this vessel she made three trips to London, where she hoped to meet with Bradford, understanding he traded to that port, carrying a dagger concealed on her person, which she had determined to drive into his breast. When about to leave the Thames on her last voyage in this vessel, she espied her seducer walking along the St. Catherine's docks, and she implored her captain to permit her to go on shore for a few moments, but he peremptorily refused, and she waited in the hone that a boat would steer near the vessel, when she would have sprung overboard, in expectation of being rescued and landed on shore; but the anchor was weighed, and the Brunswick floated down with the tide, and no boat came near until she had lost all hope of overtaking Bradford. Having retur ed to St. Jan's, she left the Brunswick and went back to Halifax. Here she frequently met in the streets her hitherto intimate acquaintances, hut her dress and weather-beaten features prevented recognition. She again returned to St. John's, and shipped in the Calais as an able seaman, in which she made several voyages, some of them to ports in Ireland, and, amongst the rest, Belfast, which she longed to see. On her last voyage to America, a sailor informed her that Ezekiel Bradford traded to Cork, and finding the Beverley in St. John's, about to clear for that port, she entered as cook and steward. The voyage was boisterous, and the ship having sprung a leak, all hands, "Jemmy" amongst. the rest, had to take turn at the pumps, both day and night. She says that she was always considered a smart, willing " lad," and that she " was as well able to hand, reef and steer and box the compass, as any able-seaman." Being warned of the dreadful crime she would commit, and the certain punishment that would follow her in this lite, and after death if she committed murder, she declared her feelings were completely altered, and that if she now met Bradford she would not notice him. The heroine is a rather tall, well-formed female, with dark, sparkling eyes, , which she seldom raises from the ground. In manners she is a complete sailor, having all the slang and careless movement of the Jack-tar. When consulting about change of dress, she looked for a moment regretfully on her legs, which were encased in blue trowsers, and giving her thigh a sharp slap, exclaimed, " good bye, old breeches !" Being visited by one of the sailors of the Beverley, as he entered the room in which she was seated,  he cried out, "Ahoy, Jemmy Browne—how's all this, boy ? —what makes you here, rummy ?" Ha! old shipmate," she replied, " here I am, bumped fast on a rock." " How's all this ?" asked the shipmate. " Why, Jemmy, my boy, they says your'e a woman ? ' This amused her very much, and she laughed immoderately.