angelgal918

Unfortuneately, we're having the same issue here in NC-they just passed the bill to shut down many NC State historic sites, including the colonial capital of New Bern, Tryon Palace. It's probably the biggest colonial site we've got, and I do believe they were thinking the same for the Albemarle Maritime Museum and cutting a big chunk out of the same at Beaufort (flagship museum of the QAR exhibit). Rotten, rotten rotten, all the way 'round.

Found a totally different character...a mite bit more land-based, but pirate affiliated nonetheless.

I figured it was bloody unlikely to connect the two, but anyways.

No piratical activities: Oh bummer (sheerly from a reenactor perspective). A friend of mine pointed me toward a site with several newspaper articles on a Mary Harvey (alias "Moll" or "Mackeig") (far from being a completely academic site, but it was a good read) who in London in 1730 repeatedly got herself into a ruckus at a pub, got arrested, abused the arresting officers, was sent to prison and either A) verbally abused the judge or (more frequently) escaped or attempted to escape prison in various guises.

Just on the hunt for a new character, but don't want to start improvising details until I have reasonable documented sources on said person. If necessary, I might just improvise the whole thing, but would prefer not to.

True, I'm just making the anatomical argument for the "women who went undetected" argument.

"How Can A Woman Hide Herself on a Cramped Ship" argument:

in reference to a period, one must remember that it is possible to just stop having one due to malnutrition. However, in the case of Mary Read having this issue and going undetected, this dismenorheah ( I believe that's the term) relates to infertility, which she obviously didn't have according to Johnson. I'm no nutritionist, but it seems that the poor diet may have related to a less noticeable period. I mean, besides the "peeing off the boat" and such, can you really tell when she's on her period? And you gotta remember: how many times a day are these gals changing clothes? Not often, and once the bosom is bound and the hips stop swaying noticeably, it becomes more feasible for us chicks to disguise ourselves. A little grease, bound raggedy hair, and you're set.

While clothing has always delineated the sexes, we must remember that sexual division of labor as relating to society became far more pronounced in the Victorian era, and in reference to cross-dressing especially, it wasn't so much frowned upon in the eras leading up to the GAoP. Brush up your Shakespeare, folks: Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and the stage culture of the day all had women playing boys, men playing women, and so on. As it developed in the Victorian period, this era is not quite so concerned with moral issues of gender, homosexuality, etc. That is not to say that it was openly practiced, but it was accepted that gender was a possible play-thing in some arenas.

The only moment I would think would be awkward would be use of the "head" while it was still geographically "a head" on the boat.

"Laying A-Low" is what I've heard. Can't remember the other one.

Anyone know of any solid info on the following:

Flora Burn, American East Coast, 1741

Mary Harvey/Harley/Farlee/Bo-barlee, banana fo farlee...the list goes on. 1725-26

Any like persons of interest along the American East Coast/Carolinas/Caribbean 1660-1750? (Besides the obvious, of course)

I wrote a paper for my History Seminar class about just this thing. Much to do between the gov's of VA and NC over jurisdiction, you scratch my back etc, you owe me a favor, oh and by the way, the goods are going to be re-routed to MY colonies economy, thankyouverymuch. You know, politics.

See Gov Eden's involvement in the Tuscarora War-it's connected.

My daytime alias is working alterations and I've scored MASSES of old plastic shank'd coat buttons of various sizes from the '70s. They all look like they've been imprinted with a sort of woven design and colored to resemble a leather. I mean to cover them in just these sorts of ways! Thanks, Cross!!!

PS: If anybody wants some, PM me with a desired size and number, there's BOXES of these things at work!

I was so happy to meet you, Michael, Kate, Greg, Maria (and even more thankful you were my DD Friday night :) Can't wait to see you all again!

-Betsy

I gotta get a more piratey name.

Shoot me a PM about this year! I'd love to help!

Hey Scurv,

You know I'm always in for a pirate party in the Old North State. Hit me up on FB if something gets going, I'm always happy to lend an organizing hand!

(If this is the right place to post)

I am offering hand-knit socks of Fisherman's wool at a comparable price. Knitted to custom size. Hand-spun available, but quite a bit more. Please enquire for details.

So, yeah, JC is the MAN ON THE BALL finding every image of this dress I've found and several more.

Bought the silk for this....Four months ago? Still haven't cut a darned thing out.

Kate and Mickey: You'll remember me from Searle's...Miss Red I-Don't-Fit-This-Corset? Yeah, built the corset to go under this dress. THEN found out the dress has the corset built-in.

Spitfire: Those pink stays are the V&A Museum stays that Kass built her pattern off of. PS: Not built for the short-waisted. Forgot that part.

The pattern says to make two rectangles for sleeves, no contouring, they just tie on.

I'm on this project with you Michael! Well, as soon as I get those stays shortened...

ON THE PRIOR SUBJECT OF STAYS:

I've actually taught myself corsetry. If memory serves correctly, when the more rigid, full-torso stays went into the "Boned Sportsbra" version the Jane Austen fans are familiar with, there were women who actually had to keep wearing their old stays because 1) their back muscles had conformed during early growth and 2) they relied on the extra support for heavy lifting chores. Think of the backbraces the folks at Home Depot wear-there you go.

If you want to be portraying a woman of some respectability in public, you must wear stays. Imagine not wearing your bra (for some, this is less noticeable than most, but still).Yes, they're hard to make at first. Yes, they're unusual and uncomfortable, especially if not fitted properly. *Proper fit is KEY* However, they can be made of reed or cording, a la the Elizabeth I Effigy Corset (See Drea Leed's research) and it can be quite a bit more forgiving that steel or heavy duty plastic.

SOMEWHAT SHAMELESS PLUG: (please let me know if I should post somewhere else) If someone could get me a quick hold on Mantua Maker's copyright/vendor information (anybody see anywhere on the pattern how many you can make/if you can make for money?) I would be more than happy to custom fit as closely as possible a set of stays. Corsetry is a dying artform in some reenactor circles, and I would be more than happy to promote it.

Nothing against a ship I don't know personally, but I've heard it described maintenance-wise as an ungrateful teenager. Doesn't matter how many times to tar the shrouds, it still hates you.

Nonperiod: Own a Southcoast 22. Plans in the works to reinstall water pump on the Evinrude6, outfit with electronics, and recondition interior.

Period: Worked for a company that owned a 17th century sloop, great little thing, possibly trailerable, and flips in two halves, sloop-rigged. Heard it cost around $100k to build (using the finest of woods and techniques, of course). Would probably be the most efficient to take to events, set up, sail about, take down, trailer home. After working on the Kalmar Nyckel and still not being able to correctly identify half the lines on the foredeck (nobody ever ask me again where the sprits'l bowlines are!), I'm all for something that doesn't cost six months' of "vacation" time to service.

To my Tiller friends: Anybody ever used a tiller on a boat over 30'? It's a royal pain. Hated steering on the boat I served on. 'Course, it did have a cantankerous hull design. I guess the whipstaff is out of the question?

How does one secure camping rights onsite?

Oooh, shnazzie...yeah the more pictures I see of the "action" downtown, the more I'm thinking I need to go in drag next year. Boys get to have all the FUN!

Not a wench auction! I'll do ANYthing for Olde Beaufort Towne but THAT!!!!

Oh, it was yesterday. Looks like I won't have to!!!!

Not a wench auction! I'll do ANYthing for Olde Beaufort Towne but THAT!!!!

One thing David Cordingly's book "Under the Black Flag" talks about is the fact that often, pirates didn't plunder your average merchant vessel for "treasure"- they were taking naval stores like tar and pitch to repair their ships because they couldn't officially make port anywhere except places like Nassau and Port Royal which were known for being places pirates frequented. The significance of naval stores is not only important to the local economies of, say, my home state of North Carolina, but because of the value of goods rather than gold. Taking gold at face value is one thing- trading goods of small value to places where they are of larger value (IE the Triangle Trade) is critical to understanding the driving force of economics in piracy and maritime life.

TAYLOR'S NAVY! Be startin' up outa the Raleigh, NC area. Go see our meetup group! I can't pimp this enough!