Maritime Madams: Mary Lacy

Mary Lacy (1740-1801) was a British sailor, shipwright and memoirist who defied 18th century gender norms by disguising herself as a man to join the Royal Navy. Her memoir, The Female Shipwright, is a great glimpse into maritime life and women’s roles in naval history.

For Further Reading:

• The History of the Female Shipwright eBook
• Mary Lacy: The History of The Female Shipwright by Lucy Inglis
• Mary Lacy posing as William Chandler. An illustration on page 159 in “Female Tars: Women Aboard Ships in the Age of
• Mary Lacy | National Park Service

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.

Original theme music by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello for Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This month we're highlighting maritime Madams. Whether through
scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, these women harness
the power of the bodies of water that cover our earth.
Today we're talking about a woman who defied gender norms
in order to carve her way in the world, adopting

(00:23):
a male persona to join the Navy. Please welcome Mary Lacey.
Mary was born in a working class family in Wickham, Kent, England,
in seventeen forty. She was a free spirit since her youth,
and when she was nineteen she left home. We're not
sure exactly why. As one story goes, it was her

(00:43):
unrequited love for an old friend that encouraged her to
run away. What we do know is that she left
dressed in worn men's clothing. To top off her outfit,
she stole a hat from her father. Sprinting out of
town and into the fields, Mary's five foot tall stature
provided her with an advantage. Safe in her disguise, she

(01:03):
avoided trouble on the road. Mary slept in a barn
and Chatham. By the morning she wandered to a dockyard.
The men working there offered her breakfast and a job
as a deckhand on a ship called the Sandwich. In
accepting the job, Mary fully adopted a male persona. Her

(01:25):
new name was a combination of her father's name and
her mother's maiden name. Aboard the Sandwich, Mary Lacy became
William Chandler. We know much of Mary's story because she
wrote it down. She published her autobiography, The History of
the Female Shipwright in seventeen seventy three. In it, she
recalled her story on the deck of the Sandwich. Mary

(01:47):
started as a shipwright during the Seven Years War. She
was the servant of the ship's carpenter, a man named Baker.
Baker was a kind man, but prone to violent outbursts,
and every now and then he'd forget to pay Mary
her wages. After one year at sea, Mary's health took
a turn. She was admitted to a hospital in Portsmouth

(02:07):
with rheumatic fever and was reassigned to a ship called
the Royal Sovereign. Mary committed to her life as a
sailor on the high seas. She flirted with women, took
courses on bookkeeping. Aboard the Royal sovereign, and when Mary
was released from the Navy after the end of the
Seven Years War, she continued her naval education. Mary took
up an apprenticeship as a shipwright, learning mechanical drawing, math,

(02:31):
and undertaking demanding physical work. She earned her certification for
the job in seventeen seventy According to Mary's book, in
the midst of her apprenticeship, she paid her family a visit.
She met them as William Chandler. Mary's family received her
as William, though a prying neighbor attempted to reveal Mary's identity.
Mary was able to keep her gender a secret, but

(02:54):
eventually life at sea and the physical labor it required
wore her down. In seventeen six seventy one, she was
forced to give up her life as a shipwright because
of rheumatoid arthritis. By then Mary had no family and
was out of work. She stayed with a family friend.
He encouraged Mary to apply for a Navy pension under
her real name. In her application for the pension, they

(03:17):
explained Mary's life as William Chandler. Mary was granted her
pension without delay. On her way to collect her pension,
Mary met a fellowshipwright named mister Slade. He escorted Mary
back to Kensington and proposed to Mary on the way.
Mary wasn't initially thrilled by the proposal, as she later
wrote in her autobiography. Though I had repeatedly declared that

(03:39):
I would remain single, I at length gave my consent,
in consequence of which we were married and now enjoy
the utmost happiness the state affords. However, researchers speculate that
this marriage might not have been entirely real, and that
Mary's flirtations with women were more true to her sexuality.
It's possible the proposal was included in the book to
downplay mary lesbian relationships. Mary's life after seventeen seventy three

(04:04):
is a speculative narrative. Some believe that Mary went on
to build houses in Deptford for at least the next
decade of her life, another trade uncommon for women at
the time. Mary Lacey was buried in eighteen oh one
in Deptford, England. All month We're talking about Maritime Madams.
For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at
Wamanica Podcast special Thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister

(04:28):
and co Creator, talk to you tomorrow.