Year: 1859

The English papers give the particulars


of the most remarkable case of deceit on
record, being than that of a woman who


lived no less than thirty years in Manches-


ter and Stafford as journeyman and mas


ter Bricksetter, all the time maintaining


the dress of a man, and in that character


assuming the position of husband to two


different women.


She was the daughter of bricklayer in


a village in the neighborhood of Doncaster.


Little Harriet Stokes's lines had not been


laid in pleasant places She was so ground


down by the iron hand at home, that, when


she was about eight years old, she put on


a tattered suit of boys clothing and walked


forth into the wide, wide world Arrived


at the village of Whitby, she locked about


for work. The hard treatment of parents


ignorant of their responsibility had driven


her from the protection of home and all as


sociations which should enchain the young


to home. That she was not afraid of hard


work was apparent when she offered her


services to bricksetter in Whitby. Though


somewhat undcrsized, she appeared broad


set, active, useful lad, and was speedily set


to work, and was soon taken as an appren-


tice.


From this point VIC must drop the fem


inine appellative, and speak of Harry


Stokes as boy who has worked his way


to the dignity of a journeyman brick-set-
ter. For something like % years from
this point, We lose the connecting links
which join his Yorkshire experience to his
Manchester life. About 25 years ago he
was brought prominently under the notice
of the public by the circumstances of an ex-
centric excursion which he had taken into
the domains of matrimony. Harry Stokes,
wanting companion in life, executed a
matrimonial contrelempS. True to his role
as mamie cast about, and fixed his choice |
upon plump little widow, who kept
bcer-house in Cupid's alley, off Deansgate,
Manchester. He had been accustomed to
take his pot of beer and smoked his short
pipe under Betsy's roof, and had at last Ia
ken decided fancy to Betsy himself Bet
sy looked with favor on Harry's suit, for
he had the reputation of being good stGa-
dy workman, and was doing pretty well as
brick-setter. 1t was resolved that the
twain should become one flesh; and so to
the church they hied. Harry discharged
the duties of bridegroom at church to per-
fection; but when the widow got him home
there was terrible row. The night was
spent in a downright quarrel and fight; and
the lamentable result was a summons taken |
out by Betsy against her husband for an
assault, for which he was condemned to
the New Baily for one or two months
During the hearing of the case, Betsy, with
great vehemence declared that her husband |
was not a man, and that she therefore
would not live with him.


Harry Stokes, on issuing the New Bal
ly, was considerably prosecuted by those
little gamins who knew so well how to tor
mcnt street celebrities, while he was also
the subject of much curious speculation
among his brethren of the trowel. He,
however, maintained a discreet silence as
to his sex, threw out hints that the woman
he had married was mad. and as the most
effective proof that she was malevolent
libeler he soon afterward married another
widow, rejoicing in the name of Frances
Collins, who was some Is or 20 years his
senior. and who had a grown-up son and
daughter living with her. His connection
with this Yoman, with whom he lived un-
til he committed suicide, is the most mys-
terious phase of this mysterious history
She declares with solemn earnestness that
she did not know, until informed the other
day, that the person with whom she had
been living for the last twenty-five years,
was woman, and her own children locked
upon Stokes as their step father. 1t may
be that although out of sense and shame the
old woman thus attempts to conceal her
knowledge of Stokes sex, she did in reali-
ty know from the first that the person was
a woman and that she was in all prOtabil-
ity induced by Stokes to consent to the un-
ion in order that the appearance of married
life might dispel the rumors afoat Wheth-
er or not that was the intention, the ac-
quaintance brought out the result; for al
though there were surmises that Harry
Stokes was a woman, and he constantly the
object of curious glances, he escaped the ;
open molestation to which he had bsen pre-
viously subjected. Harry and Fanny took ;
beer house on Corporation street, Saltord, {
where they lived for two years, when they !
fitted to Quay street, near Deansgate,
turning private house into beer house. !
At this house they stayed eleven years, du- !
ring part of which time they held second I
beer house in Camp street, off Deansgate, ,
which they called The Pilgrims Rest and
was superintended by Mrs. Stokes SON.
To this house they themselves finally re-
moved, and kept it on for six years, when
they carried their furniture to No. l. Rich
mond street, between ST. Stephen street, ;
and Broughton road, Salford, where they
still lived as man and wife. !