Year: 1859




The following strange and interesting
story is told in an English paper, the Sal
ford Neps:


The most remarkable woman of this
century, was "Harry" Stokes, the brickset
ter, who committed suicide in the sluice of
the river IrweIl, at Mode Wheel, last night


week. For about thirty years, this ex-
trnordinary person had lived in Manchester
and Stafford, as journeynan and master
bricksetter; had been twice married 10 other
women; had kept beer houses and served
customers at the tap as "jolIy landlord !"
had worked at her trade as brcksctter,
and erected many important buildings in
both towns, and had obtained the reputa-
tion of being the most skillful fire. CRATE
setter and 'chimney doctor" in the neigh
borhood. She always dressed as man,
in the clothing peculiar 10 her trade; iuva-
riably superinlended the men in her em-
pioyment; and could lift a weight, spread
the mortar, aud set brick with the best
of them. Her habits were those Of man.
She attended a daily ordinary in the town
along with other bricksetters, drank,
smoked and joked with the hardest, and
Joined in the evening carousals. Yet, with
all this constant and close intimacy with
the opposite sex, this strong minded wo-
man contrived TO keep her own great secret;
and there is every belief she has gone
down into the grave at the advanced age
of so or thereabouts, having throughout
the whole of remarkable life maintained
an unbroken check upon those passions
which crowd the streets of every large
town with the unfortunate of her SEX
Her great endearor was on all occasions 10
keep the manly character she had assumed.
From child, he had been accustomed to
the severe works 10 one of the most labori-
Gus occupations of which man is engaged
and the skill she had attained in the trade
reveals an amount OF persevering energy,
which made her worthy of better fate
than that of wretched suicide.


Il is curious to know what first induced
her to assume the garb and occupation of
a man; and what powerful agency it was
that enabled her to remain faithful to the
line of duty she had thus marked out for
herself. There are instances innumerable
where the influence of love, or romantic
disposition, has clothed the form of wo-
man in male attire, and sustained her
amid the perils of the battle field, in the
dangers of the deep, or in wild adventure
in foreign lards; but we know of no other
case in history or tradition, where a woman
has so wonderfully repressed her own feel
ings and natural disposition, so completely
assumed the habits of man, and been so
successful in evading the prying curiosity
of the world. "Harry" Stokes has indeed
played her part SO cleverally that it is with
the greatest difficulty we have been able to
glenn the following facts, which, meagre as
they are. throw some little light upon her
past history.


She was the daughter of abricklayer in
a village in The neighborhood Of Doncaster.
Before she could we'll balance her own
little body she was made "useful,' in the
house; and ere many years had passed
over her head, she was brought into ac-
quaintance with some of the toughest and
toughest work in those hard d-wrought days.
Littlc Harriet Stokes lines had not been
laid in pleasant places. She was so ground
down BY the iron hand at home, tina; when
she was about eight years old, she put on
q tattered suit of boys clothing, and walk
cd forth into the "wide, wide world" Ar
rived at the village Of Whithy, she looked
about for work. She had not run away
from her fathers house because she did not
like work and preferred to eat the bread of
idleness. The hard treatment of parents,
ignorant of their responsibility, had driven
her from the protection of home. That
she was not afraid of hard work was an
parent, when she offered her services 70 a
bricksetter in Whithy. Though somewhat
undersized, she appeared broadset, active
useful lad, and was speedily set to work.
Her first efforts to please were attended
with success, and she was soon taken as an
apprentice.


From this point we must drop the fem.
mime appelative, and speak Of "Harry