While the attention paid to the naval history of the British and Irish Civil Wars has increased in recent years, the parts played by women have often been ignored.
In this programme, Dr. Elaine Murphy, Associate Professor in History at the University of Plymouth, reveals how more and more women engaged with Parliament’s navy in the 1640s and 1650s.
They travelled on naval vessels – sometimes as wives or as refugees; they provided supplies and services including sex; and a few disguised themselves as men and became crew members while others made their living stealing from the Navy’s ships.
Dr. Murphy introduces us to this colourful cast of characters her research has recovered.
